Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-07

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A FTER a time she went upstairs and
4 4 put on the bracelet. And late IN the
afternoon she went out and bought some
wool, to make an afghan. 1t eased her
conscience toward Nina. She commenced
It that evening while che waited for
Wallie, and she wondered II some time
she would be making an afghan for a
coming child of her own. Hers ana
Wallie Sayre's. -.
Suddenly she knew that she would
never marry him. She faced the future
with all that it implied, and she knew
she could not do 1t. 1t was horripie
that she had even contemplated 1t. IL
would be terrible to tell Wa!lie, Dut
not 20 terrible as the other thing, She
saw herself then with the same clear
ness with which she had judged DICK;
She too, leaving her havoc OF wrecked
lives behind her; she too, going along
her headstrong way. raising hopes l not
- R..t ,,I ~.
too.
That evening. Christmas eve, she told
wallie she would not marry him. Told
him very gently. and just after an at,
tempt of his to embrace her. She would
not let him do it.
II don't know what's come over
you," he said moroscly. But III let
you alone if that's the way you feel.'
shiver."
In n way he was prepared for It. but
nevertheless he begged for time. FOR q
less unequivocal rejection. But he found
her, for the first time, impatient with
his Pleadings. 49,, .,,..
It, Wallie. I'll take the blame. should
have done it long ago.
She was gentle. almost tender with
him, but when he said she had spoiled
his life for him she smiled family.
"You think that now. And don't be.
lieve I'm not sorry. am. hate not
playing the game. as You say. But !
don't think for n moment that you'll
70 on caring when you know don't.
That doesn't happen. That's ALL"
"Do you know what think?" he
burst out. II think you re still mad
about Livingstone. think you are SO
mad about him that you don't know 1t
yourself"
But she only smiled her cool smile
and went on with her knitting. After
that he got himself in hand, and-per-
haps he still had some hope. It was
certain she had not flinched at Dicks
name-told her very earnestly that he
only wanted her happiness. He didn't
want her unless she wanted him. He
'Not always she said, with trag.
like women; they forget
She wondered, after he had gone,
what had made her say that.
She did not tell the family that night.
They were full of their own concerns,
Nina's coming maternity, the wrapping
of packages behind closed doors, the
final trimming of the tree in the H.
brary. Leslie had started the phono,.
graph, and it was playing "Stille
Nacht Heilige Nacht."
Still night, holy night. and only III
her was there stiffness that was not
holy.
They hung up their stockings val
iantly as usual. making . little ccrc.
mony OF IL, and being careful not to
think about Jim's missing one. In.
ho, krr So q
it, and Leslie demanded one of Nina s
baby socks and pinned it up.
I'm starting n bank account for the
little beggar.' he said. und dropped
a gold piece into the toe. Next year,
He put his arm around Nina. 1t
seemed to him that life was doing con .
siderably better than he deserved By
him, and he felt very humble and cen !.
trite. He felt In his pocket for the
square jeweler's s box that lay there.
After that they left Walter Wheeler
there, to play his usual part at such
times. and went upstairs. lie filled
the stockings bravely. an orange in each
toe, box of candy, a toy for old
times sake. and then the little knick
knacks he Ind been gathering for day $
and hiding in his desk. After all. there
"CA0 iV"SI tiliS year SuuIl
last. Instead Of Jim's, there was the
tiny one for Nina's baby. That was the
way things went. lie took away, but
ulso He gave.
lie sat back in his deep chair, and
looked up at the stockings. ludicrously
bulging. After all, if he believed that
Hc gave and took away, then he must
believe that Jim was where he had
tried to think him. filing a joyous,
active place in some bOyish heaven.
After a while he got up and weni
to his desk. and getting pen and paper
wrote carefully.
dearest: You will find this in your
stocking In the morning. when YOU get
up for the early service. And I want
you to think over It in the church.
1t Is filled with tenderness and with
anxiety. Life is not so very long, little
daughter. and 1t has no time to waste
In anger or in bitterness. A little
work, a little sleep, little love, and
1t il all over.
will you think Of this today?"
lie locked m the house, and went
slowly up to bed.
Elizabeth found the letter the next
morning. She stood IN the bleak rooui.
with the ashes Of last nights fire snll
smoking, and the stockings overhead
not festive in the gray light, but look.