Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-10
NOEL CLAYTON'S CHRISTMAS

NOEL CLAYT0N'S CHRISTMAS
Noel Clayton was tall and gaunt, with
clear, candid, blue eyes, and his white
hands, small and nervous looking, We're
as well kept as those of a woman.
He was 30, and splash of gray ON
either temple, a strand or two of white
in his nustache, made him look older.
He was broad chested and muscular
by all rules-he should have been a sol
dier-he looked an open air" man, but
for five years he had been writing short
stories, novelties and serials for the
weekly press,
It was good, nervous work. His name
was becoming known, for he had the
happy knock of blending pathos with
huinor, He had Travelled widely. and an
Australian bush idyl az the beginning Of
The week would be followed by London
society story, to be followed again by IL
story of rustic life in the dear west coun-
try that he loved so well.
lie lived quite alone worked-and
smoked rem morning to night loved
his profession, and had practically
dropped all his friends-male and female
and wher o fit of the not infrequent
blues got him by the throat, threw his
pen into the CRATE and ordered up his
landlady's children, and pandemonium
reigned for an hour.
Sometimes he gave them pennies, but
not always-small coin of the realm is
not always available to authors-but the
romPs were huge, and he enjoyed them.
OF course there was a woman at the
bottom of the tangle of the mans life,
and women complicate things sometimes
he would have said always"
Tn one particular evening he was
alone and writing when jim Courtenay
was shown inland Jim was an old and
tried friend-about the only friend the
lonely, self-absorbcd man had. and so
the incomer sat down and lighted his pipe.
and did not bother the author for quite
a quarter of an hour and then Noel rose
aud stretched himself.
what is it this time, Noel?'
oh, the usual thing love; and can
didly | am getting SO sick of writing love
stories"
sab You feel like thatg"
Man alive, this is Christmas eve. and
somehow somehow-my thoughts went
back withia jump, and remembered one
Christmas eve when"
"lour pipes out, Noel!"
AYE, so it is. Well there was one
Christmas eve when"
My dear boy, are you worrying about
her still?"
Yes" and then long pause
1t is the privilege of chums to sit
silent for a spell
And all this happened four or five
years ago. never heard the rights or
wrongs of the story
Noel crossed the room, and digging
both hands into his pockets, looked at his
chum.
There is nothing to know After the
four happy years of married life, trouble
came between us. hes came between us:
and and-here | am and it's Christmas
exc. Of course our baby was only n
mite-a wee, blue-eyed. golden haired
mite; couldn't walk, crawled. Won know:
but we were awful chums. and when She
went and took our mitc-weH." and the
mans laugh hurt his own ears. well
then took to writing love storics-loye
old chap, with happy ending bishops.
bridesmaids. bouquets and blessings. and"
= Is temporary excitement had lett him
he added drily:
And it pays! Now eo. old chan.
mast get my stuff done for the early
post, and thum went out while Noel
turned again to his interrupted work.
Between each liue on every page quaint
thoughts haunted him. a dead past spoke
10 him
The girl-wife had been very sweet. very
IoNable, very beautiful and had marred
two lives.
There should be a special place of tor
meut for the person who deliberately
comes between two people who love each
other ana Smilingly warps two lives
Pearl Clayton was as easily led as
child. soft. emotional weak little wan.
an, and when Noel returned from few
days holiday he found the ncIse closed
ana Pearl and Baby had departed
Noel drjtted for little bit. the shock
unnamed HIM terribly. but his pen was
rms Solr source OF income and it had to
be phcd it body and soul were 10 he kent
l'2rther ana M Il very few weeks he had.
10 some extent re@lincd his mental bal
9nye, and his work improved.
ne eve OF Christmas and the dav IL
sen appeaiS to most hearts. and on this
F''tgn'1f eve Noel kept thinking back
and thinking back waile he wrote.
Ito" VOL he remembered the extra
,itnd stocking he induced the nurse 10
KNIT, ana how bulky it looked and felt
on 1oll0tmaS morning. And then came
So Gool, college, and then married life.
When Their scribblirg ft was on hin,
I.eTi used to draw her low wicker chair