Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-24
The Daily Story
Christmas Desk BY Esther Vandeyeer
Copyrighted. lori. Associated Literary r,urea.

vas hlaGe IN June ma
l had six meotbs in which to 90, , @'.1
that drawer. which was Kept Ioo,4 ny
the Key on Mabel's person s,a ~
desk In Mabel's room. where was ss.
supposed to enter. had M a.. I.
making n success of it. / had nron~.S :,
1t only for lark. pVSed
Having learned by the s,a,,,n
between me and Mabel Of another -
son that wanted her for mv.a,s
was in constant dread that he q, -
other fellow would take her De
from me. At the same time sS..
from speaking to her Of love r 60,
to break up the brotherly and sls,a.,u
relationship to which | had No..
/ customed from my earliest recoIIao.,et
True too. Mabel didn't give me tba
slightest encouragement to maize az
change. When any man was attan,,ro
TO her and | showed that I was AZ,
gruntled she seemed surprised. Ioot,na
at me with the expression of one ~
| did not understand my dissansfsct,or
If / would say, mabel, why do vor
| permit that cad TO be dancing at.ard
ance upon you?" she would renIv.
why, / think he's very nice. Do ~,
/ know any reason why shouldn't
Marry him? Certainly l do. He I.
not the man for you at ALL"
| Then she would walk away auparen,.
! ~ miffed. and there would be no trou.
| bic between US till the next felIor
came buzzing about her
Occasionally Mabel would say TO ma
Have you purchased my gloves yety
and 1 would reply, mo; there is pleh.
ty Of time for that" whereupon sbs
would tell me what color she preferred
impressing upon me the exact shades
and showing me certain articles q,
dress she wished to be matched
was rather amused than interested for
| could see that, despite her apparent
confidence. she suffered some trepida.
ion for fear might in some unforeseen
way succeed.
A piece of good or bad luck. as the
case may be, gave me an advantage.
Mabel and l rode horseback together.
and one day when we were passing
through a wood l jumped my horse
over a log that was rather higher than
those we had been accustomed to take.
l cleared it, and Mabel tried to do so
too. She raised her animal too soon,
and he came down with his belly on
the log. Mabel fell on the other side,
and 1 picked her up.
l noticed that the chain to which
her desk key was attached had parted
and lay on the ground beside her. but
/ was too much concerned about her
to do more than pick it up. unseen by
her. and put it in my pocket
She insisted that she was not hurt
and mounted her horse. Fortunately
we were not far from home and had
no difficulty in reaching it. She did
not miss her chain and key, and l said
nothing about them. The chain | re-
turned the next day, but insisted on
keeping the key till after Christmas
Mabel declared that it was unfair to
take advantage of an accident, but this
did not move me.
I determined. now that | had the
key, to effect an entrance to Mabel's
room when no one was there and POS
sess myself of her secret But / must
use strategy. | was invited to spend
Christmas. as the year before. at my
aunt's and on Christmas eve went to
the house provided with the glove for
felt and admitted to Mabel that having
no hope of winning l had provided
them This threw her completely on
her guard.
The next morning | remained in my
room till / heard her go downstairs.
then slipped into her room. opened the
desk and applied the key to the little
drawer.
And what did 1 find there? The sur.
prise of my life. There was smah
card photograph of myself taken when
| was twelve years old. tiny china
doll / had given her one Christmas
when she was but six. misspelieu
etter | had written her and several ar
ticIes of no more intrinsic value tnan
these, but evidences of how dear they
we're to her Replacing them. ! locked
he drawer. closed the desk and went
When it came my turn to give my
Christmas presents handed the gloves
o NADER ana Il ten pounu ooA VI N''
besides. On opening the box she 81"
he key to her desk drawer.
Il knew you would not succeed IN
hat matter" she said. and | did NOT
ell her that | had succeeded. But on
christmas night. when the others hau
zone TO bed. sat with her before an
pen fire. and after certain skirmisn'
ne l told her something else. TO whicn
he responded in a manner that was
o my hearts content.
To this day she doesn't know tnat
ound her treasures.
Nevertheless the Christmas cesh
n object of interest with me. M'
rife has given it up for a receptacie
f household matter. and | have sew
raj piceonhoIcs and drawers in whieh
keep receipts and other such papers
never sit down before the desk !"
rite a letter. draw check or me +"
aceipted bin that do not think Vi
le Christmas morning when | dlsco'-
red that which has given me such ue'
ght.
|