Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19
Aladdin'S Lamp i'm a
y Christmas Igl;s of 7 Today
CcontInued ftom Paket57

A very formidable old lady She looked
as she sat by an open hearth of
cracking logs WITH a small tea table
by her side and a newspaper upon her
knees. Her hair, done high upon her
head, was abundant, and had now--so
John noticed, turned perfectly white.
Keen, dark eyes hlazed under heavy
brows, the nose1was hawk like, the lipe
thin and compressed. IL y
aunt" the young man said, taking
a step toward her.
She raised her hand and he stopped
short.
"Stay where you are" she said. "So
you've come back. Sooner or later l
knew you would. Well?"
John bowed his head. A terrible
struggle was going on within him. A
fierce pride and Burning anger raced
and drummed in veins and arte les,
and yet through all the turmoil of his
soul he heard the voices of children,
he saw the falling tears of little chill
dren who were to have no Christmas.
I've come aunt" he said, ito ask
you to help us. We have no money,
and my dear wife and the child en-
he did not see her start as he said chill
dren-"little, Margaret and little Tom.
won't be able to have any Christmas
dinner or presents. l thought perhaps
that If you could lend me a pound or
two"-his voice faltered, and he con-
tinued with, an effort, Its hard to be
so poor at Christmas time. especially
for the little ones
Then Miss Dryland spoke. in harsh,
grating voice:
you've brought 1t on yourself And
that is really all that I have to say
upon the matter. / do not wish to re-
peat what l told you years ago. l will
not give you a penny. Your wife and
children may starve for all care"
He took a step toward her, his young
face blazing with righteous anger. His
mouth opened to speak. Then 1t closed
again. He remembered that she was
a woman after all. Turning without a
word, and with bowed head, he left
the room and passed quietly out of the
house into the yellow evening fog and
the thick-falling snow.
Miss Eliza Dryland was left alone.
The old lady sat gazing into the rose
pink flames of the fire for several
minutes. Her face was set and rigid,
but the old hands trembled excee ling
ly, and the jewels in the costly rings
upon them scintillated with light.
After a time Miss Dryland rose from
her seat, crossed the drawing room and
went out into the hall, just as the but
Ter and a respectable looking man with
basket of tools in his hand came
dwon the staircase.
Miss Dryland looked up. who Is
this, Johnson" she asked sharply.
"The plumber, ma'am," the butler an
swered. "He has been seeing to the
frozen pipes in the bathroom"
Very WELL" the o'd lady answered,
take him downstairs and give him
something to eat and drink before he
goes. No,"-she looked at the work.
man-"come in here first. l sh to
speak to you"
To the intense amazeme~t of the
well trained servant his mi tress i'm
periously beckoned the plumber into
the drawing room and closet the door.
She sat down in her chair by tha
fire and gazed fixedly at the embar-
rassed workman though he did not fail
to notice that her eyes were dreamy,
and though looking at him she seemed
to see something else.
At length she spoke. "This Is Christ
mas time" she said wi h a curious
note of pain in her voice, "the children's
happy time! Where do you live? Have
you any chlldren?"
II live in Queen Adelaide street. just
off the Tottenham court road, num-"
said the plumber land NV mis-is and
me amt got no children. But the lodg-
ers below have, and poor little Mar
garet and little Tom cheer my wife up
wonderful when I'm at work, pore
things!"
Miss Dryland started violently.
what are the names of the lodgers?"
she said in a cold, ind fferent voice
which belied the convulsive movement
of a moment ago.
NJ Il