The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-12-30
CHAPTER XII.
Arrival.

sionally one of them lapsed into some
mental calculation. Eve must remem-
Der something for the piddle of the
table, Mis- Bates observed to Mis-
Moran under cover Of Mary's putting
wood In the stove. And when Mary
related the breaking Of the bracket
lamp the two other women telegraph
ed to each other glance of memoran-
dunn. ....r.
Don't. it seem funny to you to have
Christmas coming on tomorrow and no
furry about itY' Mary asked. -,
mo fiurryv' Mis- Bates burst out.
"Oh, WE'LL" she amended, "Of course
this Christmas does feel little funny
to all Of us! Don't you think so, Mis-
Moran?" - s~-s
Il donno." said Mary thoughtfully,
"but what, when folks stop chasing
after Christmas and driving it before
them, Christmas may turn around and
come to find them = &C..
"Mebbe so,'' Mis- Moran said, with
bright eyes; "mebbe so. Oh, Mary"
she added, "ain't it nice he's comingY'
Mary looked at them, frowning a lit
tie. 1t seemed like the thing had to
happen" she said. "It'll fit itself in
Before dark she took a last look
about the child's room. The owl pa
per, the puppy wash basin, the huge
calendar with it's picture of stag, the
shelves for whatever things of his
own he had. all pleased her anew
She had laid on his table her grand
fathers Bible with pictures of Asiatic
places. Below his mirror hung his
fathers photograph, that young face,
with the unspeakable usefulness of
youth, looking somewhere outside the
picture. 1t made her think of the pas
sionate expectation in the face of the
picture that Jenny had brought.
Young folks in pictures always
look like they was setting store by
something that amt true yet" Mary
thought. ut makes you kind of feel
you have to pitch in and make what
ever it is come true little"
1t was when Mis- Winslow came
back toward o'clock that there was
news of Jenny. Mary had been twice
to her door in the course of the day
and had come away feeling in her in
quiry strangely outside the moment
and alien to its incidence, as if she
were somehow less alive than those in
Jenny's house.
"Jenny's got little girl" Mis- Wins
low said. ~.
Mary stood staring at her. 1t seem
ed impossible. 1t was like seeing the
hands of time move, like becoming mo-
mentarily conscious of the swing and
rush. of the earth, like perceiving the
sweep Of the Stream of stars in which
our system moves. She was startled
and abashed that the news so seized
upon her. Little that had ever hap
pened to herself seemed so poignant,
so warmed its place in sensation.
While Mis- Winslow's mind marked
time on details Of time and pounds, as
is the way with us immOrtals when
another joins our ranks, Mary was
receiving more consciousness. There
are. times when this gift is laid on
swiftly. as with hands. instead Of COM
ing when none knows. Rather than
with the child whom she was to meet.
her thought was with Jenny as she
left Mis- Winslow in the doorway and
went down the street.
Expect you back in about half an
hour If the trains on time" Mis-
Winslow called.
Mary nodded and turned into the
great cathedral aisle that was Old
Trail street, now arched and whitened,
spectral in the dark, silver with star
light.
The night before Christmas! And in
not one home was there any prepare
ton for tomorrow, Mary thought. un-
less one or two lawless ones had brok-
en- bounds and cOntrived something
from a little remembrance for some
body to suet pudding. 1t was strange,
no churches lighted for practice and
the shops closed as on any other night.
Only the postoffice had light-she went
in to look in her box. After was there
at the telegraph window. and he ac-
costed her.
little boys comm tonight, is hep
he said, as one Of the sponsors for that
arrival.
"I'm on my way to the train now"
Mary answered, and noted the Christ
mas notice with its soiled and dog
cared list still hanging on the wall. ut
was good move" she insisted to her
self as she went out into the empty
street again. 49,
"You got a merry Christmas without
no odds Of the paper or me either"
After called after her, but she did not
answer save with her "Thank You. Mr..
After" F.
"Why do they all pretend to think
it's so fine for meY she wondered.
''To cheer me up, guess" she thought
grizzly.
Tonight they were all sharing the
aloofness from the time. an aloofness
which she herself had known for years.
All save Jenny. To Jenny's house, In
defiance of that dog cared paper in
the postoffice. Christmas had come.
Not Christmas of present trading"
not Christmas Of things at all. but
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