The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-25
JCopyrisht, 1906. by Homer spragueJ

'Merci, monsieur cried the concierge,
as he cheerfuIly took down the coin. a
happy Noel, monsieur"
Lansing Drake entered the little I'm
passe on the broad Avenue du Maine
shaking his shoulders. for his back ached.
He had been working at the Louvre for
I'VE steady hours-tiIl the very last frac-
ton of light held out Why not? What
part had he In the festivities Of these
happy French people? Was not he one Of
the homeless ones separated by the width
Of an ocean from his family?
II his studio apartment, he threw him
self on a divan with a pipe and a Journal
Amusant. But the Journal was full Of al
lusions to the season, and. somehow, he
sighed. The eve Of Noel-Christmas eve.
1t had been the very best time Of the year
over there in his dear Southern home.
What were they doing now? Getting the
things ready for the trees, and tying up
the wreaths Of holly with red ribbons,
and hanging a branch of mistle-Oh,
pshaw what right had he TO think of such
things tonight?
A CHATTER Of sabOts across the flag
stone coUrt-the small daughter of the
concierge fetching water from the COM
mon tap; from the Boulevard Montpar-
nasse the toot of a St Philippe du Roule
train. and then silence. Drake was pick
ing up his paper again Which,
1.-The snow lay on the ground,
The stars shone bright"
All! It was the quaint old English carol
with its liquid, sweet melody, which he'd
learned At his mothers knee, and it was
the American girl across the court who
was singing il.
When Christ Our Lord was born
On Christmas night"
No wonder the tears came to his eyes.
That particular carol and that particular
girl made up a combination 10 which he
was a bit sensitive, If the truth had been
dragged from him. Just that very morn
ing ne had written home:
There's a little American girl opposite
Il don't even know her nanie-but the
mere sight Of her keeps me straight.
She's all alone and she's evidently study
ing music. AS for her singing. she has
the most beautiful voice the good God
ever saved from a lost violin. voice
to make you pray little mother, to turn
your laughter TO tears. TO turn your tears
10 laughter"
From the day when ne had first seen
her watering her geraniums on the sill.
the window across The court yOndeT had
become a sort Of shrine. And at each
new glimpse Of her an Uniformed prayer
Of thanks surged up within him that q
creature 50 lovely had been sent by
Heaven TO keep the word gentleman"
stainless: 10 make it a thing 20 strive
for and 10 take a cleanly comfort in.
She was a stranger, too; it was q
bond between them. Tonight, perhaps,
she was suffering like him from home
sickness and loneliness. How soon he
could make her forget all that. They
could have a reveillon of their own and
jolly little supper. laughing together
In sheer happiness Of a mutual under
standing OF the Christmas spirit abroad
Cnchaperoned? What would they need
Of chaperon. they too? Two toilers for
the sake Of art; comrades in arms made
equal in rank by the blessed chance Of
being both strangers in this wonderful
old Paris.
There was a moving CLEAN of some
thing behind the geTaniums yOnder. the
cheese-cloth curtains stirred and then
the window was lifted. She threw out
~S'A'O n eliiDS 10 sumo cOlu-l0UklQE spar
rows The last rays of the winter sun
touched the fine white parting that sep
arated the FURNISHED waves of hair
II he only dared speak TO her. She
might misjUdge him before he had a
chance 20 show his intentions. But he
would do IL He would seize the moment
while this fit OF madness lasted and
speak 10 her; in saner mood his courage
might be unequal 10 It, He hurried out
Of the room and stood, hat in hand, IN
the court, close to her window
Il am your neighbor across the way,
mademoiselle," he said. 1T IS a month
since 1 first saw you, and I've been
wanting 10 know you so much. so much.
] have no means Of obtaining an intro
duction. and at the risk Of your dis
pleasure and your sc0rn, I have ven
tured to speak 10 you tonight; 10 tell
you how the little Christmas carol you
sang just now somehow few straight
70 a fellows heaTt-and made him think
Of home and all the old. familiar joys O.
the season.
he held out a card. His hand shook
a tribe: but the girl did not notice. She