The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-09-10

sun from room to room for Mariorie's sake
began actually to live all over her house.
Thursday of the following week was
Christmas. Ordinarily the Finneys paid no
attention to the holiday Mr.. Finney al
ways presented his wife with substantial
check, with which she promptly bought
new piece of furniture. Mrs Finney always
saved up her ten-cent pieces and bought
with the accumulated hoard, something for
the den which Mr.. Finney never entered.
Tuesday noon, Mr.. Finney told his head
clerk not to expect him back for an hour and
a half. This was unprecedented in the Fin
ney Office, and conjecture, running rife,
finally spent itself without coming to a CON
clusion. As matter of fact, Mr. Finney
was gone for over two hours, and he passed
the entire time in department store.
Mr.. Finney said nothing about this excur-
sion that night; but Wednesday, just as he
was going to work, he remarked casually,
Say, Cert, I bought few things for the
kid yesterday when / was in town. Seeing
as it was going to be here for Christmas, it
seemed as if we ought to do something for it. !"
The whole appearance of the house was
that-but he could not take his eyes off his
wife long enough to find out what had
caused it. All through dinner he stared at
her. Her abundant blonde hair was curled
and waved. 1t did not seem SO white as
usual, perhaps because sprig Of holly was
caught in it. The brilliant scarlet of her
gown threw soft rose-color upwards on her
faded cheeks. Her eyes were bluer and
brighter than they had been in years. Be
side her In her new high-chair, Marjorie bub-
bled and babbled, clutching vaguely at the
diamond glitter on Mrs. Finney's fingers.
After dinner, Mrs. Finney, carrying Mar
jorie in her arms, conducted her husband
through the house. Holly wreaths with
smashing scarlet bows hung at all the win
dows. Vases held punches of mistletoe
Green Christmas garlands and red Christ
mas bells dangled from the chandeliers.
The procession stopped at the library door.
You go in first, Joshua" Mrs. Finney
commanded, incipient triumph bursting in
her voice Mr.. Finney stepped in.
"Well, I declared" he calculated.
On the big library table was Christmas
tree-a Christmas tree so tiny that it could
not have been an inch taller than Marjorie.
II was WclSulcQ VIII DuIU1Iig CdQQl6S OF an
appropriate size and with as many sparkling
things as it could hold. Around the table
were ranged all the toys that Mr.. Finney
had bought. Close under the tree lay an
other pile. Examining them closely, Mr..
Finney had sudden illumination Of the
habits of babies. These toys included
rattle with silver bells, a rubber ball,
rubber doll which squeaked satisfyingly
when you squeezed it anidships, and whole
menagerie of barley candy.
"Of course, Joshua, all those toys you
bought are much too grown up for Mar
jorie," Mrs. Finney explained, "but after I
took them out of the bundles, they looked
so Christmasy that just had to put them
round the tree. But I've kept all the tags
and checks SOS if you decide you want to
change them still didn't know but what
you'd like to keep them until Did you
ever see anything 50 cunning as Marjorie
is7" she ended abruptly.