Evening star., 1921-12-25
Christmas Crossing

i 4
Stepping aside for q moment to
study the full effect of her handiwork.
the first psychological puzzle Of her
| life smote sharply across her senses.
namely. that the instant you find
yourself absolutely alone with q
| really good time you begin to hunt
| about for somebody very special to
share it with you!
Maybe that's always tho way
things happen when you get your own
way about something else" she
.. unused.
Like blast from the arctic, tho
Christmas twilight swept In on her
| as she opened the shed door.
"Come, Beautiful-Lovely!" she i'm
plored. Come, Lopsy! Miss Flora!
Come, Blunder-Blot!"
Leapins. loping. four abreast. they
came plunging like so many north
winds to their party. Yelping-
mouthed. slapping-tailed! Backs
bristling! Hurting. crowding!
"Oh. dear me. dear me" struggled
Flame. Maybe a carol would calm
them"
TO certain extent a carol surely
did. Cooking their ears to the old
pianos quavering treble notes, snort
ing their nostrils through its gritty,
cultural basses. they watched Flames
facila fingers sweep from sound to
sound.
"Oh, what glorious larkw quiv-
cred Flame. what "a lonely, glor-
ious lark"
Timidly at first, but with tncreas-
ing abandon. the clear young soprano
| voice took up its playful paraphrase:
God rest you, merrie-animals!
Let nothing you dismay!
For"
At this moment Beautiful-Lovely
muzzle lifted, eyes rolling. jabbed his
shrill nose into space and harmony
with a carol Of his own:
"Wow-wow-wow! W-w-ow-W-
-ow-w-w-Oo-
As Flames hands dropped from the
piano, startled fists beat furiously on
the door.
what is it? What Is it," shouted
a familiar voice. "Whatever in the
world is happening? Let me in!'
SILLY" Kissed Flame through q
crack in the door. Its nothing but q
party! Don't you know. "a party
when you hear it?'
Bertrand the Lay Reader" relaxed
in a gasp Of astonishment
"why-why, is that you. Miss
FIame? he gasped. "Why, thought
it was a murder! Why-why. what
ever in the world are you doing
here?"
"I-rm having a party" Missed
Flame through the keyhole.
"A-a-party" stammered the Lay
Reader. open the door!"
mo, I-can'tw said Flame.
"why not " demanded the Lay
Reader.
IT just can't" she admitted. a bit
weakly. 'Tt wouldn't be convenient
1--we got trouble with my eyes,"
Trouble with your eyes? Please
open the door I've been looking
for you everywhere" urged the Lay
Reader. "At the senior warden's! Al
all the vestrymen's houses! I thought
surely I'd find you at your own house
But I found only sled tracks"
s"That was mel" mumbled Flame.
, "And then I heard these awful
screams!" shuddered the Lay Reader
"That was a CAROL" said Flame.
"a carol?" scoffed the Lay Reader
"Open the door,
"well-just crack" conceded
Flame.
1t was astonishing how a man as
broad-shouldered as the Lay Reader
could pass so easily through a crack
Conscience stricken, Flame fed be.
! fore him with her elbow crooked
across her forehead. "Oh, my eyes
my eyes!" she cried.
'sWell, really" puzzled the Lay
Reader. "I had never suspected my
self Of being actually dazzling"
"oh." explained Flame. "its Just my
promise. promised mother not to
see you!"
I'VE might tie my big handkerchief
across your eyes," suggested the Lay
Reader. "Just till we got this mys'
terry Strengthened out"
With the big white handkerchief TIED
firmly across her eyes. Flames last
scrupls vanished.
well, you see," she began pre-.
cipitately, II did think It, would be
such fun to have q party all my own
No parish in 1t at all! Or good works
Just fun-and as long as mother and
father had to 60 away, anyway-
| You see." she conddsd, Uncle Wally'.
making q new will. There's q corr
barn and a private chapel and a col
lection of Chinese lanterns and a pie.
bald pony principally under dispute
Mother, Of course, thinks we ought
to have the corn barn. But father
can't decide between the Chinese Ian.
terms and the private chapel. Person.
ally" she sighed. I'm hoping for the
piebald pony"