Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-12-25

Y AMES," said Gerry Talbot sudden
ly, looking up from the letter he
II had just received. you needn't
~ mind about the rest. The dinner
will not come off. after ALL"
The decorated end of the big sumptu-
GUS studio looked oddly distasteful to
Gerry Talbot since the reading of Miss
Wakefield's telegram, which had shat
tered his enthusiastic plans. He had i'll
vited her-and her brother and his wife
to a Christmas studio dinner which he
meant to make as festive as possible. OF
course. her rejection at the last hour
had been a gentle invention prepared to
avert greater disappointment, for he
had let her know Enthusiastically how it
was with him, and he had been so hope
full of success that he had selected n
ring for her Christmas gift--a little gold
en- circlet set with Il clear white soil
taire.
The streets were thronged with bust
ling Christmas shoppers, glad Of heart
with merry, expectant faces, and here
and there wistful one, too. looking on
tut not buying. Talbot noticed two lit
tie girls gazing wistfully into a confec-
toner's window
YES, Min. would. I'd do 1t fust
thing" said the taller of the two. "Oh
my, wouldn't it be nice to be rich an
invite all your friends to big turkey
an ice cream dinner
They were very poorly clad, thin
featured and ill-nourishcd but not un-
pleasant to look at. Talbot was CON
scous, all at once of an incXplicabe
impulse to crafty the child's wish.
80 you would really like to give
your friends Christmas dinner said
he, smiling down at her astonished eyes
Il have a great mind to let you have
your wish"
ooh. dear me. Min. gasped Lou. 81
can't hardly believe it, can you? 1t
sounds Just like a make-believe thing
Won't Mis- Posey he s'prised. An
Jonas an Meg an Tom. Oh, won't they
be jest too pleased"
How many shall you invite?" Talbot
asked gravely. taking ont his notebook
"Well. there's Aunt Katie an Uncle
Tim an the baby. Mis- Posey. Jonas
Boggs. Meg an Pat Fooley-Min, can
you think Of anyone elsc:"
Lame Betsy an Moll."
"How many's that?' asked Lou.
'Twelve, counting us three"
Don't you think it would be nice
to have n little present beside each
plate" asked Talbot.
Both girls gasped, but looked immense
ly pleased.
Suppose you two go round with me
and pick out what you consider suitable
for each Of your guests, because should
not know what to select"
When Lou appeared at the studio on
the following morning she was very
different looking girl, and any one would
have known by the pure joy of her
voice that some great and festive event
was at hand. Talbot had finished the
decorations which had been so harshly
interrupted by Miss Wakefeld's mes
sage, and the result was extremely graf
flying, especially after LOUIS rapturous
acclamations.
At precisely IL o'clock the bell rang
for the first time to announce the ar
rival of Aunt Katie and Tim and the
baby, all polished and prinked to the
verge of painfulness. Next came Mis-
Posey, little, faded, bowed, ancient
woman in rusty black, with long gold
loops in her wrinkled ears. Lame Betty
thumped in on her crutches. closely fol-
lowed by Mol. in borrowed fnery. of va
rious sizes. Meg brought blind Jonas.
and merry little wrath of man called
Tom Doom.
Talbot shook hands all around with
a Merry Christmas.' after which they
all took their places at the beautiful