Evening journal., 1911-02-03
HIS CHRISTMAS
PRESENT
BY MARK WHITTEMORE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

not been blessed with children. Hen
~ was thirty-eight. and Laura was I
thirty-two They had reached the age
where childless married people begin
to try to supply the deficiency by pets. |
Henry Trayne, who was a profes- /
sional chemist and mining engineer,
was offered every inducement to go to
the Pacific coast and direct the opera
tions Of mine. Besides his salary,
be was offered some stock of the com
pany. For long time he declined,
not caring to break up his home on an
uncertainty-for the mine might prove
worthless-or to leave his wife while
the experiment was being made. but
''the wolf'' was prowling about the
door, and at last the couple made up
their minds to bear the separation.
Henry was obliged to make a pre-
llminary trip to n distant city where
the capitalists who were to employ
him lived in order 10 talk matters over
and become posted as to his work.
During this absence. which lasted a
month, Laura had a taste of what she
was to endure during the longer sepa-
ration. When her husband returned
! the couple were enraptured at the re-
union. being Ike a young couple in
their honeymoon, except that the long
er separation stared them in the face.
When the March winds were blow:
ing Henry bade his wife a sorrowful
adieu and went 70 the field of his OPP
/ erations. During the first month Of
absence Laura wrote him every day
"Chimmy" (the dog. dear boy. misses
you very much. The day you left he
whined and fretted and ran about pin
ing for his dear papa. Toddle" (the
parroD "said yesterday. oh. Henry.
how can live without your I wonder
If the dear girl got that from me-"
Had the letters fallen into the hands
of strangers they would have supposed
the writer to be referring to beloved
children. However, after a few weeks
possibly Laura was becoming more
accustomed to her husbands absence
and did not need TO lavish so much
love on Chimmy and Toddle-the let
ters assumed a more practical tone.
Laura hoped the venture would be
successful They were getting on
toward old age and nothing laid up.
IL would be nice If in addition to
Henry's salary the shares that had
been given him would become valu-
able Then they would not have to
, worry about the future. In one of her
letters she asked Henry if there were
good schools in the district where the
mines were located Henry wrote back
[ that he hadn't taken any interest in
the schools. for IL they made the place
, a permanent home. not having any
{ children of their own, IL wouldn't
make any difference. To which Laura
replied that she thought Toddle could
be taught to read, and she wouldn't
like to take her where such a thing
would be impossible il desired. Henry,
= who had got used to being separated
4 from his pets, thought this absurd
a Six months passed. and no immedi-
S ate prospect OF Henrys getting home.
q October came, and there was rich
! strike in the mine. The success Of the
2 enterprise was secured, but still Henry
could not get away. In December he
= left everything to go home and spend
Z 0hA AAoAAnho WIN AAo nAAt anu AuAnAhlN
: and Toddle.
He arrived on Christmas morning.
r As he ran up the steps OF his house
, he noticed an auto standing before the
door and in the hall met the family
physician, who was giving some in
structions to trained nurse Henry,
in terror, begged to be informed as to
the reason for their being there.
Q "The crisis is passed" said the doc
q tor. Don't worry. Nurse. go up and
}. prepare Mrs. Trayne to meet her hus-
s band. We don't want to startle her"
The nurse went upstairs and in a
few minutes called out that Mr.
Trayne might come up. Henry was
a so anxious that he had not responded
a TO Chimmy's greetings and when the
4 dog got I'm his way as he was hurryinp
= upstairs gave him push that seni
r him away yelping. When the eager
r husband reached his wifes door h,
= was astonished TO see a placard on i
bearing the words:
Merry Christmas from Harry"
" Too anxious to give way to wonde
y as to what it meant, he opened tn,
y door softly and entered the room
- There lay Laura. with the tiniest bi
a of a baby on her arm. and the mothe
had a happy smile Of welcome on he
face
es "a Christmas present for you, Hen
of ryg' said Laura.
N The nurse. who took position to Sc
the husbands face at the moment o
his surprise. told the doctor that IN
,e looked as II he had had a pitcher o
n joy poured over him." He stood for
as moment enraptured at what he saw
70 then took his wife and their child 4
Sc one embrace.
he Now l know" he said. why 20
ig were inquirlng about the schools an
rs were giving me that nonsense abou
" teaching Toddle to read. But VIII
~ didn't you let me knowT"
~ Il wanted to surprise you. An
when l learned that you we're to com
. at this time I hoped my Christina
h gift would be here ready for you. Th
doctor delivered it without wrappe
or address this morning at o'clock" "
And so It was that Chimmy and Tod