Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-12-11

= 0nCCACA AAHAlACALJ
where he stood. He wanted
IL TO do something. At the end
of the street he could see them
crossing under the light on their way
to Mary Chavah's. Abel and Simeon
might stop for him. but how could he
go there among the folk whom he had
virtually denied their Christmas
What would they have to say to him?
Yet what they should say would. after
all, matter nothing to him, and per-
haps be would near them say some
thing about Bruce and Jenny. Still.
he had nothing to take there. as Abel
had suggested. What had he that a
boy would want to have? Unless
He thought for a moment. Then he
crossed the street to what had been
his house. He went in. seeing again
the hallway and stair. red carpeted.
and the door opened into the lamplit
room beyond. He found and lighted
an end of candle that he knew and
made his way up the stair. There be
set the candle down and lowered the
ladder that led to the loft.
In the loft a gust Of wind from the
skylight blew out the flame of his little
wick. In the darkness the broken
panes above his head looked down on
him like a face and that face the sky.
thousand eyed. He mounted a box.
pushed up the frame and put out his
head. The sky lay near. The little
town showed heaped roofs and lifting
- .-1 Ho~0 ord fhnra a iiqhf
Sparkling In their midst was the light
before the town hall. like an eye guard
ing something and answering to the
light before his factory and to the 9th
ar light before the station. where the
world went by.
High over all, climbing the east,
anne Capella and seemed to be stand
ing above the village.
As he looked the need to express
what he felt beset Ebenezer.
.Quite a little town.. he thought.
quite a little town"
He closed the glass and CROPPED in the
darkness to where the roof, sloping
sharply. met the door. There he touch
ed an edge of something that swayed.
and he laid hold of and drew out that
for which he had come-Malcolm's
~hobbyhorse.
Downstairs in the hall he set 1t on
the floor. examined it. rocked it with
one finger. The horse returned to its
ancient office as If it were %irrevocably
ordained to service. Ebenezer. his
head on one side, stood for some time
regarding 1t. Then he slipped
thing In its worn saddle pocket. Last.
he lifted and settled the thing under
his arm.
ST dunno, but / might as well walk
around by Mary Chavah's house." he
thought. Il needn't stay long"
At Mary Chavah's house the two big
parlors. the hall. the stairs. the dining
room. even the tiny bedroom with the
owl wall paper, were filed with folk
come to welcome the little boy. and on
the parlor table. set so that he should
see 1t when first be entered. blazed
Ellen Bourne's little tree. The coffee
was hot on the stove, good things were
ready on the table. and the air was
electric with expectation, with the ex-
element of being together. with the
imminent surprise to Mary and with
curiosity about the little stranger from
Idaho.
"What'l we all say when he first
comes in?" somebody asked.
might say Merry Christmas" two
OF three suggested.
Mercy. no." replied shocked voices;
mot to Mary Chavah especially"
But. however they should say it, the
time was quick with cheer.
AT quarter to 8 the gate clicked.
The word passed from one to another,
and by the time a step sounded on the
porch the rooms were still save for
the whispers and a, voice or two that
kept unconsciously on in some remote
corner. But instead of the door open
ing to admit Mary and her little boy
a hesitating knock sounded.
Those nearest to the door questioned
one another with startled looks. and
one of them threw the door open. On
the threshold stood After. the telegraph
operator. who thrust in a very dirty
hand and a yellow envelope.
I'VE don't deliver nights he said,
but l thought she'd ought to nave
this one. I'm going home to wash up,
and then I'll be back" be added and
left them staring at one another around
the little lighted tree.
Before they could go out to find
Mary. as a dozen would have done. she
was at the threshold. alone. She seem
ed to understand without wonder why
they were there. and with perfect nat
uralness she turned to them to share
her trouble.
HE hasn't come" she said simply.
her face was quite white. and, be-
cause they usually saw her with a scarf
or shawl over her head, she looked al
most strange to them, for she wore q
hat; also she had on an unfamiliar soft