Show fl lover LOW and fu lass I 1 I 1 A christmas story by mary kyle I 1 dallas 2891 by Axner american lean press tion i CHAPTER 1 I I 1 I 1 I 1 aj I 1 LP X I 1 if I 1 I 1 I 1 1 al 1 i I 1 it I 1 Y I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 r 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 IVA I 1 1 I 1 t I 1 J A 1 I 1 HB HN MADE hen PER SIT DOWN christmas was coming yon knew it by a thousand tokens there la in groton groa n by the wagons piled plied with christmas trees and christmas wreaths that hat t passed through the town the hawkers at the horses borses beads leading them and customers everywhere you knew it by tha the tableaux visible through the open church doors young men on ladders f fes es cooning the topes ot of evergreens ever greens fashioned by the young girls who sat at in pretty kroup below the preacher in their midst and nd his wife in a it large white apron super intending the work of decoration it had bad occurred to tb Il erford wayne who was one of the clerks in crossmans Cross roana mans larger factory and who for some reason had bad A holiday that afternoon to take his betrothed bei liei I 1 wife marjorie chadwock k for a walk on broad street and by looking in at the be window windows get an idea of what chefan she fan tied and d surprise suf prise her with it on christmas morning and having donned anew cravat and bestowed much attention on his back hair he be proceeded to carry out hl lit intention MArj marjorie orle was reading the ladles ladies maga faga sine when he arri arrived vad and her reply to his invitation was given in rather a disconsolate tone and with a sigh etwas it was oh yes if you care to to go 11 but marjorie was so pretty that she could even ba be dh consolato without betting setting people against her ler and If herford erford sat by the little parlor window while she was wax gone to dress and thought of her ery verr lovingly na N oln indeed honald he said to himself referring tos to som brite thing fie was thinking ofa of a conversation with his friend robins ko No indeed robins is wrong money Is not everything it will not be absurd 0 t marry and stay at home on twenty five dollars a week with a P prospect of fifty in thy J future re M marjoria would I 1 should dob do eliat at than leave ter bar to make a fortune my marjorie Is cot riot like robins ell ellza then there 1 Is mot moth herlie trl took a letter from his lis pocket and read it over two or three times before marjorie in the pretty prett y suit of hunt jurers green which the she had made herself I 1 aers fwd and which was wits very becoming the lui ibal look wits still upon her face how bever i ever and Il herford erford began to wonder at it I 1 still he was used to ethehe little spells of pouting and was generally able to banish them it was ft it lovely winter day crispy crisp clear sparkling par kling christmas weather Mar marjories jorles bright hair glistened la in the sun nun the sweet apple blossom pink deepened in her an kuil I 1 there were little emerald glints la her blue eyes but lier ter mouth remained persistently pulled pull d down at the corners to tell the truth though usually a very pleasant flea wint eirl girl marjorie an evil mood today she bud bad not naturally a bad temper but she was prone to discontent her tastes ustes were rather extravagant r and nd since ber bar father was comparatively poor she iab never had quite what slid she wanted of those things thing that money can buy As usual with sufferers from discontent marjorie did not suspect that the cause obber of her III feeling lay within her own bosom it had come upon her while read I 1 I 1 inn ing in the society notices an tin account of the wedding of nn an old schoolmate of the wealth of the bridegroom the brides acau cau the wedding present presents the beautiful new mew residence the list of distinguished guests As for roe me I 1 shall have spoons and nap tin lin rings miss pardee will glie iv a an atshan ishan aunt helry hoina pillow shams and after thatchat that what and let yet I 1 am better j looking than helen whom a millionaire has chosen at this point marjorie and told herself that Il herford erford was the best and handsomest of men and arid that she ought t toj be ashamed asli amed of herself still when she aw 1 w him she noticed that lie had not quite a t the 1 ie air of the oung young men on oil the heights and as she put on her homemade costuma alie lie said t to herself that any one would know that it waa was not made by a modiste her ifer kid gloves opre n ere rubbed rubw at the finger linger tips 0 As they entered broad street with its the display of wealth and fashion irritated her ber she almost refused kostop to stop before the jewelers window whispering as though we were country people staring at t the shops and though she site did stand til A it moment she declined to admire anything but a set of diamonds in a velvet time tase which were w ere quite as far beyond iier iler fords power to give her as any of the stabs stars the young man began to feel his pa tierce somewhat tried and leaving broad street turned into tho the road where the people from the height Heights drove every afternoon today there was a rood good deal of 0 driving in very fine turnouts some ot of them ery very showy tor for instance that ot of mrs caleb clipper whose coachman wore a livery and nd whose daughters in brilliant bril brilliant lLant cos tames tunics served its as excellent off offsets I ta to her bar own black velvet and diamonds 1 splendid hors horam and handsome hand tome girls said lle herford gayly v s they dashed past marjoria marjorie did not answer she did not even ei en glanco glauce t the gay equipage I 1 for hands were fixed upon the little muff which she turned round and round epou her slender bandit hands and she site distinctly pouted naturally II Il erford liked smiles better than pouts petits but marjorie in any mood waa was pretty he fancied that what be he had said bald a about bout the misses clipper had vexed her and nd hastened to add but nothing like so pretty as you ou are marjorie theres not a girl tn in groton to compare with you la in my eyes ye he ile lansed his hand head through her arm as be he spoke she removed it instantly that Is 1 I 1 d vulgar way of walking herford she said the ladles lulles L ulles Nags zIng mentions it sa something abr really said Il herford erford pray take my anti aro then she book shook her bead lead that Is only adnall admissible able after dark asid id she our magazine says that MAL just then a workman from the dattory ap pearci ta in sight eight lie ile wore a red shirt rt and waa was s a pipe and hi his arm was wait about a I 1 roay my young woman in a white apron to whom he pointed out the alnet ill neat horses with the stem of his lon conr cy pipe that Is certain li y a more comfortable wiy way the young man said it is lit what I 1 should like best what is the opinion of I 1 your magazine mag on that style is 0 of f promo badet and end be he laughed might 1 I do you thirkill thin think kIll ills little betrothed tossed bar nor head ead 1 I hope hop Il Her erford tord she said ld that I 1 am u a lady though not a rich one and she he a u amed a prudent air and walked apart irani from him know iott well that t I 1 S I 1 Ir fd tt tr tee bilig latest r intention 0 pi pr making a vulgar demonstration or of affection ou oil tho the principal thoroughfare of tha the town at ita its hour but this vision ot of the equipage of 0 mrs clipper a and ad her daughters daughter in nil their finery bending su sit pe rellious glances glan cesor or BO so she fancied upon poor pedestrians finished the work of the little demon within her bar She walked on stiffly her fingers interlacing within her muff keeping a distance between her bel belf f and her escort there was vas a it little triangle of a park bard by deserted in title winter weather but there were vere benches there under the bare trew erford II led her in at the gate and niad her it down it la co mild that you cannot catch cold he said 1 I ought to be ashamed of myself ive walked t too f baat t for you lie ile seated himself beside her I 1 but u t her bar features kept their woebegone expression ob I 1 walked too far she bald said only I 1 dont want to exhibit my common homemade things any longer among those elegant costumes I 1 should be aa as good looking as those others it if I 1 bad had their clothes their jewelry you asked me if I 1 was tired II Il erford I 1 am but not of walk ing log im tired of living it I 1 must be poor and never have anything nice never nover never never my pt pat he ald said what alia ails you 1 you are ten times prettier than the clipper girls kirl twenty times im sure your frock Is very nice and it become becomes you and all that la Is worth nothing if one has enough as am you alway always have lave and always shall while I 1 live enough she answered why should common things be enough for me when others have bare but to wish and take why I 1 have velvety velvets and real laces faces and diamonds why I 1 ride la in my carriage aget oh you shall said be some day im certain to get on and then you shall I 1 have thousands of blank checks and ill send ft a messenger to tho the mine mines of golconda Gol coada for specially big diamond diamonds or if golconda Golo onda worked nowadays wherever they are I 1 to be found Nean meanwhile while wa we can carl be happy together happy and content you make light of everything she mid said you bavo LAYS no ambition I 1 think be content forever in a little banty shanty in a by street where live with sunflowers sun flowers in the garden behind the clamshell borders and a stovepipe through the kitchen cel ceiling ling 11 assuredly if you shared it herford IIer tord answered sharing it would only double the mi ints cry marjorie Mar jorio cried passionately but since we shall never live la in a shanty in a by street where so many sua flowers flourish said wayne why think of 0 it oh plum row raw and maple street ara are al at most as baa compared to these thew avenues Marj marjorie orle said it seems criminal to be content with common things when there is BO so much that in Is splendid to be had tor for taking the trouble only lazy folks are not willing to make sacrifices for future good marjorie Mar jorte bald sald the young man moro more seriously than before 1 I know a fellow who is engaged to a a girl lie loves tier and thinks that she loves him lie could marry her and live together in plain comfort but lie la Is going to leae leave her for long years la in order to make a fortune I 1 told him that he be was selling his birthright for a mega mesa of pottage but he fie answered that I 1 did not know what I 1 was talking of that women camrod go so much for money and all that it would buy bata hat a poor man had bad no right to marry that the girl he was engaged to waa quite willing to part indefinitely so that they could someday some day live in tit luxury what do you think of her marjorie farj orle she Is ft a very sensible girl said mar jo jorie he herfordt Her Ifer fords face flushed marjorie be he fald bald still trying tryl ngo to laugh though it was hard work jilt me and marry ft a millionaire she did not smile 10 I 1 no 11 she said 1 I keep my promise but I 1 cannot help wishing that I 1 were a millionaire he said ob that goes without saying she answered aw ered shivering a little as she rose 1 I a we might as well go home and they left the little park in tit silence and arid it was he be who kept the distance between them on their way to her door arrived there she said bald well bare is the shabby old place benin and he only answered goodby ten minutes afterward attern ard he was saying to herself we parted without a kiss tor for the first time since our engagement halt an hour later she was shedding tears ot of re iro Pen tance but it was wasa a little too late she was to pay her penalty tor for that demon of discontent which had bad so spoiled poor iter ford waynea waynes holiday afternoon meanwhile IIer tord had gone home to ills his mother CHAPTER 11 II X I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 iff I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 r I 1 go t I 1 I 1 a A V 4 I 1 I 1 I 1 10 I 1 11 AT DAWS DAWN SOME KEIGn BOBS LED heil HOMB mrs him wayne was getting supper per economically ec bonom laying the table in the kl kitchen athen to keep the ditting room carpet clean she wore a very clean stiffly starched gingham which during the repeated washings of at many years had gone on abr shrinking inkIng a so that it wa was now very short la in the skir kart and tand repealed revealed a goodly portion of gray stocking and large high low her scant gray hair was drawn tightly back from her face and twisted into a bard little knot her Ifer collar was vaa white as snow and pinned with a large cameo came pin her wholesome face was a 11 little littie bard hard featured but it smiled a it welcome lo 10 br her son 1 I thought like ham and egg eggs she said and apple sas ease goes good with that and my bread has turned out lovely and I 1 made some sonic of the dough into plain cake I 1 know you love plain cake fordy 11 he ile bent over and kissed her on the top ra of f br her bead head where the hair hadr was thinnest he ile remembered it thick rod dark and bow he be used to play with it as a baby and pull it all rill down marjorie had hurt him hirn and he turned to his mother tor for comfort after all I 1 rather think that people can bo be happy without much money be he said we are as happy as they are up yonder on broad street and on the heights I 1 eight ii mamay you never would have ben been happier with father it if he lie had been rich would you the mother straightened herself as ha he poke and came toward the table holding two hot dishes carefully with opposite ends end of a it clean crash towel christmas is to the time for hopes with oung young people ol 01 memories with old folk fordy dear she said its kind 01 ol burus that you should ask me die that question on just when I 1 WM was chinkin how I 1 used to wish I 1 was w rich seemed as it if iny ray young year years all went that way and my good looks puffin to make both cod end moot jbf ob yes 1 I should bv bavo admired to hav bar your pa real rich at chris t ru time w to 2 al ITO jon ZOU pre mob flip A and 04 I 1 nr rr r r mils little r tt t ale pa 1 res Z fora even pa and me tive would lave bave been happier hap 1 together though we always dona done our duty by each othor ot herst ef wed had money married far folks find that out pretty boon soon though when they are courtin it dont seem possible yes yes yes lots of things hev bev been bald said that I 1 feel feet to be forry berry for ef your pa and me had been forehanded kven eve n the little legacy I 1 have come into isiace since come then and I 1 do kotbin I 1 wanted to Ir IIer erford tord turned his back on his mother tor for a moment and stood looking out over the little halt curtain into the back garden where the vines and rose rosebushes bushes were ball all wrapped up tip in straw and where some garments pinned to the lines were dancing wild fandango ea es in the evening breeze abut hut if he lie bad had had to leave you mother ito to go K aw away ay for years in order to make the money be he said slowly and had given you the choice between being as you were and parting what then well WellI fordy ordy answered the old woman with ith a sigh consi derla all things id her had to say lord bring you back sate safe but I 1 should have had to say haygo go but your pa never had no such chance my ray son and he ambitious I 1 rouse him up I 1 used to wish I 1 was the man sometimes id bare allowed showed him blittle A little touch of reproach wa was in her invoice voice and the hard look was wits strong upon her face as she poured the tea into the old pagoda pattern teacups tea cups they were very quiet that evening and II Il erford went to hia his room very early the day before christmas groton la Is busier than ever there are 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