The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-21
Eoenir7g Story
Her Answer.
BY HORACE FORD.

love you-won't you tell me whether
there's any chance for me?"
Helen Kenyon lowered her eyes,
Henry waited, alternately hoping and
fearing. Finally she spoke.
Henry, you must give me time to
think it over. I don't want to make a
decision like this suddenly. 1 will tell
you-yea are coming to our house for
Christmas Eve, aren't your
Wig, yes. Your mother was kind
enough TO invite me-"
well, will tell you that night
Now don't look SO downcast!' Her
voice took On a note of pleasant rail-
lery. IT'S only week off. and surely
| you can wait that long. can't you?
And you must go now-it's half-past
eleven"
Henry West went out into the crisp
sparkle of the late December night
with his mind vibrating between hope
and fear. He loved Helen sincerely
and with all his heart. and when he
mad asked her to marry him it was
with the hope that she returned his
feeling ond would make him the hap
piest man in the world by saying yes
But he knew Helen. and he knew that
whens her mind was made up there
was no changing it. wait till Christ
mas Eve" she had sand; SO there was
nothing to do but wait.
The week dragged itself thru some
how. There was last minutessfop ping
| to attend TO, cards to be sent out-in
| fact, all the hustle that fills the last
week before Christmas. Ordinarily
the time would have sped all too fast.
| but to Horny West it seemed seven
ages before he betook himself to the
West house for their Christmas Eve
| party. His heart beat hard as he en-
tered and returned the greetings of
the family and the assembled guests
1 E1e4xa ,1r0k1 hi 4 l. 49,.
her face the answer, but she was just
the same as ever. The evenings fes-
tivities kept her busy and prevented
| him from having even a moment alone
| with her. AS the time for departure
drew near and some of the guests said
their good-nights Henry's impotence
knew no bounds. At last it was mid
night and amid a chorus of MERRY
| Christmas" the last guest departed.
| Henry. on Mrs. West's>invitation was
to spend the night theresa as to make
an early start for the holiday party on
| Christmas Day.
As the last guest went away Henry
| looked about for Helen, but she was
nowhere to be seen. Mrs. West came
| to his rescue.
music-room, Henry" she said .sYours
| Is in there, too-it might be a good
idea ii you. opened it now. We're
going to make an early start in the
| morning. Mr.. West and have opened
our things and Helen has disappeared
probably to look over her trinkets in
her room before going to bed. You
run into the MUSHROOM and look at
yours L picked il, out myself, and
m very proud of my taste. Good
| night"' And she was gone Henry,
| with heavy heart, entered the music
room. Helen's absence could mean
toniy one thing-she had decided to
| refuse him and did not want to tell
| him SO to his face. Well, he would
see what the Vests had picked out
for him, anyway. He entered the room
and closed the door
In the darkend room there were
bundles of all shapes and sizes, ready
for the mornings distribution. One
in particular. he noted with his name
| painted on it in huge letters. 1t was
an enormous box, nearly six feet high
and three square. He looked at it in
amusement at its size.- and then he
smiled. 1t was just like Mrs. West
TO fool him. Whatever his gift was,
ne would find it in the middle of
that box, probably in layers of ex-
| eelsier and carefully hidden. He
grinned. Mrs. West was fond of mild
practical joking. 1t was just like her
TO put scarfpin or a pair of eufflinks
in box big enough to hold a sec
uonai bookcase and make him spend
an hour OF SO hunting for it in the
packing. He, shipped the string that
bound the box and the huge sheet of
wrapping paper fell off with a rattle
The front of the box was of one piece
of heavy cardboard, held in place with
few tacks. He slipped the blade of
his knife under the heads of the tacks
and twisted them out one by one.
When the next to the last tack was
neatly on the table-Henry hated
making a mess-he paused a moment
to think of Helen. A quick pain
gripped his heart at the thought of
her now lost ofreveF. Then he took a
new grip on himself. He would take
the blow like man-and now to see
what Mrs. West had hidden for him.
The last tack tinkled on the floor.
Henry stopped to pick it up, and as
he did SO the cardboard fell sideways,
revealing the interior of the box.
Henry Strengthened and looked, pre-
pared to dislodge the packing.
Then he stood motionless. spell
bound: Inside the box was something
g1ittering and shimmering-a BALI
dress-the same he had seen Helen
wear that very evening, And from
the shadowy interior two white arms
stretched out to him and a voice-the
voice of his dreams-said softly:
DO you like your Christmas present
Henry-dearest? ?"
A moment later and he held his
Helen in his arms, his heart humping
Haadly with joy. And so absorbed did
the couple become that neither of
them heard the door open, nor did
they realize that Helen's mother was
in the room till her voice beside them
startled them into realization that
life was still going on.
Well, Henry, do you like my
Christmas gift to you? I told you
that L had picked 1t out myself and
that 1 was proud of my taste. De you
like itg"
"Oh. Mrs. West" Henry stam-
mered.
mot another word. Henry I'll give
you half an hour to say goodnight,
and then you two must get some sleep,
for we're starting early in the morn
ing Goodnight and Merry Christ
ma str
Merry Christmas. mother" echoed
Helen end Henry.
copyright. 1920 by the Mcclure News