The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-25
gotng out IN sprinO.

gotng out IN GprinO.
Being q cub doctor. Thomas UNDERWOOD
Being q woman. Martha Understood PER.
fsctly. But 1t was terrible, especially when
the ohthdrsn. aftsr . moment Of open
mouthed horror. Joined IN at ths top Of their
voices.
You sss.- she said. whsn the storm had
vet eyed and sob shaken. were onos moro
busy with their sandwiches, while she w.s
being fed At 1udicious intervals with tea and
toast which Thomas had suddenly decided
was . safer diet than chocolate for . person
who had apparently bssn rationing hsrssr
With life you ~. It came over me sod-
denly. You people cut a the world used
to know-it was ~ Il somehow you had come
trom-them." She struggled again for sslf-
control and won -rvs bssn . little lonely
hers." she said. and not sure I WIS doing
what they would have wanted me to do for
the habiea-
well, you wsrs- said Martha sharply.
= Now take this tea, and forget svrything
but that it's Christmas tomorrow"
Tho girl was leaning back now on Mar
tha's shoulder. but Thomas was still At her
side. and 1t seemed the most natural thing
in the world that after professionally coun.-
ing her pulse which had lsapsd to . hundred
and forty. then fallen back to q hesttant
eighty a. the storm subsidized. he should keep
h. 49, L.
So thin-so marked with heavy work!
He thought Of all the things 1t had been
doing; Of the constant care Of the children.
Of the pitiful paper chains. Of the grisly hor.
ror Of its conquest Of doomed and strugg Cling
chickens" in the cellar when we're asleep"
Once It must have been like the hands Of
other girls that he and Martha knew. Now
It was like those Of any working woman;
chapped. calloused. the nails broken, marked
with old and recent burns, chafes, cuts. But
he thought as he looked steadily upon It that
there was no fault in It at all
Hh meditation was interrupted by an odd
look from Martha whereupon his face took
on . deep damask. and, denantly relea3ng
the hand which had not seemed aware in
the least Of his worship. he strobe to the
window. where he stood. whisting and drum
ming on the pane for . long time.
1t vas q window looking out from the
dds Of the house directly upon the barn.
Which. a. h the fashion Of the region. faced
the road shoulder TO shoulder with the house.
The snow started on level with the window
to- All
the wind had nodded It. to the upper window
vhsrs the hay vas forked through into
the loft
The wooden shutter Of the window had
been flung aJar and twisted asksw by the
storm. and now It's black oblong was crowded
their yellow feathers and scarlet combs bril-.
liant In the sunlight. But even - Thomas
looked the foremost boobed her head In .
sort Of salute, unfurled her wings, squalled
and lsaped. She sailed yelling aoross the
spAos, landed In the drift Just outside the
window, and. with eutsprsad wings keeping
her afoat upon that white -, quietly set
tied down. cooking IN sxpsotant ysllow ~
up ct him. But the chJldreu had recognised
her voace and came thriaktnS:
"Hsspsy. Psspsy. Psspsy!" they shr1nsd.
She Devil shes coming In for Christmas!"
30 the window was opened and Thomas
pulled her out Of the arm. and shs was
brought to the tahls and nnishsd breakfast
with the family. beng hsld first under Twss-
0saumr arm and then undse Twssdlsdss's
Not that shs was especially hungry. fer her
Gep, bslng felt prsvsd fuller than u shsuld
b for 20 sariy IN the morning. II vas most
y corn. for you could t., the kernels plain
b. and ~ To her sinard II wa srinding
away IKE eoRss min. They carried her
around and hsid beg Up to all tbs adult ears