Show kl ast 1st assy APO VJ ecna he WE by maltba r bannin sM z dammig boma I 1 A 9 A A 40 T in the least like christmas sally stood at the window and surveyed the dripping L trees the soggy road A 77 gray to fog lay upon the lillas the sky leas was the ani color of gun metal 1 I care about any old weather thought sally dismally it if eriq erl were here of course I 1 understand that lie ile had to go to town to meet ills his cousin lena lie ile decently do anything else but this Is our first christmas together and its sort of lonesome out here in the country sally was twenty three slie she and erie eric had been married a little less than a year for months they had speculated on tile the best way to spend christmas together at first they had bad decided to go to new york only 40 miles away have dinner go to the theater and then some exciting wig lit club hut but gradually they discovered vint that they were not lao iossi as interested in celebrating tile holiday in this manner sally and bric had been to plenty of dinners plenty of dances and 11 plenty of 0 night clubs they were a bit fed up after considerable argument and trying to find out what the other really wanted they cams came to the grand conclusion that they would get it a thrill out of christmas at homo home in their little house in tile the country no party said eric no guests chimed in sally nothing but christmas and us ua they had shaken hands solemnly on tills this they had bad talked over the dinner which sally was to prepare herself th tho mild ld lirk hay ing begged in be let to go to her hec family tor far the lay day they had biad decided on the kind of christmas tree they wanted eric had gone out two days ago and chopped it down they had trimmed it ith the glitter of make believe icicles and silver blue lights then at of the afternoon the day before christmas while eric was chuckling to himself over some ridiculous gift lie was wrapping up for sally the t telephone e le rang eric talked very hurriedly into the transmitter and in a low tone sally could hardly hear w what bat he be said when lie hung up the receiver he announced that lie he must leave for town at once but why asked sally well lie hesitated hesItate ll you see ive got to meet lena ashes just come lona lena I 1 who in the world Is sho she sallys olce ace became a bit edgy oil oh or er a sort of cousin terribly sorry old girl ill tear over in the buzz buggy and be back in no time so lie had gone and the trees dripped and the sky grew dark and sally cried a little and decided tills this christmas eve was the horrid est shed ever spent she tried to remember it if she had bad ever heard eric speak of 0 lena before A w retched fetched name she said aloud and probably a perfect nitwit wit 0 of a gill one of his oddous rela ti lives n alio waited and waited christmas eve was going to be spoiled slie she could tell that why they gone to new york like cc cNe else then tills lena iena pest would never dever have roped in eric at the telephone jingled sally flew to answer it sally darling im a bit delayed aist just llad up to 0 tell fu not ta lu borri aidi c awe icv y it oh yes said sally in a cool polite voice im bringing lena home dear I 1 know like her expect us about quarter past seven sally was in a rage how dare he spoil their cherished christmas by bringing home a stranger now irow cruel how thoughtless at quarter past seven she heard tho the car rush into the drive before it the door ifer her heart hardened she went to the kitchen and looked into a r A closet the front door banged 11 hey II e y sally I 1 iley where are you come here and meet lenal lena P she heard footsteps in the dining room the swinging singing door pushed open then before she could catch her breath eric had her by the hand lie literally dragged her into the dining room through the alvin living room to the front door got to meet lena leila right away he laughed ile he thrust her out of the door on to the tiny porch lenal shouted eric god bless er there she stands sally blinked tears of rage dried in her eyes lena she murmured in a foolish little voice i erle eric what have you done A small smart car stood by the steps light from the house flowed along its polished sides meet the wife lena said eric erac and made an elaborate gesture of introduction whose demanded sally yours woman I 1 christmas present delayed in ill delivery I 1 had to go in to get her thought id give you a whirl like the looks of the dear girl oh erie eric ashes superb you wonderful boy the trees dripped the fog closed in the country road became soggier than ever but sally declared it was perfect christmas weather 1 I feel I 1 really ought to offer her a piece of turkey said eric at dinner ner with a little gasoline gravy A E 1931 western newspaper union |