| Show 90 ft J evivian males FIE C ANN adjusted her furs fur and arose her round black eyes refusing to meet tho the piteous gaze of the little old lady before her 1 I know be reasonable mother she concluded and see that needing money as edwin does right now he do differently when pa died and edwin bought this house bouse of you to help you out he be had every notion of letting you stay right here as he told you I 1 but the 1000 Is absolutely needed to set us on our feet again and with a customer turning up right now and willing to pay cash well nothing short of providential and the deed was made out last night she bit her lip and reddened as she shot a furtive glance at the bent figure then rushed on nervously of course youre to come right over with us as soon as christmas Is over packing up will be easy for knowing have no further use for your furniture ture edwins told the customer he could buy it just as it stood and of 0 course the mon eyll be yours a n nice I 1 ce tidy sum for mr craig was all carried away with your braided rugs and old dishes and furniture said it made him think thanh of his boyhood home nes lies over to the glendale sanitary sanitarium now for his bis health got ner nervous dyspepsia or some such thing well E must be rushing along halting in the doorway she called back sharply it if that good for noth not li ing brother of edwins comes round here tomorrow asking for us you send him about his business lively ile he can smell a christmas dinner a mile off the door closed resoundingly sunshine poured into the spotless kitchen in a golden flood lingered lovingly on the bright braided rugs and china closets laden with willowware china and pewter r the grandfather clock ticked contentedly in a corner the kettle bummed drowsily gleeful the canary sang one exultant song aft er another 1 the table with its cheerful red cloth had been drawn up to the window daintily set for grandmas grandeas grand mas luncheon it was the same tranquil scene upon which her eyes had rested on hun deeds of other days and upon which after tomorrow they would never rest again and tomorrow was PrIst christmas mas a day when the friendly ghosts of all the Christ christmases mases that w were ere would stend stead lovingly back only to ice flee in horror at lack of festal board and christmas christinas cheer it must have been the affecting picture of those disappointed ghosts of other Christ christmases mases that impelled impell d grandmother rand to sit erect swall swab tier lier red eye lids stiffen her trembling c chin hin and resolve to thrust tier her troubles into tile lie background tit til christmas should he be over ill have a christmas dinner sl 1 r ned just as if notI nothing 1162 lind bad and nd anby ill reec vans s 2 r s 4 excitement grand do 0 tier marketing ethe day the old h tantalizing y A 1 I foi was early astir sprigs of 0 holly graced the many paned windows the deep armchair had been drawn angly before the fireplace the plump and tender turkey was turning an lr ir resistible brown onions turnips 9 s squash quash and potatoes white and not sweets were cooking merrily the cranberry sauce had been strained and set to cool upon the pantry window sill and ancl adhering to a long lashed precedent grandmother slipped flyway away to don her black silk dress lace cap and snowy apron she was becoming a trine trifle anxious about her guest when she spied a gaunt figure coming up the walk she fluttered hospitably to the doorway and beamed at the visitor 1 I declare I 1 was getting worried for fear you yon come after all she said edwin and me effle ann have gone away and youre to have dinner with me ill dish it right up the ne visitors gaze fastened itself upon the loaded table and power of speech seemed to desert him film at grandmothers request he dexterously terou sly carved the turkey and hav I 1 al w the Money 11 be yours a nice tidy S sum U M 11 ing served his hostess devoted him self unreservedly to eating ily aly land mused grandmother aghast that poor creature must have been fasting for a week rut but when the indian pudding pump kin pie and fruit cake had been eaten and they were picking placidly at the outs nuts the guest waxed talkative ilow how this all reminds we cue of home when I 1 was a little boy this room a facsimile and you how you remind we me of mother I 1 it must be great he broke off sharply for you to have your own little home all to yourself eh 7 the christmas sun was already set ting flog reminding grandmother that her last day was almost over with A sudden sob she shed her gallant gar ment of pretense and in an all over powering hunger for sympathy she quavered out her sad little story the gaunt visitor came around to her it er side and took her hand with clumsy tenderness T im to not the guest you were expect ing but when I 1 saw that dinner well you understand unless lived for three weeks on prunes anti toast and skim milk anyway I 1 was ins ravenous from hunger and I 1 tiki hagenl vent had a dinner of such pure hire abed bliss since mother cooked li ft what I 1 came over for todne was 10 lo sayer that er why my lay wife linds lind she he wants to lle nearer the hie city so I 1 want you yol to consider tills this innise abst cutely yours as long ion as you need it ill have it put pill in writing no fie shouldered hurrle hurriedly into lilt alc cf acta ht then halted baited in flip ahr dror wHy cavite Ma vite colue tinie time he ven ventured bp be wll wil line ing to teach my wife if in el nl eli I IV 1 ht h New almiter I 1 ewel q ftp 0 1 A o |
