The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-11-30

M the once, rather carrier
3f than usual,-Kinney. the
ri manager with his wife or
u one arm and his small Sol
tugging impatieutiy at ths
other: Murdoch laden with various
awkward packages from one of which
through break In the paper, woolly
.amb wagged gleeful woolly tail:
young Simpson each pocket bulgfne
With n neat box tied with gold cord
and O'Connor, grinning broadly above
tho big holly wreaths he had bought
from the cripple boy who had peddled
them through tho building. O'Connor
had stopped at his desk a moment.
"Sce hero. Barton. why can't you
come out to the house to dinner? Help
US fix up the tree for the kids-thc
Madame would be delighted"
He had cut him of almost sharply.
"It's good Of you. O'Connor. But I'm
dining out this evening, thank you."
well. 30 long then. old fellow. A
Merry Christmas to you!"
Merry Christmas" he repeated
politely.
Ho had heard O'Connor's big voice
trumpet the same parting phrase to
the elevator boy. and the boys shrill.
excited response came to him through
the long hall.
"Mer' Christmas. Mr.. O'Connor.
Thank you. sir. Mer' Christmas to
you. Mer' Christmus!"
Then he was quite alonc Ia the Of.
nee. Indeed, there seemed to have
been q general early exodus from the
building. to swell tho throngs OF
elsventh.hour shoppers. or of those
hurrying homeward to holly-wreathed
gaiety. Only the rumble OF tho streets
far below reached him. which seemed
somehow to be pitched IN q different
key than on other days, and the &C.
casional faint echo OF a merry Christ.
mas" - the elevators passed up and
down.
Barton cloesd tho ONCE doors and a
window which had boon slightly open
and set himself to posting tho ledger.
This unnecessary labor finished he
sought diligently through tho iiles for
an unimportant letter that had been
misplaced. Then he sharpened all the
pencils on his desk to miraculous
points, and mechanically tore on the
top leaf Of his calendar pad.
December e5th." There It was
again. There was no getting away
from Il. no matter what QUO did. All
day they had d!nncd It in his ears. To.
morrow would pc Christmas Day. All
the world would make q holiday
holiday OF family love and the thought
OF friends. And now It was Christmas
Eve. Soon a million tiny candles
would be twinkling on the glitterine
boughs Of Ar and pine trees. Soon
small stockings would DO hung from
mantle shelf and bed post. and small
persons tucked all unwillingly into
bed.
To Hiram Barton Christmas meant
none Of these things. It meant soil
tary dinner on Christmas Evo a
Hcnry's. q cafe not OF the first order
where no was In tho aabit OF dining
Il meant walking slowly to his room
after dinner past bright-lishted homes
whose window wrcaths seemed to gri'
at him mockinsly: Il meant wakinl
on Christmas morning with only tn
desire 70 get tho day over. The post
man brought him no litlc gifts no
letters. Perhaps tho landlady set
clsh OF fruit en- his table. Perhaps sh
didn't.
Hiram Barton had no friends.
waa not that no did not wish 10
friends.-it was that he did not kno'
how to become a friend and that n
one had ever had the patience to tr
20 wi. his friendship. Tie was born Il
cssed In difyidence liko n turtle IN
shcll. He had On unpleasant. frighte'
cd way OF drawing back his head b
tween his lean. stopped shoulders.
any friendly advances. 30 that no or
over npticed tho CLINT OF shy yearnin
N HE paie eyes. Only once In his III
had Hiram Barton asserted himse'