The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-10-15

to return TO the city early next morn
| ing He would be old and sensible and
comfortable once more. He would for
1 get Gertrude as long as he could not
/ keep up with her youthfulness.
/ But alas for his determination! He
nearly forgot his bruises and spFainS
+ that evening in the charm OF Mrs. An
CELLS presence, and he noticed, too,
with a pang of something very like
jealousy, that Briggs, the youngest |
man in the party, occupied his spare |
moments looking in her direction.
III see what the weather promises |
for tomorrow" was his irreSolute COM /
ment as he reached his room at mid
night and noted that Peter had ODE I
diantly packed his things ready for the /
| $40 train IF it should storm, may /
be- was his last conscious thought, /
and then he drifted of into a land /
where Gertrude spent her Christmases |
with him beside a quiet hearthstone |
and chaperoned house parties no more. |
Next morning when he awoke, the
snow was driving against the window,
while the wind whistled savagely
through the trees Merriwether turn
ed over with a deep grunt of satisfac
ton. There could be no sleighing. no
skating, no tobogganning, such a day
as this, and that night was Christmas
eve and the Christmas tree. He had
purchased an exquisite copy Of Maud
for Mrs ANGEL. 1t was a poem they
had once read together, and he won
dered If his memory Of the fact would
touch har. With these thoughts he
drifted back into sleep, and the morn
ing train went laundering cityward
without him.
But his triumph over the state of the
weather was short lived. At the break
| fast table his nephew curdled his blood
, by the announcement Of the plans for
, the Christmas trees, which yet stood in
the forest a mile across lots. 1.-TWO Of
J the men are sick this morning fellows,
, so we'll have to fall into line and fetch
/ the trees" Roy proclaimed, with a rel
} ish born of twenty-three years and
/ warm blood.
, The fellows" including Merriweth-
err, worked In the storm until noon be-
: fore the trees were properly cut, trim
> med, cleaned and set up in the ball
room ready for the decorations and
! gifts. The ladies had the decorations
! in charge, but Merriwether found there
was no rest for the weary. He bal
r aneed himself perilously by the hour
e on the top Of stepladders, which sway
ed and creaked ominously under his
t weight; he climbed stairs to fetch pack
: ages from the billiard room; he search
S ed for lost hammers and knelt on mis-
4 laid tacks until he relegated Christmas
o and house parties to the lower regions.
At last the trees were decorated, and
e Roy called the party into the music
It room to practice Christmas anthems.
t Merrivether saw his fellow workers
l. safely into the music room; then he
= dragged himself upstairs for solacing
s smoke, only to find his fire out and his
d chamber cherries.
a Showing his aching feet into slippers
1t he got himself into a smoking jacket
e lit his pipe and descended to the libra
e ry. The library lay back Of the living
y room, far from the music, and 1t con
e tanned an inviting couch, at which
r Merriwether had looked longingly, but
d had not found time so far to occupy.
10 He pushed aside the curtains at the
entrance with a broad sweep Of his
s. hand and stepped within. Then hf
T. stopped abruptly. The couch was occu
IS pied 'T beg your pardon, Gertrude
in thought you were singing"
Is 'Singingp' she responded GROSSLY
struggling into sitting posture. "Why
ID I've not a shred Of voice left to sint
ot With" She did not smile, but passed
!" her hand across her eyes in q gesture
er which caused a great light to break II
Re on Merriwether
You're tiredl' he accused in a ring
l fng voice of triumph.
| She leaned back, resting her heac
| against the wall. "TiredP' she repeat
| ed in an intense voice I'm half deat
Il with the awful pace of these two days
If were a big healthy man now,
glancing resentfully at the proportion
/ of the man before her, Il might b
able to endure everything and yet fe1
] fresh, but, being a woman and forty
/ one
4 Gertrude" interrupted Merriwethe
4 In tone of solemn joy, "are you forty
| onef"
| "Of course l am" she responded a
| most iIritably. You know that am.
i ''Ye-es," he replied vaguely, comm
Il nearer, "but / didn't know that 70
Il knew itr'
II II have every reason to know IT,
/ the tears were near the surface now
j when skating gives me the rheums
4 tlsm, and dancing the headache, an
j that sleigh ride She spread he
y hands out in a gesture Of despair
I can't endure 1t any longer. I'm goin
| home tomorrow on the 9:1o train an
leave you to chaperon. Nothing seems
| tire you" The tears had reached be
| lashes, and she turned her head ava.
4 u = l. L -.