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Show Pu Robert Stead tT"7?l vril.KA ITM.Ml.NliS looked iVi I window ncross llit lU'lils of V. S1UIW which lay In I In' wi'st-I wi'st-I afternoon sun "-. '! wa ihiiu'ln nil I ho white 'j.U crystals, hul It was tint the J ilar.ile of Ikhl which hi-ouuln puzzled look into lior eyes, or knit toil hor brows In a slight frown of perplexity. Half a mile- across those white tiolils lay tlio honiostoatl of Arthur Birch. A tiny spiral of hluo sinoko spun upwards up-wards from snow-covered roofs, sir.:-posting sir.:-posting comfort and domestic activities. activi-ties. Susie Birch, that wouli) ho, Matilila reflected, husy with hor Christmas preparations. Susie was fourteen now, anil almost ns useful ahoul the house as a woman. Matilda thought of the your mul a half that had passed since that un-- un-- haPP.v day, and her heart wanned - . again with woman's sympathy for An thur Kirch. She was In a position to sympathize, for her own widowhood dated hack eight years. Carl, her hoy. had heen seven then ; now he was taller than she. and as good as a man. Through all these years Arthur, In his gentle, Inarticulate way. had made his friendship plain to her, and she had accepted it as from a good neighbor neigh-bor and the husband of her particular friend. Jessie Birch. Now, with Jessie pone, it was not so easy to accept. There were gossiping tongues, and Matilda had caught some echoes of the morsels they were tossing about. That was why a puzzled frown dark-- dark-- ened her eyes as she looked across the white fields toward the homestead of Arthur Birch. She wondered If anything any-thing had reached his ears. She was recalled from her reverie by the sound of sleighbells at the door, and Carl's cheery voice calling, "All right, mother! All aboard!" The boy rushed in, but as her eyes turned to his he sobered. "Something wrong, mother?" he asked. Matilda smiled bravely at her big ninn. Should she tell him? She tappea his arm with an effec-tionate effec-tionate hand. "Ready in a minute, son. I was day-dreaming." But he knew. "Ten are troubled, mother." His words were an Invita tion to confidence. She made a quick decision. "AU right Carl. I'll tell you. You know "V that every year since your father left us Mr. Birch has sent a Christmas remembrance, re-membrance, The boy smiled broadly. "Yep. A pig. A dressed pig. Always left on the porch sometime Christmas eve." She answered his smile. "An unusual un-usual kind of gift, Carl, but a very practical one. And now perhaps you don't understand Carl, but now that Mrs. Birch is gone it is a little different, dif-ferent, don't yon see?" Carl's shoulders came back and his jaw stiffened. "Have people been talking? Just let me hear them!" H13 eagerness to spring to her defense de-fense pleased her. bur this was not a tm r 4 Life Was Still Very Much Worth Living, Liv-ing, She Reflected. matter in which physical force could be employed. "No, that would not do any good." she answered, kindly. "And people will talk, you know. I hope Arthur Ar-thur won't send one this- year." "Why don't you tfc!: him?" "That is Dot easy ro do. If he has heard the talk he won't send It. If he hasn't but I must hurry !" Tucked in the snug cutter beside: her son, Matilda's misgivlDgs soon evaporated. Life was still very much worth living, she reflected, even though there was one great vacant spot in it. On the road they met George Jan son. and his neighbor, Sam Iteaney ieorge touched his cap with his whip hand in answer to her smile. "A fine woman, that." paid Sam with Implications in 1.1s voice, (ieorge was a bachelor. "Now. If I was a single man George sniffed, but the suggestion c-anie nearer his heart than even Sam suspected. "I guess nobody but Arthur Birch has much chance in that direction." he said, hoping to he contradicted. "Aithur Birch? I'shaw! Nothing's over done uiilil It s done, (Ieorge, mid Arthur hadn't married hor jot. But ho will, I'm thinking, if you lot hor slip out of your hands. lHdn't you see the way she smiled ul you?" (Ieorge had icon, nil right, but he thought that was Jusl Mrs. Cuinmlngs' courtesy. "But what's n follow to do:" he nsketl, hoping for guidance. "lo? lo something! I in what Ar- thnr does. You know he sends her a dresjH'd pig every Christmas. Now there's no farmer around Wheat Con-tor Con-tor got h hotter lino of hogs than you have, George, and you could spare her: a carcass as easy as a colt can spare a whinny." ! (.Ieorge ruminated fi.. some minutes, j while his sprightly horses hoofed tittle clouds of snow In his face. "1 have ns tine a carcass of pork as you ever set tooth to hanging In my shed right now," h confessed, "and I have a good notion " I Purkness had fallen long before, Matilda and Carl returned Their ' shopping had taken more time than they expected, .is the stores were choked with Christmas buyers. Carl swung the cutter up to the door, but even before Matilda left her seat she i "You Have Heard the Talk?" Matilda - Asked. ! could define a large dark object lying stiff on the porch floor. "It's here." she said, with a little sinking feeling Inside. Carl had seen It, too. "Yep," he agreed. . For some moments Matilda contemplated contem-plated the situation. Then she made her decision. "I think you had bet-: ter take It back to him, Carl. Just take It in the cutter and leave It quiet-' ly on his parch. He'll understand-" Carl hurried away on his errand, but Christmas eve was spoiled for , Matilda. In fancy she saw the mild surprise on Arthur's face when he ' found his gift his customary gift for eight years, now returned to him. It would hurt him. She was sorry for j that, but what else was she to do? If 1 the gossip of the countryside had not yet reached Arthur I, would before long, and then he would understand, i T think, Carl," Matilda said, after they had breakfasted and the morning chores were done, "It would be nice if we drove over to Mr. Birch's, just ! to wish Arthur and Susue a the com- j pliments of the season It can't be a ! very merry time for them " But Carl was looking out of the i window. "We're late," he exclaimed. I "Here's Mr. Birch driving down the! road !" ' .. ' j To Matilda's annoyance she felt the i blood rush from her cheeks, then back ! again in a flood. Sh? had just time tn : whip an apron off and run a comb . through her pretty, brown hair, with j its occasional tell-tale thread of sil- i very, when Arthur's knock sounded on the door. j "Come to the door, Matilda," he ! called. "Santa Clans!" i In spite of the cheery ring In his , voice Matilda's quick ear detected the ' strained effect. Trembling a little,! she stood beside him. In bis sleigh, j there it was! "Left at my house, by mistake," he ! said. "This card was pinned Inside." : With eyes that swam a little she I read : "To Mrs. Birch, with many j good wishes from George Janson." "But I thought it was from you !" she cried. "I sent Carl back with it last night, because becnuse Ob, won't you come in and sit down?" Carl took the team, and in the cozy sitting room they fared each other. "Yon have heard the talk?" Matilda asked, too honest for evasion. He nodded. "That Is why I didn't send one this year," he answered. "I didn't wish to embarrass you. But I have thought of a way out. "Yes?" Her voice was eager. He raised her hand tn his, and before be-fore she realized what he was doing a gem flashed from her finger. "Oh, Arthur!" she murmured. "Will you keep It, dear?" He was drawing her to him. 'Certainly not ! I can't keep George's pig when I'm going to marry you." (ic). 1929. W:stcrn Newspaper Union.) |