Evening star., 1913-12-14

the door behind which the woman again coughing
How long it," said SHARPLY. .since windows
CT that have been open? i your wife
plainly if that door didn't exist She's hudded over
fire. breathing air that hasn't been changed for
weeks. When she isn't doing that she's doing work
that's too heavy for her-cooking meals for you
washing dishes-and carrying loads Of wood keep
the fire going Well. in six months. you'll be doing all
those things yourself-and fit to look after
young baby the baby will die too
rs these your glad udings?" said the big man.
Mo- said Peyton That cough Of your wifes means
consumption
Oh that's the tidngs!"
No. said Peyton 1.-The glad tidings these: that
she be for that she live long and
happy lfe-that she get we'll"
A curious expression lighted the big brothers face
1t lost its apathy. and sulen. brooding anger
rs all les?" asked. angrdly
true" said Peyton. with all the matter-of-
fact conviction that he could command as true as tna
sne miserably within six months II you-er-
throw away the knowledge and the money that could
help her knowledge cheap enougfl-give her fresh
air-1holesome well cooked-penty OF mik-sugar-
no work-dress her warm-here's heap Of knowi-
edge for you-for nothing. But haven't got the
meansand that's where I'd like to come in IL had the
chance"
Shed good many years maybe?" asked the
big
Every doctor is faIible." said Peyton But 1 be-
lieye SOL believe
wait" said the big man. "And you" he turned
brothers"dont lift finger against him TN
back
He went n TO wife and gone for some time
They his voice gentle and argumentatve Dut
She says" he said shed rather get wel-than-set
even"
The man with the birthmark burst out furfously.
"Yoo chicken sop." he said. TT was you swore the
ioudest all tar him and feather him. and no
Shut up' big man in voice OF thunder
will you four little squirrels stand II cut
doubled his fists and paraded them
Don't look for your gun'-he was now laughing ana
laundering once-'we down two loads" tby
this he cartridges,. 'one for his gun'-tms to
Birth1nark-"and for him"
tapped the breast of his coat
Il didn't the idea o. shootn' and they here
swore-" began Birthmark
L did. Doctor-I swore-and 1 can't baek-so II
you'll get out Of that shirt" He went into m inhed
apologies
Peyton not altogether pleased without fear now
stripped the waist.
dipped long splinter OF wood lnto the Doll
ing tar While which adhered to the wood was
cooling in his left hand few feathers from
the the Then taking the tar. and finding
for his purpose he wrote not without toll
upon Peytons broad white chest the letters
M-E-R-Y
and busted them Then. having returned
the stick hesitaaed appeared 70 himself to
deep reflection looking into Peytons face
a lugubrious smile
How 10 you spell Christmas?" he asked
NO" said Mrs Peyton Il refuse to be anxious He's
Just making us children a. viii
begin to that there isn't going to be Christ
mas all
she wanted 10 scream. clocA-twerye
thirty. If he in ten minutes said to
herself oss @ o sheuts sAs Of een burst from
me front OF the house. her straining
decentralization Of bells And behold--up the
great avenue oaks there noble relnaee..
of and red sleigh. and prodgloIs Re-
publican adninstraon Santa Claus lie was 50 big ~
ha,1.I in the beside Tor a lit's
of a almost lost IN a splendid fur (M-~
IS particular she ts@
asked Sair,a bring herr, a slip A
thin shadowed that had however hope in il and
mile the sleigh, 5
night lie, huge. lean sometimes he
Md he couldn't look
the bundle in her lap. and places
put all the time
Children sroxlups pressed here and there aboa.
shouting Mrs. Peyton
al without least
respect her little foreiinger right in Ills face
.Wi,l you kindly explain late?'
sternly have almost died of anxiety
Santa assumed comical expression ana
he pronounced foreign accent-NoT .egfan
] think:
II lost he said. lin your queer country-bus
good friends found and put the right road"