The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-06-01
CHAPTER xvIII.--contInued.

minutes past, the candles were light
%, schedule which precluded the
waste of wax without a justiflable
number of observers 1t was the
touch. iong-drawn "Oh-h-hl I" ex-
pressed the complete qualification of
all the Penfelds. From that time on,
fairyland was. an open book. Thad's
blue eyes wefe unbellevably wide. and
he tiptogd about In an awed and silent
ecstasy. Crink was full of important
errands, having gratuitously assumed
responsibilities for salient features of
the evening
As for Lettie, she was not the same
child that had struggled into Mrs.
Penfield's kitchen three months before,
nndernourished, blindly resentful
against the harshness of an unthink-
Ing world. ready to fight anything and
anyone to keep her starved soul In her
starved body--a creature forced by the
Indifference of society into reversion
to elemental instincts, to primitive
pugnacity. Without volition she had
been shot into a scheme Of things that
had no place for her, that frowned up
-son her heavy disapproval. She
had beeIk~~-u~~em the attitude that
mig &nrlefollowed-th attitude of
'ase><eciety that later holds up It's hands
in afshock of horror and repudiates
the menace that its own carelessness
has nurtured. 1t will always be so
until that society ceases to segregate
lis human strays, to be housed In cor
rect stone buildings and fed from long
handfed spoons, and rouses to the in
alienable right of the individual to in
dividual care.
Tonight Lettie was radiant. She
might later know joy that would be
broader and deeper. but it could never
more fully inundate her capacity |
-Sfser thin cheeks were beginning to take
on the-ear1e OF health her black curls
Swere neat and glossy; and she was
wearing the new serge dress presented !
by Mrs. Sanders. AS she flew busily /
through the rooms. she stopped now
and then for a look of Indifferent dis
daln at the temper gong. Could IT be
possible that she had needed that-or
ever would again? In her present state
Sof beatitude, certainly not. The hours
OF happiness are not the hours of
trial.
well have to play sit-down games"
decided Crink, surveying the tight
rows of chairs which he had borrowed
'ss ts.e-occasion.
Yes, Crink," laughed Mrs. Penfield,
'but you can see how lucky tits that
this was a barn. If 1t hadn't been
built big 'nough for horses, we couldn't
never have this grand party"
the space sufficient was previous en-
gagements on the part of several ten
ants. In consequence. there were only
thirty-five who gathered and squeezed
happily into the borrowed chairs but
they all brought their most fiattering
EXPLANATIONS and used them freely.
Even Mr.. Wopple smiled, by which
token the jollity of the others may be .
imagined.
Game followed game, and the mer- :
riment Increased as by its own momen-
tum. Crink Penfield was noted In con-
ference with Lorene Chase, and short
ly thereafter 1t was made known that N
she had a new Christmas song. En-
thuslasm grew. She gave them more
songs. Her clear voice filed The Gus D
tard Cup with melody. u
All this time the tree stood waiting. =
but It's turn came at last Impressive IL
y Dick Chase read off the names;
With prodigal flourish the little Pen u
1elds made distribution. Surprise was OF
Exclamations were dou- pl
oled. trebled. az
And even this was not the end >,
Rather 1t was the prelude. Because =
thereafter, refreshments
we're served. They were Crink's con- ny
and his pride In this acme e.
If hospitality was well-nigh suffocat- Oil
ng. few days before Mr.. Drake had :"
Siven him large tin box of cakes ol
which wholesale delivery boy had r"
lropped on the floor. The cakes, as pc
orted to begin with. had been further az ~
nd unsaleably assorted by the fall III
ut there were a few whole ones, and IN
hese had been skilfully arranged as oe
Dp layers on the plates which were nu
ow passed. Mr.. brakes Christmas co
, Crink had been a small package
ach of sugar and raisins and a dozen hu
ranges. Crink, in an embarra ssment nix
hich had all but choked him, had re
sked If he might have lemons instead
the oranges. The exchange had been Ar
ade, and the one dozen had become
20. a marvellous piece of fortune. be- ent
use everybody knows that one lemon ing
equal to two oranges any day when e
comes to favOring a given amount of pie
ater. "
IT was a long time after the paper Per
etes and cups had been gathered mp be
fore the narty dispersed '"' 'ef' YOU
. Penfelds n hapr