The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-17
THE EVENING STOR r
Fate ana chrIstInas Tfde.
(By Jeanette Walden-)

t'Ye cayn't believe nothin' Of it,
honey Black Sally stood in her spa
cious kitchen with its prophecies Of
Christmas dinner and gave her rolling
pin twirl OF hnaIity.
Polly King, in pink morning wrapper
her thick braids of tawny hair grace
fully dshevelled, was charmed out OF
her usual indifference by the prospect
Fof an argument.
You should concede the benefit of q
doubt, Aunt Sally, when there's a pos
sibility Of peoples being hungry-and
that on Christmas Day
''Um-m-m, you'se too high toned,
honey to see through the malefactlonS
of dat shif'le outfit" Sally shook her
head energetically as the pastry dough
spread out crisp and thin under her
deft movements. Sides, them poan
white trash wouldn't have sense 'noush
to cook a goose if dey foun' one"
Polly's laugh rang out clear and her
blue eyes brinlmed with mischleI- She
tiptoed to peep into the oven Wnlch
Sally had thrown open
1.-TWO turkeys-you must think SIT
Richard will be hungry-two tur-
keys. besides venison and quail ana nsn
and your famous chicken salad ana
oyster pattfes, such as no one but you
can maker'
SalIy's withered face was cracking
with qualification. You go long, she
chuckled. He never eats notnin' he
so peroxified lookin' at you.
True" Po1ly's voice was suddenly
lfeless and the nirth went out OF Ast
face at this reminder of Sir Hicnaro
Hammersley's pale, unremlttlng STARE
And this Christmas. Day she was eA-
pected to give her answer to this tlr4eo
figurehead-to blazon her name to the
generations Of her descendants as the
beauty who made possible 1or them
their vein of noble blood
AH0CG f0F H.
dar's a honey It's most 'lebben an
the ecom'ny comes at one. an dannah
SaIlv's pigtails bristIed with surprise
AT the unwonted alaerity with which
Polly obeyed. Usually when Sir Ham
rnersley was expected the maid, inStl-
gated and abetted by Polly s Aunt 80
phia. must decoy Polly to her dressing
room and drag her down again be-
witchfngly unhappy in her latest new
But Sally's surprise became conster-
nation when in a few minutes Pony
again invaded the kitchen, this time IN
hunters green walking costume.
.sDat amt no dinnah gownd," Sally
began CONTEMPORARY.
But the charm of argument had
Sally never knew how it happened.
There were coaxing, hattery ana even
bribery on Polly's side, with CORE
spending ajolery, threats ana tears
from Sally. while her last batch OF
cookies burned her cranberries noilea-
over and her scandalized pigtalls srit-
fened until they almost snapped
At any rate Polly made her escape
with Sinnson, the 1oose-jointed handy
boy and two large baskets packed with
one of the roasted turkeys, vegetab ies,
salads, preserves, nuts and VINE Foliy
felt certain, in spite of Saiiy's tragic
pleadings, that she was not ropplng tne
pgests for SaIly's table set Tor SIX
would have Toasted 80.
They'll know for suah that y ou Sc
one Of them NaWthern young LADIES,
was the distracted cooks parting shet
as the foraging party left the house;
Hurry, Simeon" said Polly, wen
be back long before dinner"
Thus encouraged the unwilling fFe1
cruft started through the grove at a fess
doubtful pace.
Polly swung after him, crunching out
a resinous odor from the plltl -ss - Palls
needles under her feet. Her tinglng
veins responded to the expectancy OF q
dull. shifting sky and frosty air Her
enthusiastic spirit, fresh from eneouh-
ter, revealed in the prospect of a storm
Mister Charles an de comm y. vol
unteered Simeon, leering significantly
at the fair pirate, as the SOUND OF
wheels came to them from the ROAD.
Polly turned impatiently and looked
hack at the great house they had just
left. She knew that in a few minutes
the carriage would roll over the wind
ing drive to the impressive OAK d 1907
out of her cheeks and. her heart stood
still She would be absent when the
guests and Sir Hammersley arrived!
What would Aunt Sophia say? But II
was too late to run back then
The thought of Sir Richard Ham
mersley and his Sinking train, with
their meaningless drawing-room chat
ter rrOduced a reaction from her FEARS
4 lark 1t should be, at any cost-her
last lark, she supposed Then she would
have an excuse in the nature of her err
rand. Charity-it was Pollys nrst
thought of the object or result OF her
venture She had started out to indulge
a whiTn-
This new thought was pressed home
to her when, after repeated exnortaL1ons
to her faltering assistant and a series
Of tips. even more effective than moral
stimulus. she reached the tumbledown
shanty of the "poah white" family
Window holes filed with rags, a
smoking fireplace, a slatternly woman
and groups of half-clOthed children
were what Polly gathered in her first
quick survey Of the room Then, back
in a dim corner, half partitioned off,
she caught sight Of a well-dressed man
bending over a ragged bed
The young man Strengthened up and
started for the baskets which Simeon
the greasy floor. His refined face was
slightly clouded by professional serious
as there some wfne?'' he asked sharp
". as he stopped to open a basket. But
his face showed no emotion until
fair. windblown head in a glossy feath-
err cap bent quickly over the other
basket.
sGraciois heavens, Polly You here?"
There was a tremor in his voice which
anxiety for the sinking man on the bed
could not have produced.
yes. Fred" For the moment it
seemed to Polly that she always had
been and always would be at his side,
that Aunt Sophias elegant southern
home. Sir Richard and his English cas-
tie were a dream. and that life was to
he for her and Fred as they had pic
tured it in their old school days.
She found the wine, and as the doctor
it from her trembling fingers