The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-25
The EVENING STORY
The Christmas Dinner of Celeste.
lBy Temple. Bailey.l

|
[By Temple. Bailey.]
Celeste sat on the sands and gazed
| out over the tropic sea.
"HortenSe,' she said to her maid,
think of a Christmas without snow.
without holly and mistletoe, without
fireplace to hang up our stockings. It's
| heathenish-'
! and dabbed her handkerchief to her
eyes, And that amt the worst of it.
! There amt even a turkey to cook for
| dinner, to say nothing of the other
| things"
+ Ce.este nodded sadly. 'Of course if
our check would come We could start
home"
/ But there isn't another mail" Hor-
tense reminded her, ''and it's Christ
mas day.
! Yes, it's Christmas day." Celeste re-
peated, and We will go back to our
/ shabby little boarding house and eat
dinner OF fish and rice, ana wish we
were dead.
] And at this tragic ending of her mis-
! tress' sentence hortense sobbed au-
dibiy.
4 Suddenly Celeste stood up. ''Hor-
! tense" she said, Il won't go back there
will have our Christmas dinner out mere
on the sands, with the gulls and pell-
cans for guests.
But what Hortense inquired prac-
| ticany, shall we eat?'
| Celeste pondered. There's that lit
til. snop III .own.' she said, and
We'll have to imagine things like chill
dren. The guava jelly shall be our
cranberry sauce. A pineapple won't
look unlike a plum pudding ana there
are nuts and ralslnS.
But the turkey?" Hortense demand
ed eagerly.
! "Alas,'' said her mistress, ''even our
imaginations cannot make sardlnes
and crackers take the place OF the roy
al bird
But presently she rallied. Take my
| purse" she said and go and get The
things. At least we will have blue
sky over us and the fresh air.
| But I don't like to leave you ALONE
the maid hesitated.
Nobody ever comes here" Celeste
scoffed, land the pelicans are all the
| company L need.
! SO Hortense went away ana Celeste,
who had been too proud to show al
she felt, wept a little on the lonely
! beach and wished that somewhere there
was a place she could call home. since
! the death of her mother she ana her
maid. Hortense, had boarded at notes
until the longing for love and protec-
/ ton was strong within her.
| There were many men she might
marry she unused. But she could not
/ think of one OF them as husband. ~
| seemed that only in her day dreams
| could she meet the one who might
!
/ make her happy.
And that one she had never met.
She had seen him once at the opera
when she was with the Wetherells.
| But she put the memory from her,
and. rising, wandered down the oeacn
and around the curve of bank that
| had hidden another wide expanse OF
sands and sea.
side of the bank, however, as she
| saw. at no great distance, man
| bending over a hre.
| Through the reeds at the tops OF
the bank she observed him.
| She decided at once that he did not
| belong to the foreign colony that She
had found on the extreme end OF the
Florida coast. He was tai. and plono
and very American He was lmmacu,
spraying poinsetta blossom made
splash of red against his coat.
| When he had poked the Goals into
place he sat down on the sand ana
began to pluck the feathers from what
seemed to be a large wild duck.
II believe it is" Celeste hazarded,
land that he is. going to cook and
eat it for his Christmas dinner
! There was something about him
that was vaguely familiar as he turned
his face toward her when at last the
duck was ready for roasting. But she
could not place him, and she watched
| breathlessly as he wrapped the big
/ paper and laid it among the Goals.
Her mouth watered for a taste of
it when it was done. She was SO tired
/ of Cuban cooking. so eager for the
simplicity and flavor Of home prepar-
! alton. She was a little anxious, too,
i to speak with the good looking Ameri-
/ can. He was so evidently gentle
man, and vague memories were stir
/ ring within her. But she had been
brought up to observe forms and cere-
monies, and she felt that she must not
speak without formal introduction.
| But Hortense had no such scruples.
She had taken the short cut from
town, and her way led her near the
fire and the gentleman with the pom
setta on his coat.
"You are cooking?" Celeste heard
her saw in her crisp voice
| .Yes-my Christmas dinner. They
We're going to give me rice and hsh
at my boarding house. and 1 killed a
duck and made up my mind I'd try
to think of it as turkey"
But my poor little lady" Hortense
recited. tragically, must imagine
sardines and crackers. and then shut
her eyes and believe that she had
stuffing and gravy"
"Your little LADY," he gave puz-
zled look over the beach.
"She's just around the corner" said
Hortense ST have been to town to
get our Christmas dinner. We, too,
were to have rice and fish. But we
were homesick-Oh, very homesick,
and we made up our minds to eat on
the beach,
, eff we could all eat together?"
Celeste's heart beat as she heard
/ him make the suggestion. But she
told herself that of course she must
? not think of it.
And. like an echo of her thoughts
) came Hortense's refusal.
"Oh. she couldn't. You see, she
doesn't know you.'
: at see' The big man looked
!, thoughtful, then put his hand in his
, pocket and drew out a card. "Sup-
pose you give her that and ask her