Show 4 d l ie l Y k Custard Cup i I 01 b Bin tn I i rat H H. H DORAN DORAM i ty 69 COMPANY t CHAPTER Continued I. 21 21 t The hardest thing uns as to wait walt till seven the hour at which the r Jets ests were ere bidden At twenty five fi e past the candles were lighted light light- ed id a z schedule which precluded the faste aste of wax fiX without a justifiable number Dumber of observers It was the touch teach A long-drawn long h Oh ex- ex presed the complete gratification of 1111 the From that time on i fairyland was an open book Thad's o Ice ejes eyes were unbelievably wide and te to tiptoed about in an awed and silent I h fo tasy was full of important i errands having gratuitously assumed 1 j l for salient features of 1 lie to e evening evening- J As s for Lettie Lettle she was not the same that had straggled Into Mrs kitchen three months before blindly resentful i aIn t the harshness of an It tc ice world ready to fight anything and yone to keep her starved stan soul In her starred dined body body a a creature forced IJ by the Indifference of society Into reversion I to elemental Instincts to primitive Without volition she had Uen leet shot Into a scheme of things that tad lad no place for her that fro frowned ned upco up- up in ID her herlth with heavy y disapproval She Shet t tad had been Leen saved sayed from the attitude that have ha followed the followed the attitude of oft i t society that later latel holds up its hands handsh la m a shock of horror and repudiates tie the menace that Its own carelessness Us tas nurtured It will always be so taut that society ceases to segregate hs lt J human strays to be housed in correct correct correct cor cor- stone buildings building's and fed from long- long aDdled spoons and rouses to the In- In right of the Individual to In- In care Tonight Lettie Lettle was radiant She sight Eight later know jo joy that would be reader larder and deeper but It could never rare core fully inundate her capacity t Her thin cheeks were beginning to take C a the cune curve of health her black curls sere fere neat nent and nd glossy gloss and she was r rearing the new serge dress presented Ij tr Mrs Irs Sanders As she flew busily trough the rooms she stopped now nd od then for a n look of Indifferent dis- dis n Wn at the temper gong Could it be beIO IO- IO ble that she had needed that that-or that or orver r ser ver w would uld again In her present state stated d beatitude certainly not The hours i happiness are not the hours of al alwen Well wen have to play sit-down sit games Crink surveying the tight wa Zas t S of chairs which he had borrowed br r the occasion Yes Crink laughed Mrs Penfield out fiat you can cnn see ho how lucky luck that thatIs ls Is was a n barn If It h hadn't been big nough for horses we couldn't ever t er have hare this grand STand party 0 i Eyen Een en so the only thing that made madele le space pace sufficient was previous en- en on the part of several severn ten- ten tb In there consequence were only tits e e who gathered and squeezed WHy Ir Into the borrowed chairs but y all nU brought their most flattering and used them freely hn n Mr 11 smiled by which ten n the Jollity of the others may be I tome Game followed Allowed game garnet and the merI mer- mer tent nt Increased a as ns s by Its own mom momen momen- en- en 1 Crink Penfield was noted In conT con- con tace nce with T Loren a C nl mor ra rase se 1 d t t ra uw v V VU rai an s for LJ L- L J i thereafter It t was made known that t te tl had e had a new Christmas song En- En grew brew She gave them more g S. S Her Bel clear voice olce filled The Cusi Cus- Cus i ftp Cup with melody All thIs time the tree stood waiting Its 8 turn came at lost last I Impressive Impressive- I DIck I Chase read off the names Prodigal flourish the little Pen- Pen made distribution Surprise was I r fancied Exclamations were dou- dou 1 trebled td d even this was as not the end der j r it was the prelude Because b thereafter refreshments e served cr They hey Crinks Crink's were coni con- con i atlon and his pride In this acme j s was well nigh t i Afew A few few d days ys before Mr Drake had j 4 him a large tin bo box boa of cakes J h a It wholesale delivery dellver ho boy had hud hudOn on the floor The cal cakes cs asto ns- ns 1 to begin with h had hod d been further J t assorted b by the fall there there Hero were ere a n few whole ones and andI I te I had been arranged as os fa jers on the pIn plates tes which were t gassed passed assed Mr Drakes Drake's Christmas Ink had d been a small package ot f sugar and raisins and a u dozen j s. s Crl In an embarrassment 2 had bad Jad all nIl but choked him had hud 1 T Ie he lie might night have lemons Instead e Oranges The exchange had been and the on one a dozen had hael p marvelous piece of fortune be- be dy V eri body ody knows known that one lemon i al to two oran oranges es any day der when uben hen hens tr is s to flavoring a n given amount of ofa 1 h tag II a lOll long time after th O P and 1 p l rUIN cups hail had te hwn g 1 wl up trip P 1 the he h e party I l t H f f l' l l v. v to 10 hap I I 1 I alone memories either I The tree tt was still there and Christmas day dar was yet et to come My lanel Tandy landy goodness I cried Lettie Lettle I III dont don't never want to see anything n that party part was It sure hit lilt the stars for class cluss I uI guess were we're pretty prett rich piped Thad skinning a finger linger of fir to determine determIne determine deter deter- mine exactly how sticky y It wasie was We i Ye sure got rich feelings agreed Mrs Irs Penfield And that's as ns much as millions of money can put Inside you Yes I r spose so corroborated Lettie LetI Lettie Let- Let tie politely but with evident reserva reserva- Say wouldn't Mr Ir beat you ou stiff He wished me mea men a n Merr Merry Christmas Mrs firs Penfield laughed Land I Lettie Lettie Lettie Let- Let tie what hat do you think folks s are are arc hard fast little sticks of wood They mostly aint nothing t all aU nt what you think they are Chances are aret If you ou think a feller Is mean youre you're just confessing the way you acted to him fh first t. t Dry My I patience I l sighed Lettle Lettie Life Is awful hard to get use used to Well b by George Georgel I 1 broke In Crink Im glad this here Christmas aint over oer yet Theres There's still them diem roast ducks to be et tomorrow CHAPTER Twenty Minutes Lat Late My goodness Uncle Jerry you youdon dont don t mean It tl IU I Mrs Penfield paused I in her chopping of meat for the dress- dress Ing lug res Fes CarlIne I came In to tell you Im I'm awful sorry but but but- But Christmas day 1 she Interrupted Interrupt Interrupt- ed struggling between hurt and be he- wilderment Not to take dinner with your our own folks I 1 II I III would If I could Wouldn't nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing please me better But Dut I r got to go out of town Its It's a sudden call BusIness Business Business Busi Busi- ness I got to see to I mn may not bec be f c f c k U o- o oS ot 4 S r t t tJ tf r f J 3 r Never Before Had They Had So Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful Won Won- a Feast back for several days dus Dont Don't expect me till I come Ive I've got to hurry form formy for formy m my train Good Merry ChrIstmas Christmas Christmas Christ ChrIst- mas I 1 Gloomily Mrs Penfield stared after him She still sUIl had no Idea what sort of business he was tr trying out as aR he expressed expressed expressed ex ex- ex- ex pressed It certainly she could not understand understand understand un un- wh why any business whatever should call him out of town on the chief holiday of the whole year ear The zest of the dinner was gone for her but hut she exerted herself that the children ml might ht not notice And they did not Never before had they had 00 do wonderful a feast The They would live on the memory of It for many days days days- rather more literally than thun anyone supposed supposed sup sup- posed at the time too Roast ducks and potato gravy squash rice pudding pudding pud ding with raisins I And all the time the tree waited for them to come back beckoning to them with Its soft tinsel tinsel- hung boughs and gay gny festoons of popcorn popcorn popcorn pop pop- corn and shells Lettie Lettle slightly numb from Crom repletion hunched down on her table box and fixed her black e eyes es solemnly Or on Mrs face you thinking of dear Arent Aren't you full Full I 1 Lettie Lettle left It at that with entire adequacy What I was thinking think think- ing lug of was last year ear and the swell feed I got grato I had huel some moldy mold bread and n a apiece piece of that I fished outa outa- outa broke in Mrs Oh Lettle Lettie Lottie- Lottie Penfield compassionately Ill Til never neer 11 be thankful enough that Crink found t. t Ol ill ll I be you OU bet your front doormat I r its it's great to live grand brand like this n The be next nest morning the s1 sky w was as full of clouds It was as degrees colder and the wind sent the ragged leaves of the pepper tree swirling around the drive drive- wn way Mrs Penfield reflected that It was fortunate she had just laid In a n supply of coal Cornstalks and driftwood driftwood drift drift- wood might serve sen-e as s but they made little Impression on heating the house and that generous portion of out out-of-d out doors ours which swept in n through h cracks and knot It was a week of ot rain Clothes could not be dried in the yard ard so Crink carried carried car car- 1 ried them up to the loft as ns In the prevIous previous pre pre- e- e winter except that the ascent was easier because of Uncle Jerrys Jerry's stepladder Certainly washings s could not wait walt for f fair weather because Immediate immediate Im im- im mediate revenue was required had asked for a weeks week's pay In advance advance ad ael vance ance to finish the pa payment ment on the coal therefore the family were dependent dependent dependent de de- de- de pendent on the current Income Mrs Penfield had never planned so closely before but It had hall seemed safe The first time that Crink returned without the money for the Ole laundry which he had Just delivered she was disappointed the second time sh shwas shwas was alarmed In each case the family had gone out of town to spend the holiday holiday hole hol hol- hol iday week had encountered a maid who Informed him carelessly that he would get his pa pay the following followIng following follow follow- ing week Now Not children we just got to plan said Mrs Irs Penfield cheerfully Consequently they planned Mrs Penfield took no further account of possible Income during the week and apportioned the supplies on hand to tide them through till the day after New Years She was reasonably sure that on that date she could depend upon a n pa payment ment from Mrs Weather Weather- stone Mrs Irs Penfield was that that- commercial outcast the cash customer who receives receives re re- re- re only the most fleeting consideration tion from th the storekeeper whereas the customer who keeps him waiting for his mone money is the object of his earnest solicitude and hied accommodation It seems that the less money one has the more promptly one pays It was probable that Mrs Irs Penfield might have opened an account at Mr r. r Drakes Drake's rakes rake's but It t was contrary to her prudent policy and also distasteful to Ideas of Independence Land Im I'm glad Ive I've read rend all them diet books she said to herself I r know now no that If you go without food for a few da days s 's you aint starving star youre you're fasting And Its It's stylish style ish sh too Besides water Is awful fillIng fill fill- ing She drank two glasses before every meal To her astonishment she dis covered that Lettie Lettle knew this trick as ns aswell aswell well as us she did having learned It by a n afar afar far more harrowing means not menus not by reading but by necessitous necessitous exp ence It looked as If she would be able to steer her household craft safely through the shallow waters without appealing in any direction but there was one thing which she had not counted on and that was the cumulative cumulative cumulative tive power of hunger Ravenous stomachs accept the limited ration for fora a time then rl rise e In gathered rebellion and demand their full fun meed totally unlike unlike unlike un un- like their apathy under fasting It was not until New Years Year's day that this happened Lunch consisted of a n small allowance of cornbread Cant I have some more wheedled Thad Mrs Penfield's eyes filled with the tears that had been close to the surface surI surface sur sur- I face er e every time she had looked at her brave brood You little little little lit lit- Lettie sprang to her feet tle dummy she said affectionately cornbread you want its it's wa wa- wa- wa ter Ill I'll get you ou some She brought him another tumbler of water He drank a n few swallows obediently He always did what Lettie Lettle told him hire toOh toOh to Oh Oh he objected making a wry face its got In It Tastes like Ul salty You bet Its It's got in it rejoined rejoined rejoined re re- joined Lottie Lettie make you want some more water water and and then some mn mm moe Youre You're going to get full fore c Im I'm Im through with y you u. u And nd after you got a full fun feeling you cant can't tell what gave It to you I Oh children began Mrs Penfield I quickly tonight well we'll have a gran gr-gran I Her voice broke With a swift movement she ehe got up from the table and went back to the stove rattling the dampers vigorously Crink also rose I got something to see to he lie explained hurriedly With the air all of starting on a n distant errand he lie went out through the big front door Instantly as os If It she had been waitIng waiting wait wait- Ing for tor some such circumstance Lettle Lettie dashed out at th the back door She ran to the coop In which Bonnie Geraldine clucked U Un away n the days and crumble crumble- i u a reasonable lunch of I through the slats Reaching In h her r pocket et for more she turned to feed Fil Caesar Crink was there before her digging I Into his pockets and spreading cornbread cornbread cornbread corn- corn bread for the hungry little dog I thought Fit Fild d like Ilka some he be said softly Lettie Lettle nodded We cant can't tell him hOn him bout bout bout drinking water she whis whis- Her lips were unsteady but she broke the cornbread t with vial resolute fingers till Filibuster ha had eaten every crumb TO BE CONTINUED I |