The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-24

4 oo a WcilAoLli VAN Dul- WI. Aiitoii vas
| too perplexed to notice this. In the
| incomprehensible way that ones mind
has of clinging to unimportant things
i at great crises, while he was running
| with rage and bothered With this
| strange feeling which was not pre-
| clsely rage, he was wondering now in
the world he was going TO SIT down
| with that ridiculous turkey, with its
| legs in his arms, and not look more
| absurd that he did now. In this mo-
| ment of absent -mindedness he had
| mechanically taken Mrs. Billions hand
l and shaken it. and after that OF
| course there was nothing to do ex-
| cept to shake Mr.. Billions. Then he
| began to know it was all up. He had
not spoken yet, but now he made a
| frantic effort to save what might be
| left besides honor. Il came he
| began, II came-came to your house
-" There he paused moment and
| that unlucky child with that tepdency
| to be possessed by one idea, which Is
| characteristic of small and trivial
minds, and for which she should have
been shaken, burst in with, And did
| the reindeer bring you, and are they
outsider"
He almost groaned, so overwhelmed
was he by this new idibcy, Reindeer!
| If those over-worked, struggling car
horses could have heard that! Then
Mrs. Billion, plying his evident con-
| fusion, came to his assistance.
Don't mind the children, Mr.. Gill
ton" she said, her checks flushing,
| and looking very pretty with the
| excitement of the unusual circumstan-
| ces. eve are glad you came, however
you made your way here. | think we
| may thank Christmas Eve for it, Now
do take off your overcoat and SIT
| down"
Oh, mispraised woman's tact!
| What complications you may produce!
That finished it of course. He sat
down. In those few moments that
| strange feeling had grown marvellous
| ly stronger II seemed to be made
up of the most diverse e,ements,-a
mixture Of green wreaths and his own
| childhood, and his mother, and top
he had not thought of for years, and
the wide fireplace at home and a sta
Bile with a child in it, and picture,
| in a book he used to read, of lot
Of angels in the sky, one particular
one in the middle, and underneath it
some words-what werc the WordsY
He'd forgotten they had anything to
do with Chrictmas anyway.
"But you did bring US the turkey
didn't you?" said Cora Cordelia, help
ing her mother on.
TO do the child justice,-for even
Cora Cordelia, has a right to demand
justice,-her manners were corrupted
by Christmas expectancy.
Cora Cordelia. I'm ashamed or
YOU" said Mrs Billion.
yes" said Mr. Clifton, the words
wrung from his lipe, while beads stood
on his forehead, yes, | brought you
the turkey.
did you really?" exclaimed Mrs.
Billion, who thought he had all the
time THAT was very kind Of you
"Will you please take it-take 1T
away?" he said, with that W'sn to
have something over which we asso-
ciate with the dentist. SO Mrs Billion
took the turkey and thanked him. anu
gave il to Fanny, who carried y out
to the kitchen, and Mr.. Clifton gave
one last look at it's legs as it went
through the door, feeling that now he
must wake up from his nightmare. But
things only went farther and became
more incredible and upsetting, only
that, strangely enough, that feeling
of horror began TO wear off, and that
singular strain Of association with all
sorts of Christmas things to grow
stronger. He himself could hardly be-
lieye that il was no worse, when he
found himself seated by the Uttered
table with Mrs. RAtQn near and Mr..
Billion over the fire again listening 10
first one and then the other, and occa-
sionally letting fall word himself,
his conversational powers seeming 10
thaw out along with the snow on MS
greatcoat. These words themselves
were a surprise to him. He was qqite
sure that he started them with a cred
liable gruffness but the Christmas air
mellowed them in a highly unsatisfac-
tory fashion, SO that they fell on his
own ears quite otherwise than as he
had meant they should sounu. More
over the general tenor of the CONVEX
sation was exceedingly perpleXing. 1T
was all about how fine it was of him
to come this evening. and how they
had often regretted the hard feeling,
and how things alw2ys did get exag-
gerated. Of course he would not have
believed a word of it. if he had been
able to get any grip on the situation,
but he wasn't, and he just went on
asserting to it all as if it were true.
There came a time when Mr.. Billion
cleared his throat, hesitated mo-
ment, and then said boldly
AZ think / ought to tell you, Mr..
Clifton, that / had nothing whatever to
do with the death of your dog MI
Clifton felt the ground slipping away
from under ms very lell. mat uoB
had been his piece of resistance, as it
were 81 wouldn't have poisoned
him." went on Mr. Billion, for hun
dred dollars, But" he added, with
queer little smile, 81 wasn't going to
tell you so, you know"
"Of course you wasn't" exclaimed
Mr.. Clifton, hurriedly, with a touch
of that unholy excitement that lapse
from grammar imparts
1--WE wouldn't any of u.s." asserted
Walter.
mo" said Susan, Fanny and Cora
Cordelia.
Then it came out that the whole
family had rather admired the dog
than otherwise 1t was here that John
did really come in, his entrance souri,
ing very much as had Mr.. Gilton's.
He nearly fell ov>~ when he saw the
visitor, but he had time~to pull him.
self together for Cora Cordelia had
snatched that moment for showing MI
Clifton her gifts for the family, and
he was bound hand and foot with
helplessness. Then they all came and
showed him their gifts. While he ex-
amined them Mr.. and Mrs. Billion
carefully averted their eyes and gaz-
ed hard at the opposite wall. while
I. " sfrC