Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-05-27

everything; all his dreams; all his
ideals; all his hopes -. on a Christ
mas gift? What would your"
She frowned adoraby.
"And -. he's not just a little bit
quixoticp
mot at all q. suppose he did it
deliberately, and after a great deal of
thought. Just on the chance that it
might please you? When it would
either do that-or end their friend
ship?"
She fingered the small package over
and over
"Why, l should think that if this
. mythical person were so very anx-
ious to please me he wouldn't take
quite so much risk"
But when I'm the mythical person
myself-that's different, isn't it?"
"Why should it be?" She gave him
no opportunity to see her face.
you've forgotten a great deal.
told you once that if you knew all that
We Deeh all llldI / VIC uOllc =
you might not be so willing to have my
friendship, anyway"
"NO," she said, subdued. 1--WE not
forgotten, but you have! l said that
didn't believe you"
you're holding it all in your hands,"
said billiard. His expression, as he
gazed at her, was infinitely yearning !;
but his voice was even and low. II
spent a good many hours over this
. wondering whether it was right
for me to take such risk on this day,
above all others and finally,
thought it out this way; if it pleases
you, it ought to make the day better
yet . if it doesn't, it would have
been just as unwelCome to you at any
other time. Understand, I'll never at
tempt to excuse anything . we're
beyond that. All l can do is to wait.
I'm giving you . will you open it
now, please"
Her fingers bungled with the knot,
and he made as though to help her.
NO" she said, holding the package
away from him. 81 want to open it all
myselfw
billiard, rigid, watched her. A
phrase was beating heavily against his
consciousness one of the Proverbs
. something about the bread of de-
ceit, and ashes. .
The knot gave way; and the tissue
wrapping falling aside, disclosed an
oblong pastebOard box. Carol lifted
the lid and billiard caught his breath.
There We're two cabinet photographs !;
uppermost was very excellent like
ness of billiard himself. She looked
at him perpleXedly; he was getting out
his fountain pen. His hand was cold,
unsteady.
1T lacks something, doesn't it?' he
said, in an undertOne. Let me have
it a moment" While she followed
his every movement, he wrote, with
his left hand and somewhat painstak-
ingly, an inscription and gave back the
picture.
christmas, 1916" she read, with
love from Henry billiard" She
flushed hotly.
Now look !" he said, ignoring her
reaction. The . next one" Me-
chanicaIly she took out the second
photograph; it was a duplicate of the
picture of Dicky Morgan on the Doc
tors desk. Her cheeks were suddenly
devoid of color, she stared fearfully at
him without speaking.
THAT lacks something, too" he said 4;
and his voice was yielding to the ire
mendOus strain upon him. With con-
spicuOus care he shifted the pen to
his right hand; held it poised for a
moment, gave her smile of ineffable
pathos, closed his teeth hard. 81 have
a very useful little trait" he said ;
I'm ambideXtrous." And wrote his
message.
She had the evidence before her
the inimitable, unmistakable, ornamen-
tai script of another personality.
"Christmas, Iceland love from Dick
to Carol"
'The real gift is underneath" he
said, and his diction now was foreign
even to himself. But . no, no; go
on
Her uncertain, exploring fingers had
touched smaller bCx; it sprang opel
in her palm; within, was a gorgeously
flashing, sclntillating, living gem, set
in platinum. Her hands, unsteady now
as were his own, closed over 1t as
though to guard and shelter 1t. Her
eyes sought his, and held them-fright
was meeting fright.
"And in my thought" he said "are
all the sweet memories I have of YOU
:. and all the fragrance of you
and in the stone there there's a
story for you to read bigger than
any book could hold :" She still
made no answer; she was holding her
three gifts tightly, and staring at him,
staring E. not in the revulsion he
hnI tYNNn min 81 A..