The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-25
EVENING STORY
Christmas Wishes.

~ .CHrlSIm&6 w 1S4cSs
BY S. B. HACKLEY.
For many minutes on the afternoon
that Robertson & Co. marked down
their window suits" to SIS. Iva Flls-
worth, Elsie Banford's visitor, watched
from Elsie's automobile with sympa-
thetic eyes a little lame woman VINO
stood before the window and directly
+ In front OF navy blue coat suit Oh
chiffon broadcloth."
DeImar Halstead stood at the side
of the car with his back to the side
walk and his eyes on Iya's face. He
had make excuse to leave his DOCK
keepers desk when he had seen Elsie
come in the store and leave her guest
alene in the car, SO he did not see the
little M 1sms w saia the girl irrelevantly.
Everybody could have their dearest
Christmas wishes!"
Halstead's smile was a bit wistful.
st echo your heavenly kind thought
I've a big wish for Christmas myself
Something pretty or useful?"
Its pretty, useful, good-every-
thing that's lovely and desirable"
Iva's eyes were on the package in
her lap, but she felt that he was look
| ing at her in unconscious appraisal,
and her pulses leaped.
Tell me about it Christmas eve
ming, 1 mean" she Nadded a little
confusedly, whether you get it or
not
Indeed I will" he promised.
Miss Adriana Halstead, elderly and
somewhat neglected by her only rela-
tives-her dead brothers family
gave glad little cry when she saw
| her older nephew in her door that eve
ming Delmar felt a little prick OF
conscience as he kissed her. For
| few moments the little woman flut-
III Df1xy Caf
about preparing the evening meal she
| insisted he must share. While she
was out of the room Delmar accident
ally dropped his fountain pen in her
wastebasket--
AS he fished it out. sabsently smooth
| ing the sheets of crumpied notepaper
| in which it fell, his eyes caught in
| his aunt's cramped scrawl: ITO Mrs.
Miriam Halstead, My Mother in Heav-
| en-" Wondering, he read on: EVERY
body but me is thinking of Christina
wishes-gifts possible for them 70
have, and, oh, mother darling. I must
| tell some one what I know I cannot
| have, or my heart will break!
| II want somebody of my people to
sit at my table, to laugh and to talk
with me, to live with me and love me!
In the four years since you and father
went away I've been lonely-lonely!
"I could not bear it ii it We're not
|
he lives with me and I forget for a
blessed hour OF so I am alone. And
OH mother, my roses are going un-
pruned, my fence unmended and my
| house implanted, and my clothes ar e
getting shabbier every day. am
afraid they will soon not be respecta-
BILE enough for church. Oh, little
mother, I want q new dress. I want
oh. mother. ought to covet that coat
suit in Robertson & Co.'S window
the blue French broadcloth that would
just fit me?-I-''
/ The words ended here. The writer
had evidently crumpled the paper and
thrown it in the basket when she
4 heard his ring. ? .t4f ga e H.
when Delmar went home he walked
BY the corner store and looked at the
blue suit. Twenty-Five dollars rep
resented an engagement ring II Iva
Ellsworth would accept it. Iva lived
with her cousins in the next state and
was used to luxury. and his bookkeep-
er's salary was only SIS month, but
Delmar had resolved.
On Christmas Eve Miss Adriand's
doorbell rang to admit Robertson &
I Co.'S porter with great box marked
with Delmar's love-" Under the lid
lay a fragrant bunch of wiolets, a lacy
white shirtYaist. a pretty blue velvet
toque, a pair of trim sh res and the
l
/ window display.
| Like one in happy dream Miss
Adriana put on the shoes, the perfect
fitting costume. the hat, the flowers
Presently Delmar came IN wearing his
evening clothes.
Would she go with him to see the
play the young people of the town
were giving, "a Rose of Old Dixie?
With her face like the dawn Miss
Adriana watched the players. Iva
Ellsworth was the Dixie Rose, a witch
ing heroine; Paul Nelson, her lover
Iva played her part with brilliancy
but Paurs heart. prompted his acting
1t was fervent. real.
i Delmars mini was torn with indie
cision. But near the end of the play
he looked at the little lonely woman
beside him, for the time pathetically
happy, and quite suddenly his mind
was made up.
"Auntie." he said abruptly to her
when they were again in her living
room, will you let me come to live
with you? Mother doesn't need me;
she's going 20 DE married soon to DR.
Ashley Wyatt. We'd be company for
each other. If you'll let me, I'll move
my desk and other things over to-
morrow"
Miss Adriana's happiness Of the
evening. compared with this new JOY
was as a drop of water to the ocec II
} That evening Iva Ellsworth received
bouquet of pink carnations and q
note that asked her to pardon tn.
writer for breaking his promise te
call. and begged her to accept his con
gratulations on the success of the
play.
Il didn't get what wanted 70,
Christms," the note ended. IT didn,
dare, in the face of things, to ask fol
= it,"
The girl sIipped away from Pan
Nelson, Who had been at the Banforl
house for dinner, and went to hel
room. oh. flat miserable play! VIII,
did people misunderstood? And to