| Show 0 P I l r I r T Tan an 01 t Je e J 1 mang AIb rAIb r- r i Q r you mind If It we didn't celebrate Christmas this I n year Bob Bob nob looked up quickly from his bacon and eggs A What the Idea Ideo darling r Ellens Ellen's lip Up trembled I 1 I Just cant can't bear to think of ot Christmas without father And it Isn't as if It the baby were old enough to know the difference Her husband seemed about to say something then evidently thought bettel better bet bet- ter tel of It Where Is your mother goIng goInn go go- Inn Ing to be Ie he lie asked presently In Boston with Leila LelIa and the chil chil- children dren Of course with youngsters that age one has to keep Christmas goes with me Whatever er you OU say Bob OU know that that said Sweetness you for tor Of or course It was a hard time Ellen just now remembering other Christmases Why last year how she had been flying yam around jo Joyously If It ifo o busy with t last minute shopping shopping shop shop- ping and packing to go home for the theM M holidays She and Bob 0 ban and d two two- month old little littleJim littleJim Jim named for his grandfather Would the they ever forget 5 i l that last happy s' s celebration In the theold theold theold I old home Ellens Ellen's father p had loved Christmas Christ mas mss and what Bob had twice started to say had been something to the effect that he would not have approved of anyone's not celebrating It During the days which followed Ellen EUen carefully avoided any errands which would take her downtown Into the thick of the bundle laden bundle laden throngs She he bought little Jim half halt a dozen toys on her way to market one morning Now it Is asking a great deal of anybody any body to describe in n detail the drab passage IJ of ot a n Christmas that Is not treated as such It proved the lon longest long est St st dreariest saddest day you can Im Im- n agine ine Even en little Jim Hm refused to be hi his usual good humored humored self and fussed ridiculously and irritatingly Ellen mien went to tn bed early leaving Bob reading He had been patience Itself It was on the morning after Christinas Christ alas inas that a stran strange e thing happened Ellen had left little Jim with Nora I who came In to help mornings and had gone one down to the post office for tor the letter from her mother which would tell how Christmas passed for her She was back at her own steps with the letter saved to read In the quiet and warmth within when the pretty young woman from next nest door ran out i with a sweater I thrown across her J shoulders Do Do excuse me she said breath breath- lessly But were we're next nest door neighbors neigh neigh- hors bors and If It I may I ask Isn't your n name a m e Cunningham Cunning Cunning- Cunningham ham I Why yes yes es 8 said ld Ellen It Is Is IsI s. s I thought so said the other with a puzzled look You see yesterday esterday 1 was passing Jassing with a piece of plum pudding pudding pud pud- ding for tor a shut shut-In old lady below I when a middle-aged middle man stopped me and asked me If It I could tell him where the Cunninghams live Ellen felt feIt the hurting little squeeze about her heart that always came with witha a sudden memory of ot her father As Aa AsIt Asif If It this woman had been speaking of him And 1 told him him the other was sayIng say say- I Ing that I 1 thought you yon hired llred right here I Yes Tes urged Ellen Elle with the strangest strongest strang strong est feeling of suspense Yes Be He looked ed up at the house and shook his head bead Oh no he said very positively yet yot gently too That couldn't possibly be he it There would he a wreath on the door And h he went on on After a moment Ellen EUen found herself hersell i in her own room with her mother mothers let lettel letter letter ter tel open In her hand She rend read li it through very carefully Then read li It again Today has been a happy day with me after all ail Your father r has lins seemed with me even more moret thin more t titan lIa II usual l Ev Everything v I 1 did brought him back to me fill flU the childrens children's stockings re reminded minted minded me of your first Christmas You were such a tiny Uny thing tiling but he In you ou were not too young to cele brate trad we filled your little sock tn to gether I even cven sang the old carolI carol enrol arn softly to myself as the they came carne over th- th I I radio and It made him seem very ery Leila and Will are going out to inn 1111 this for meLove meLove me Love ve to all Everything I did brought him ba butt I Ito to Lo me Ellen sat Bat for tor a long long tim Thinking c e by Mcclure Newspaper p por Syndicate I J k |
