Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-09

noiselessly through the halls, and now
and then the chime Of golden tongued
clock broke the silence. From the
library came the monotone of Mr.. Bur
dicks voice debating to his secretary.
THAT will do for today. Henry" said
| Mr.. BurGick as the young man laid
| the neatly typed letters on his desk.
Tomorrow morning you may begin on
the translation of that Simonieff man
uscript. No hurry about it; 1 SHAH
spend the day at the museum and will
not need you for anything else"
Tomorrow will be Christmas day"
said Henry Lees.
and this is Christmas evei Wen,
! Henry, that puts another face upon
! the matter OF course you will not
come tomorrow-and wait a moment,
please" He drew his check book to-
ward him and wrote rapidly.
II wish you a merry Christmas.
Henry" he said pleasantly.
Thank you very much. Mr.. Bur
dick" said Henry, tucking the gener-
Gus check in his pocket and holding
out his hand. 81 wish you many hap
py returns of Christmas day"
| For a long while after he was left
alone Roger Burdick sat there staring
! into the glowing heart of the fire.
1t was Christmas eve, and he had
forgotten.
He closed his eyes. and In RETROSPECT
ton other Christmas ewes came and
went. from the joyous days OF his
childhood until the time when he had
asked Doris Allen for the greatest
gift in her power to bestow and she
had refused. That was black Christ
mas indeed. and, being a lonely young
man, it made him more lonely. so that
as time went by he grew TO detest the
anniversary that brings all hearts to-
gether and for few brief hours makes
all men brothers.
"Nonsense" he chided himself sharp
Iy at must call up Mr.. Hodges and
ask him to get out those books for me
in readiness for tomorrow. I shall
have a busy day"
He drew the telephone toward him
and talked with the curator of the mu-
scum. who informed him in tone of
reproof that the library of ancient
documents rs we'll as all other depart
ments of the institution would be clos
ed the next day.
Roger Burdick pushed back his chair
and went to the dining room. Uncle
Peter. the butler. had darkened the
room, so that Roger in cropping for the
sideboard. where there was carafe
of water. found himself In the dim
GOODNESS OF the buffers pantry. The
sliding window into the kitchen was
wide omen. and from that room came
the sound of animated voices. Rogers
own name mentioned in tones of inf
mite compassion detained him for
moment
Nanny 10 was speaking.
Pore Massa Roger, He's gettin' TO
look a heap like his Uncle Roger. who's
daid. this berry mint cause he loved a
lady who wouldn't mah'ry him"
"'Tain't no scuse, nOhow. TO him
to get mean and cantankerous and stop
k'epin' Christmas becaws he's dis
'pinted in love-" grumbled Sukey. the
housemaid.
Oats right, chile: he can't stop
Christmas comm right straight err
long cherry yeah"
Nanny" said Uncle Peter. sis yo'
done got present To- Marse Roger"
Shore I has," returned the old wom-
an warmly Amt I been savin' n
present TO him each yeah and not git
tin no chance to give it to him?
Cause why? Chile, dat man has made
it n pint to run away cherry Christ
muss What he t'ink I care fo' de
dress patterns he ordered sent 10 ME
from de store? What Uncle Peter here
care fo' de gold spectacles Massa Roger
order sent him To- Christmuss? Hey?
Muffin, 'Tain't de cost-it's de givin'
of it dat 'preciates. I'd rather Massa
Roger say like he useter before dat gay
Miss Allen done give him de mltten-
say: Hi. dere, Aunt 10. merry Christ !
muss to you. I hopes you done got
big turkey. rs got Christmas ap- |
pertite" Nowadays he pertends dere |
amt no Christmuss. But, Peter?'
'Hey?" asked Peter.
"Massa Roger amt gwine away dis |
time. He done forgot it was Christ
muss"'
"Lawdy" calculated Peter.
HE shore did. And now all you |
chillens kin get out dem presents you
got laid erway TO Massa Roger. Dat |
pore man won't have a yearthly gif to
mornin' 'cept what we gives
him"
The other black servants giggled
and broke into an excited
chorus as Roger Burdlck tiptoed out OF
the buffers pantry, through the dining
room and back to his library. where he
stood in the middle of the floor and
looked around him with the dazed ex-
preston Of a man who has Just awak-
ened from long sleep.
Pore Massa Roger" he repeated
softly. "'Pore Massa Roger The man
who runs away from Christmuss-the
poor rich man. God forgive my self
1t came on to snow that aftesnoon.
and soon the air was full Of thick
white fakes. Uncle Peter looked from
-. . ~V.fe