The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1908-12-24
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! NOEL CLAYTON'S CHRISTAASS

SO eyes. aud his white hands small
and demonstrating. were as well kept
as those OF woman.
He was thirty, and a splash OF gray
ON either temple. 4 strand Or two OF
white in his mustaehe. made him look
older.
He was broad-chested and muscular
By all rules--he should have been a sol
dier-he looked an open air" man, but
for i've years he had been writing short
stories. n0velettes and serials for the
weekly press
Ii was good. nervous work. His name
was becoming known. for be bad the
happy knaek Of blending pathos With hu-
NOR. He had travelled widely. and an
Australian bush idyi at the beginning %
the week would be followed again By
story OF rustic life In the dear Wess
Country that be loved SO we'll
He lived quite alone. wVrke,i-ana
smoked-from morning 10 night. loved
his profession. and bad practically drop
ped all his friends-male and female
aud when a 1T Of the not infrequeut
blues got him by the throat threw his
pen into the crate and ordered up bis
hndlady's children. and pandsmonium
reiened for an hour.
Sometimes be gave them pennies. bat
not always-smaIl coin Of the realm l.
not always available to authors-but the
romps were huge. and be enjoyed them.
OF course there was a woman AZ the
bottom Of the tangie OF the mans life.
ind women complicate things sometimes
he would have said always"
On one particular evening he was alone
md writing. when Jim Courteaay was
shown in--and Jim was an old aud tried
friend-about the only friend the lonely. |
self-absorbed man had. and 80 the in
conner sat down and lighted his pipe. and /
did not bother the author for quite
quarter OF an hour. and then Noel rose
and stretched himself.
what is IL this time. NoelT' /
"Oh. the usual fhing-love; and can
aidIy I am getting 90 sick Of writing
love stories"
.Ahl you feel Ike that?'
ssMan alive. this Is Christmas Eve. and
somehOw-somehow- thoughts went
back with jump. and remembered one
Christmas Eve when"
your pipes out. NoeIlF
AYE. 80 it j.. Well. there was one
Christmas Eve when
MY dear boy. are you worrying about
her sfillE
ayes" and then long pause
II is the privilege Of ehums to SIT 81
lent for a spell.
-And al this happened four or FIVE
Tears ago. I never heard the rights or
wrongs Of the story"
Noel crossed the room. and digging
both hands into his pockets. looked at
his chnm.
There is nothing 10 know After the
tour happy years OF married life. trouble
ZANE between us. lies came between rs:
! am and It's Christmas
Eve. or course our haby w0s only
uite-a wee. blue-eyeG. roiden-haired
mite: couldn't walk. crawied. you know.
Jut we were awful chums. and when she
vent and took our mite-well." and the
mans laugh hurt his own ears. "WelI,
hen took 10 writing love stories-loye.
~ chap, with a happy ending-bishops,
bouquets and blessings,
temporary excitement bad left
sim--he added dryly:
And it pays! Now 20. old chap
Gust get my stuff done for the early
,ost." and Chum went out while Noel
urned again to his interrupted work.
Between each line on every page
lnaint turns OF expression quaint
houghts haunted him. n dead past spoke
o him.
The giri-wife had been very sweet.
cry lovable. very beautiful-and had
narred two lives.
There should be a special place of tor
nent for the person who deliberately
ONES between two people who love each
,ther and smilingly warps two lives.
Pearl Clayton was as easily led as
child, n soft, emotional weak little
woman. and when Noel returned from a
ew days holiday he found the house
Iosed and Pearl and Baby had depart
d.
Noel drifted for a little bit, the shock
unnamed him terribly, but his pen was
is sole source Of income. and IL had to
V piled II body and soul were to be kept !
ogether, and In a very few weeks he /.
'ad, 10 some extent. regained his mental
,aiance, and his work improved.
The eve Of Christmas and the day l
tseIf appeals to most hearts. and on this (
,articular eve Noel kept thinking back /
nd thinking back while be wrote.
How well be remembered the extra
gzed stocking pc induced the nurse 10
saif, and how yulky 1t looked and fsk Of J