Evening star., 1915-01-01
and the children proved-Just chill

and the children proved-just chill
dren.
It had been a summer of torment
with only one bright spot. That had
oeen the visit of Hughie McDermott's s
nephew, Donald Brown. After seeing
Donaid's nice. pleasant face and hear
ing the whole-souled laughter Janet
pened to be Hughes nephew or his
mother Hughes sister. She finally
decided he must take after his father
BEFORE the end OF his visit Donald
brown was a pal of the younger chill
dren. an adviser of Toms, who want
ed to become an electrical engineer
and Janet felt as though he had been
her friend all her life,
He told her Hughie had always been
odd He's rum old customer. Yet
think sometimes there's a human
for Sandy: And Sandy's fond of him
They say dogs know believe it."
After Donald's departure Hughes
antagonism seemingly increased. In
Sandy he found fresh ground for COM
plant. Sandy had always followed
no reason why daily visits should be
discontinued. Janet looked forward to
tempestuous little body rushing over
for a petting, but it enraged Hughie.
A thought Of Sandy came as Janet
sewed. smile curled her sorrowful
lips. She murmured: so I'm to poison
Sandy! Gracious, wouldn't Donald
Brown shrek? I must tell him Christ
mastime." He had said he was coming
to see his uncle Christmastime.
spell or an angry one. she began to
sing Onward, Christian Soldiers
Somehow she always felt so much
brighter. better. bigger afterward.
AS her voice f1oated out the window
Hughie McDermott's windows facing
one of their encounters nothing in
furiated Hughie more than Janets
singing Onward, Christian Soldiers
It was too inspiring for his warped
nature.
westgate found itself in the grasp
of a hard winter Prices scared alarm
ingly; business fell off in the stores:
factories laid off hands: housewives
found they must retrench In every
ed there was no plain sewing to be
had. Nellie was no longer needed in
Hobbs store Saturdays. Jimmy
couldn't pick up a penny shoveling
sidewalks. and, crowning misfortune of
all, Toms work in an electrical factory
was cut to four days a week, which
meant that he brought home $8 Satur-
day nights instead of $12.
Janet found it necessary to sing
Onward. Christian Soldiers" long and
to retain shred Of her courage.
Hughie McDermott often heard her
and smiled grimly; He hadn't fused
with her lately. Not because he felt
but because he was sure he would
soon be rid OF her-she could not keep
a home running long under such strin-
gent conditions.
Christmas came without any gifts in
Janet's family, without turkey, without
plum pudding, without Donald Brown.
Janet had not known just how much
she had counted on the coming of her
friend of the summer
The day following Christmas she
worked with little spirit. She was
glad the children were spending the
day with Mrs. Peters. It would not
be necessary to keep the house so
,aat %aTmi aboyslfu1 she was Of coai o almost the
Looking across at Hughie McDer-
motifs once, subconsciously thinking of
Hughes nephew, she saw Sandy sit
ting in q window OF Hughes bed
remember having seen Hughie about
that day Had she seen him Christmas?
She thought not.
she kept to- a watch ya,st., on n Sandy. He
went into her yard he saw her and
sandse sandsa shs felt something a ms' must be BE
the matter with Hughie. Well. let
him find, find out c.stn;s what It me meant; to be be
bother her head about him. Yet ten
minutes later she crossed her yard to
Hughes. Her heart seemed pounding
In her throat and she began singing
"Onward. Christian Soldiers" When
she knocked at his door she felt fear
less.
The querulous voice which bade her
enter came from the bedroom. She
went there at once. one glance telling
Hughie's attempted Nothing" ended
in a groaned "Sciatica!'
"Yon can't move. and haven't done
anything for it. have you?" Janet
swer she was out of the house. but
back again in an incredibly short time.
please put this mustard plaster on
she said. briefly. "And are you hun
cry? No? Well. Sandy is. I'm going
Something told Hughie she would not
make free in his kitchen.
When she left him he glared at the
plaster. He wanted to throw it far
Indebted to the red-headed baggage.
Excruciating pain finally got the bet
ter Of ingrained stubbornness, and the
plaster went on. From his bed he
could look into Janet's kitchen. and
knew Sandy was eating her dinner.
himself, now he was beholden to Janet.
But there was something stirring with
in him which gave the thought the lie.
He stared. fascinated. He WINGED sud
fireless Kitchen. Again something
stirred in his crusty old heart.
After. a time Janet came back to