Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-11-20

Continued from page 8

Oue udu ueNef SeeH luen dileT luelF
marriage, and so she had never seen
either of the children. Lily had once
ser her a picture of John. but she
had never sent one of this other little
boy. Mary tried to recall what they
had ever said of him. She could not
even remember his baptismal name.
but she knew that they had called him
yes because 1t was the first word
be had learned to say and because he
had said it to everything. The baby
can say Yes" Lily had written once;
II guess it's all he'll ever be able to
say. He says il all day long. He
won't try to say anything else" And
once later: We've taken to calling the
baby Yes and now he calls himself
that. Yes wants it, he says, and
Take Yes and Yes is going Off now
His father likes it. He says yes is
everything and no is nothing. l don't
think that means much, but we call
him that for fun" But Mary could
not remember what the child's real
name was. What difference did 1t
make? As If she could have a child
meddling round the house while she
was sewing, But. of course. this was
not the real reason. The real reason
was that she could not bring up a
child-did she not know that?
Hes six years old now, and. Aunt
Mary, this amt a place for him. He's
a nice little fellow and l hate for him
to get rough and he will If he stays
here"
She tried to think who else could
take him. They had no one. Adam.
she knew, had no one. Some of the
n~eighbors there by the r%anch-it was
absurd to send him that long journey
so she went through it all. denying
with all the old denials. And all the
while the weight in her body grew and
filed her, and she was strangely con-
scious of her breath.
what ails me?' she said aloud, and
got up to kindle a light. She was
amazed to see that it was Z o'clock.
and long past her supper hour. AS she
took from the clock shelf the key to-
the barn, some one raped at the back
door and came through the cold kitchen
with friendly familiarity. 1t was
Jenny. a shawl over her head. her face
glowing with the cold. and in her nit
tened hands a fiat parcel.
my hands most froze," Jenny adj
mitted. II didn't want to roll this
thing, so / carried it fat out, and 1t
blew considerable. It's the picture"
Get yourself warm" Mary babe her.
I'll undo 1t. Who is 1t Off" she
added. as the papers came away.
That's what l don't know" said
Jenny. but I've always liked it
around. / thought maybe you'd know"
1t was a picture which. in those days.
had not before come to Old Trail
Town. The figure was that of a youth.
done by a master of the times-the
head and shoulders of a youth who
seemed to be looking ~passionately at
something outside the picture.
''There it is. anyhow" Jenny added.
IF you like it enough to hang it up,
hang it up. It's a Christmas present."
Jenny laughed elishly.
Mary Chavah held the picture out
before her.
81 do.' she said; ST could take a real
fancy to it. I'll have 1t up on the
wall. Much obliged, I'm sure. Set
down a minute"
But Jenny could not do this. and
Mary. the key to the barn still in her
hands. followed her out. They went
through the cold kitchen where the
refrigerator and the ironing board and
the clothes bars and all the familiar
things stood in the dark. To Mary
these were sunk In a great obscurity
and insignificance, and even Jenny be-
ing there was unimportant beside the
thing that her letter had brought to.
think about. They stepped out into
the clear. glittering night, with its
clean, white world. and its clean, dark
sky on which some story was written
IN stars. Capella was shining almost
overhead-and another star was hang
ing bright in the east as if the east
were always a dawning place for some
new star.
Mary said Jenny. there in the
dark
Yes. Mary Were
you know l said l just couldn't
bear not to have any Christmas-this
Christmas?"
YES Mary said.
did you know why?"
81 thought because it's your and
Bruce's first
NO." Jenny said. that isn't all why.
It's something else"
She slipped her arm within Mary's
and stood silent. And Mary still not
understanding
"Tt's somebody else" Jenny said
family.
why. Jenny"
Soon" said Jenny.
The two women stood for a moment.
Jenny saying a little. Mary quiet.
"It'll be late in December" Jenny
G-a-L- 4.