Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1910-12-08

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relief 1t was
III late afternoon.
and Walter
IL Thurston sat be-
fore the open fire
in ma S C IL in
peace midst the Christmas swirl
of the household of the world.
He was smoking, and his wife sat
upon the arm of his chair and took his
pipe from him.
Iaere. The family duty is done
for lother year! Nobody forgotten
] re'- e.nbercd last years troubles and
kept a list. Your folks, and my folks,
our servants, Our fricnds-'
Our near-friends, and our might-be
ioes!" he Interrupted with little
laugh. IN wager that my good wife
didn't neglect the Bentons, second
cousin Tessie ven Mrs Winkler!"
The Bent, can harm or help
your businc cousin Tessie might
leave you Il. iortune, and anyway
she's old az one; Mrs. Winkler has
most alous tongue, and one
instructive } l.eeps on her right side,
and She { We us an eXtravagant we'd
ding gift lou know Walter Thurs
ton nodded his head, and sighed in
unison with his wife.
Il wish one could be quite, quite sin
cere!" she said. II wish we could
give only what and to whom the
heart prompts"
The head permits-and the purse
makes possible" he finished Give
me back my pipe. girl! by the way.
what did you send to-Fannie?"
Joanna jumped from her seat and
faced him from the mantel, her little
head high, her pretty face flushed, but
her eye cold, her tongue silent.
Nothing" she said at last she
deserves nothing She tried to sep
arate us by her wiles, and her SANDER
and almost succeeded. as you know!
don't care IL we We're brought up
together almost like sisters. And her
runaway marriage-and divorce in
three months after, and her indiscre-
tion making everyone talk! What,
would like to know, could send
her?" Her husbands eyes kindled
with his thought.
What could you send her? How
about the gift of mercy-of forgive
ness. How about the real gifts? l
thought we had both held them in
mind this year?" She stared at him,
but comprehendingly She had not
thought of forgivng Fannie.
DO you doubt---my love, Jo?" She
came over to his arms, and shook her
head. You surely know l never
cared for her! You are surely above
jealousy. And she was-very unhap.
py about Bert Fountain I am sure
she thought you managed to get him
interested in May Saunders, and 80
! she told those stories out of pure re.
| vepge!"
She was outrageous famed the
young wife of hardly two years But
Walter persisted. He wanted peace.
even with this foolish third cousin.
We'll, nothing is too outrageous to
forgive! and remember that our set
| has more or less cut her ever since
and that she did rot get Bert whom
! she certainly loved. She was more
unfortunate than to blame in her mar.
riage. but nobody will forgive her and
take her back to favor until you do"
She's in Europe-Whats the DIFF.
| ference?"
"No-she's come back. saw 1t in
the paper this afternoon. She's at the
Burkley You see she's come home
| for Christmas, Jo" lie turned his
wife's sweet face SO that he could see
| II, but a hard look settled about her
mouth. He made haste to change the
1 subject, knowing he had said enough
| and that she would remember his
| words.
How about the dinner tomorrow
Everybody safe to come? just gave
the cook S. and lot of deserved
praise-it may polish off her perfec
ton as we'll as her good nature!
Who've you got for Bert Fountain to
take out?"
She hesitated. You'll think me
crazy but it's May Saunders They
might make up after all He's like
the man in the vaudeville song-'tired
| of living alone know the symptoms
| Our coy home makes him sigh foI
one like it. When a mans as desper
ately lonesome as Bert, almost any
| nrQtty and cIevar vOupp uornop-o =, :,
house party-will do the rest. Five
couples Is about all the house will
hold, though there will be more thar
30 just for tho dinner. The 10 will
1 simply stay after the others leave
Why don't you say something"
May Saunders!" he reflected. "Yor
risk things, 10! am convinced tina,
he never really cared for her! wish
you'd given some one else the chance
that's all. 1t would have reinstated
Fannie, for instance, just on her re
turn. into the good graces of our ole
set. She will have learned discretion
after this miserable marriage of hers
which you must admit was not hel
fault. Bert always wanted her.
Joanna opened her mouth to argue
but the doorbell rang and her husband
rose to answer 1t and save the busy
servants. A moment later he put his
fur-capped head in to say.
Going down street with Robinson
while. I'll be back soon."
Joanna Thurston sank down in the
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