OCR Text |
Show w . . j S f Abif ,- v,v .- ' . t, i Y -? ?f-i; . ' ' , - -v -v - n tiL,f. 0 r ' '"I' i"" 'k " , Ly Vivian Haj2s" jFsyj IK ANN udjusted her furs a I Cj and arose, her round black Hi' & eyes refusing to meet thu i2 piteous yaze of the little old 'lul'V belol'e ller- ' -jfe.l 11 know you'll be reason- able, mother." she conelud- I ' ed, "and see that, neediii)! UHine. as Edwin does rilit now. hi; couldn't do differently. When pa died and Edwin bought this bouse of you to help you out, he had every notion of letting you stay right here, as he told you; but the $1,UU0 is absolutely need ed to set us on our feet again and with a customer turning up right now and willing to pay cash well, 'twas 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, fig-ure, then rushed on. nervously: "Of course you're to come right over with us as soon as Christmas is over. Packing Pack-ing up will be easy, for, knowing you'd have no further use for your furniture, furni-ture, Edwin's told the customer he could buy it Just as it stood, and, of course, the money'U be yours a nice, tld.v sum for .Mr. Craig was all car ried away with your braided rugs and old dishes and furniture; said it made him think of his boyhood home. "He's over to the Olondale sanitarium sanitari-um now for his health got nervous dyspepsia, or some such thing. Well. I must be rushing along." Halting in the doorway, she called back sharply: "If that good-for-noth ing brother of Edwin's comes 'round here tomorrow asking for us. you send him about his business lively. He can smell a Christmas dinner a mile off." The door closed resoundingly. Sunshine poured into the spotless kitchen in a golden Hood, lingered lovingly lov-ingly on the bright braided nigs and china closets laden with willowware. china and pci"t-r. The grandfather clock ticked contentedly in a corner The kettle hummed drowsily. Oleeful. the canary sang one exultant song aft er another. The table with its cheerful red cloth had been drawn up to tlir window daintily set for grandma's luncheon, it was the same tranquil scene upon which her eyes had rested on bun dreds of other days, and upon which, nfter tomorrow, thpy would never rest ngai -.. And tomorrow was Christmas ! a day when the friendly ghosts ot nil the Christmases that were would stead lovingly hack, only to flee In horror at lack of festal board and Christmas cheer! It must have been the affecting pic tare of those disappointed ghosts of other Christmases that impelled grand mother to sit erect, swab her red eye lids, stiffen her trembling chin and resolve to thrust tier troubles Into the background 'til Christmas should he over "I'll have a Christmas dinner,'' she planned, "just as If nothing had happened and why. I'll Invite Edwin's brother !" Feverish with excitement, grand mother hurried to do her marketing and for the rest of the day the old kitchen abounded with tantalizing cooking odors. Christmas morning grandmother was early astir. Sprigs of holly graced the uiany-paned windows. The deep armchair had been drawn invit Ingly before the fireplace. The plump and tender turkey was turning an it lesistihle brown. Onions, turnips squash and potatoes white and "sweets" were cooking merrily. The cranberry sauce had been strained and set to cool upon the pantry window sill, and, adhering to a long-estab lished precedent, grandmother -slipped away to don her black silk dress, lace cap and snowy apron. She was becoming a 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. "I declare I was getting worried for fear you wouldn't come, after all," she said. "Edwin and Elite Ann have gone away and you're to have dinner with me. I'll dish it right up." The visitor's gaze fastened Itself upon the loaded table, aud power ot speech seemed to desert him. At grandmother's request he dexterously dex-terously carved the turkey, and hav vm fey , , -i5 - - "The Money'll Bs Yours a Nice Tidy Sum." ing served his hostess, devoted hiin self unreservedly to eating. "My land," mused grandmother, aghast, "that poor creature must have been fasting for a week!" But when the Indian pudding, pumpkin pump-kin pie and fruit cake had been eaten and they were picking placidly at the nuts, the guest waxed talkative. "How this all reminds me of home when I was a little boy this room a facsimile! and you how you remind me of mother ! It must be great." he broke off sharply, "for you to have your own little home all to yourself eh?" The Christmas sun was already setting, set-ting, reminding grandmother that her last day was almost over. With a sudden sob she shed her gallant garment gar-ment of pretense, and in nn over powering hunger for sympathy, she quavered out her sad little story. The gaunt visitor came around to her side and took her hand with clumsy tenderness. "I'm not the guest you were expecting expect-ing but when I saw that dinner well, you couldn't understand unless you'd lived for three weeks on prunes and toast and skim null;. Anyway, 1 was ravenous from hunger and I haven't had a dinner of such pure, unadulter ated bliss since mother cooked M What 1 came over for today was to say er that er why, my wife finds she wants to live nearer the city, so I want you to consider this house abso lately yours as long as you need It I'll have It put in writing tomorrow.' He shouldered hurriedly Into, hi.--Cfat. then halted Irresolutely In the doorway. "Maybe, some time," he ventured, uncertainly, "you'd be' wil ling to teach my wife to cool: " hv Mcflure N.-wspnper Svndlrate.) (WN'f S,-rvU-ei gsSSjHEKE was sadness in the 1 B Si Jordon's cottage on Indian I' j Hill. Even the merriment vi 1 of an aprpoaching Christ-i3'i&l Christ-i3'i&l nlas season could not super-fc.a super-fc.a sede the fact that Foster Jordan was going blind. J Blind! That was bad enough. But Foster Jordan, swathed in bandages from the operation that had failed, knew that Helen could never carry on alone. It had been so expensive, that operation that had only served to pronounce his doom more surely. All their savings were gone, and what could the most faithful of wives do, with a baby In arms, and a blind husband? The cottage cot-tage would go, too, and then He roused himself from these gloomy forebodings at the sound of her step at the door. And that she should not think him grieving, he began to sing. "Foster," his wife called, as the door opened, "who do you suppose is here? My old chum, Pauline West-land West-land ! l'ou know, the costume designer de-signer in New York? Paulina, this is my husband, that I've written you so much about." "How do you do, Miss Westland. Sorry I can't my eyes, you know " "Of course. I'm so glad to meet you, Mr. may I call you Foster? Helen has told me so much about you." "And oh, Pauline," Helen Interrupted, Inter-rupted, "here is our baby. Isn't he adorable?" Then In a whisper. "Do look more cheerful, darling! If you don't I'll cry and I mustn't do that !" "The doctors give you no hope?" "None whatever. But we'll get along somehow " Helen dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. "Foster, "Fos-ter, dear," she said aloud, "you were singing as we came in. Won't you sing for Pauline?" "Yes, please do." "I'm afraid I can't." "Yes. you can. dear. I'll play for you." And so he sang. At last their guest rose to jo. "1 can't tell you how I've enjoyed your songs," she said. "I'm so glad I stopped off on my way home for the holidays." "You must come again." Helen an swered. "I've enjoyed seeing you so much." "I'm pleased to have met you, Fos ter. and I wish you both a blessed Christmastide." Days passed, and it was Christmas. Bright and early came a special de livery letter. "Dearest Helen," it began. "1 have the grandest news for you! As soon as I got home I phoned to Jud Myers In New York. He's staging a new s'iow that I'm designing the costumes for and has been simply wild for some act to put in the heart throbs. "Vell. I talked him into seeing thai a nling singer would go over big, and raved about Foster's voice, so It's all arranged. I am enclosing his check for $."1)0. and If you can be ready-we'll ready-we'll all go back to New York together. to-gether. "With love for a Merry Christmas ''ai.llne." . Western Ntwtiiaper Ud1 |