Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-19

LIN 4N0 d LAW w "a
crimson betterfhan pale sulphur and then she
set the quiet Josephine at work on the crazy
squares, while she herself attended to the
smoktng-caps. And up early, and In BED late,
and snatchfng her meals, Mr.. Trench declared
that he had double reason now for dtsiiking q
sorbed lis wife away from him.
But Mrs; Trench was far from happy in those
days-dark days they were to her. She was
busy, busy with a sort of breathless haste, and
yet only as if going through the forms, indiffer-
ent to the whole Thing; her heart held but one
changes on one theme. She had always been
interested in Josephine, the pale and stately
girl; and she had meant to help Josephine about
great trouble. Josephine in great trouble? 1t
was Mrs Trench who was in great trouble, ter
rible trouble. and who did not know which way
help her She could neither eat nor sleep.
something she must debut great heavens,
Josephine, on the night she had bought hers,
had taken them to show to her sister Isabel,
girls were so peased Sth sRem has When
Mrs. COurcy de Spenser came into the sewing
room Isabel showed them to her, and that lady
expressed great admiration and surprise, and
even condescended SO far as to 60 and get her
own earrings and compare the two, and for
moment Josephine had held both pairs on the
palm finer hand. Going to see her sister again
after Mrs. Trench had lost the earrings she told
That fact in confidence, and Mrs. Courcy de
work went in great haste and trepidation to
her own room, and returning. became very
had taken home Mrs. Courcy de Sponsors ear
rings BY mistake, and left her own bits of glass.
AND Mrs. de Spenser had said that of course
never doubted her, it was all mistake, and she
would say nothing about it if Josephine chose
Josephine had no 500; they had not yet saved
all OF $50 toward the operation on their mothers
eyes. And then the truth slowly dawned on
nnhS ifvv1fA uinv,. vrvuc
Mrs. Trench who had lost Mrs. Courcy de Spen-
sers earrings.
cried Mrs Trench. II believe hers were just
thief But that makes no odds. She's got to
nave her $1OO And--dont you cry, Josephine,
dear-she shall have it somehow can't think
how-unless 1 sell the spoons, too-and they're
not mine. Or, might rattle this crazy quilt,
and say its for charity; and so it is! Or, could
sell my sealskin, or-or ask Mr.. Trench, If
can't get it any other way: But shall have it
Just keep her along; keep her off awhile; wait
Till we get this Christmas off our hands. 1t may
MIR Trench will have to hand me so. some money
some time or other; and perhaps can get my
courage up to tell him all about it. don't
afraid'-and then Mrs. Trench broke down and
cried, and Josephine, who had become in this
stress something like an intimate friend, cried,
too, and it was all very damp and unpleasant.
After this the days only dragged on heavily,
and she expected something more than had yet
thin and pale, and started at every sound, was
ready TO cry at a word and lived in the atmos-
what.
~ don't know what's the matter with you,
Mabel said Mr.. Trench, with irritation. am
sure shall be glad when Christmas is over
I'm sure l shall!'
'"The idea Of turning what ought to be a
happy time into season of such work and
worry!"
"You haven't helped make the season so light
10 me that you need to talk in that way!' cried
Mrs. Trench, quite beside herself, her feelings
rushing for the first outlet.
Il don't know What you want me to do! I've
explained my circumstances fully" exclaimed
her husband, land if you haven't sense
you mustn't tell me haven't sense enough!
You mustn't! she cried. And in another in
ciasp1ng him convulsively, and had run from
the room, crying like child.
I'm sure l don't know what to make of her."
said Mr.. Trench ruefully Though she's more
like herself in this explosion than she has been
for fortnight. don't even know il she'll be
pleased over Christmas neutrality-suspicious. l
was foolish not to end that matter up at once
and give 1t all to her then. 1 don't know what
10 make !; OF her or any other woman. Some
bOrn!'
ness of her own room his wife was at the same
moment eXclaiming: "Oh, don't see what /
was made for! wish never had been born! 1
wish there never been any woman born!' But
IN the last wish she was thinking OF Mrs Courcy
de Spenser.
But all things come to a end: and at length
IL was Christmas mOrning-Such blue and
white sparkling morning sky like the tent of
the tabernacle, an earth snOw-cad with purity,
age, and bright wind blowing that seemed to
shake the sunshine out of heaven. Such happy
sounds there were in the early Christmas bells,
sucn happy faces in the street, too. and, inside,
the house was all spicy with the hemlOck
b0ughs and holly of Josephine's handiwork.
Its as sweet as forest" said Mrs. Trench to
/ these no
sha6b1est Christmasing ever did, l wish l
had made something for Harry after all. l
guess III give him one of Johns neckties.
Well, they ii all come over to breakfast and I'll
have breakfast that would make Deimonicos
mouth water. And she was good as her
word, her table glittering with red oranges and
black grapes and russell winter pears and mar
maIade lucent as jewels, while the kitchen of
the King OF France could have been no more
savory with good Odors than hers was that
morning from chicken pot-pie, steaks done to a
turn, slices OF cold duck. broled oysters culver
ing on their way from the gridiron to the toast.
omelette slipping from the pan like a slice OF
g6id, biscuit ike snowballs, turnovers tor the
children and coffee that might have made one
coubt If really that were not the nectar of the
gods.
Mrs. Trench surveyed everything, and then
nearing the arriving family announced by the
voices OF Will and Lolly and little Janet and
the gay greetings between the elder Janet and
Lawrence and Margie and Sally and Harry and
the rest, she ran up to slip ON her pretty brown
silk-she had not had il on since she went to
the opera-and she put geranium in her hair
ana she FELT that the house was full of sunshine
and music and Christmas cheer and none OF it
in her heart, while Josephine's pale face and
swollen eyes smote her with a sort OF terror
every time she looked that way.
AND what an uprOar the house was in and
how little Janet Rugged her rag baby with its
pretty painted face, and how pleased the older
Janet was with her craZy-quiit, and Lawrence
with his silk stockings, one and all eXclaiminy
and thanking and kissing ana laying her own
gifts in yet unexplored heap and hoard be-
side her chair And she was having hard work
not to cry, and Josephine was bringing in the
dishes, and Mr.. Trench Was sharpening the
carving knife. and all were taking their seats
In the midst of the jollity and clamor And
then Mrs. Trench was mechanically turning
over her plate that had been reversed upOn
some trfie, and Mr.. Trench's knife was muir
derously suspended in the air as he watched
her.
For suddenly Mrs. Trench's eyes had grown
large and shining, color like wild roses
began TO spread over her wan face, she half rose
from her chair, bending over what she saw
there before her-two sparkling, shining uuiy.
ering drops Of luster, her earrings, her old ear
rings that her father gave her! And beside
them-what else? A little, slippery tortoise
shell portemonnaie, her own pocket-book, and.
as she seized it and opened it, her own hundred
dollar bill in 1t! And all in flash OF instructor
her poor little mind could never have com
posed it-she saw that her husband meeting
her on Sparkier's steps, had gone to inquire or
MIR: Sparkler what she had been about there.