The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-03
BY MAUDE j. PERKINS.
Upright. 1911, by the Associated
.;tnv-urr

Literary I'TeSS.t
4" Truth is stranger won't I'm
ish that, it's banal But it's the
only thing that fits the case
Nora Melbright resumed the study
of two letters that had come by the
mornings post. One VAS from De-
Lancey Crane. the sculptor; the other
from John Wilmington, manufacture
er Each WAS proposal of mar
riage
The two men were to be over
Christmas guests at her brother-in-
laws home and even had asked for
a sign on Christmas eve to indicate
whether he had been accepted or re-
jected.
ITS positively uncanny, infused
Miss Mcknight, that both OF them
should be struck by the SAME idea
at the same instant. Here we are.
an hour from the city. Del-ances
could have run down and stated his
case-thuugh | don't know what Ia
said IL he had. And Jack Whiting
ton lives here in Brookhurst. He's
been away for few days. but ne
could have asked me any time with
in the past three months.
They were, il not remarkable men.
at least above the herd. Grill mad
called Delaney Crane the most
promising American sculptor. BOT
the past two years he had been
making great strides In his art. Sue
cess had not spoiled him in the ordi-
nary sense of the term, but. and she
sighed. IL he were only not SO fond
of money. If only he cared more
for sculpture and less for what II
brought him,
\,
had never. until now, known any
thing hut poverty. He had scrimped
and toiled for his high school educa
ton. economical to the last penny tt
make his way through college. and
F. had starved for his art education In
Paris. Could he be blamed for see
! Ing only motor cars and country
houses in each block OF marble?
And Jack Withington--if only ne
] were not so clumsy! His rare foray,
! into society were agonizlng to With
! ington and embarrassing - hi'
| friends. An irrepressibie smile currec
| her lips at the memory of Withing
| tons last martyrdon>.
! 1t was at Mrs. iMllister s." Mrs
! Millionbucks," they had privaten
| called her. The lady was exhibitins
a vase she had picked up abroad
and of which she was very proud
| One after another examined it Will
murmured compliment for Mrs. Nil
: listers taste until II reached With
ington. Somehow it slipped through
i his fingers and tinKied MUSICAL,
Z into hundreds of pieces on the POI
ished floor
She recalled the misery on jack
face, and the horried lit is of NJ
consequence more cutting than
: dagger thrust, from tire outraged MIR
! Millester.
III it weren't for Jacks clumsi
ness" said Nora.
&! of the two youn men, Nlthtng
ton was most in her mind during Tn
week that followed-the week befor
/ Christmas His deeds spoke for him
as she made her charity calls.
/ There MAS the case of the BigEse'
| The husband and father. drooFs
| DISCOURAGED young man, seemed al
| WAYS out of work 1t had been. 70
| some time. Nuras unavoidable uut.
TO provide them Christmas dinner.
This year. however. the house wa
swept and garnisned, and Mrs. Bigg
was singing :" the bapv anne, d
work" she proudly informed Nora
, He's at Mr.. Withington's factory am
likes IL ever SO much. MIR. With
! ington told him not to worry aoou
| Christmas, because he always give
| his men basket with turkey ant
things oh. wen have fine Christ
mas dinner this year. she eN
claimed- Il. s..,.
Nora bra cec herself for the mex
Gallon old Mrs. Slovak. whose sol
| I:,nny was oftener In trouble thal
| out, Today, however. the young
| stcr. known tn the police as "Benn,
| &c
| IA. heat of his mothers kitchen.
Mhy-Mrs- Sinyak.. cried Nora-ii
| Tad surprise. II though DEM.
! was----o-
! I'm jail? completed the woman il
! her broken Engiish.'.lte-wu s.-brl
/ last night Mr.. Wilmington sent bal
and got him out"
I The Rat himself. whose furtiv'
/ eyes harbored most frequently fea
+ or the lust Of stealing. looked al
| briefly with quite a new expression
Hes good guy" he said.
! ..The Gang gathered the day be
fore Christmas for Its annual frolic
| There were Sam Wallace, the illus
traitor. De Iancey Crane. Wilmington
! the Cameron girls. Mr.. and Mrs. Tom
| my Mullane. This year they wer
| quests Of the catiins and Nora a
! Brookhurst.
! Christmas eve was the big time
| things happened So satisfying then
! First there WAS the Joy OF arriving
then the noble dinner and the Christ
mas trec--not to mention The link,
| THE Jinx'' was the big feature o
the reunion. 1t was peculiar insti
| tution, taking different form eacl
year 1t might be song. set to
| popular air. a poem or satirica
story. or even a painting. But 1t al
1 ways must he clever and illustrate
| the foihles OF some member Of tn
I group.
| Noras' secret misgfvinEs prove,
| xroundless. She had dreaded tn
! coming OF Christmas eve. She feare,