The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-01-12
Beasley 5
Christmas
Party
vI-continued.
By
BOOTH HARRINGTON
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Copyright by Harper Brothers

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Christmas trees, glittering with dozens
and dozens Of candles, sumptuous in
silver, sparkling in gold, and laden
with Heaven alone knows how many
and what delectable enticements. OPP
posite the Tree, his back against the
wall, sat old Bob, clad in dress of
state, part of which consisted of a
swallow-tail coat with an overgrown
chrysanthemum in the buttonhole), a
red necktie, and a pink-and-silver lib
erty cap of tissue-paper. He was scrap
ing fiddle "like old times come
again." and the tune he played was,
"Oh, my Liza, POI gall" My feet
shuffled to 1t In the snow.
No one except old Bob was toebe
seen in the room, but we watched him
and listened breathlessly. When he
finished Liza" he laid the fiddle
across his knee, wiped his face with
d new and brilliant blue silk handker-
chief, and said:
"Now come de big speech"
The Honorable David Beasley, car
rying small mahogany table, stepped
out from beyond the Christmas tree.
advanced to the center Of the room;
set the table down; disappeared for
a moment and returned with a white
water-pitcher and glass. He placed
these upon the table, bowed gracefully
several times, then spoke:
Ladies and gentlemen" There he
paused.
"Well," said Mr.. Simeon Peck, slow
", "don't this beat hell"
sLook out I" The Journal reporter
twitched his sleeve. Ladies present"
s'Where?" said ].
He leaned nearer me and spoke in
a low tone.
"Just behind us. She followed us
over from your boarding house. She's
been standing around near us all
along. I supposed she was Dowden's
daughter, probably"
."He hasn't any daughter" I said,
and stepped back to the hooded
figure / had been too absorbed in our
quest to notice.
1t was Miss Apperthwaite.
She had thrown a loose cloak over
her head and shoulders; but enyeloped
In it as she was. and crested and
epauletted with white, I knew her at
once. There was no mistaking her,
even in a blizzard.
She caught my hand with strong,
quick pressure, and, bending her head
to mine, said in soft whisper, close
to my ear:
II heard everything that man said
in our hallway. You left the library
door open when you called Mr.. Dow
den out"
$780," I returned, maliciously, "you
you couldn't help following!'
She released my hand gently, to
my surprise.
"Hush,' she whispered. "He's say
ing something"
Ladies and gentlemen" said
Beasley again-an stopped again.
Dowden's voice sounded Historically
in my right ear. Miss Apperthwaite
had whispered in my lefty "The only
speech he's ever made IN his life
and he's stuck r.
But Beasley wasn't: he was only
celebrating.
Ladies and gentlemen" he began
"8Tr. and Mrs. Hunchberg, Colonel
Hunchberg and Aunt Cooley Hunch-
berg, Miss Molanna, Miss Queen, and
Miss Marble. Hunchberg, Mr.. Noble,
Mr. Tom, and Mr.. Grandee Hunchberg,
Mr.. Corley Linbridge, and Master
Hammersley You see before you to-
night, in my person, merely the rep
resentative of your real host, Mister
Swift. Mister Swift has expressed a
wish that there should be speech,
and has deputed me to make 1t. He
requests that the subject he has as
signed me should be treated in as dig
nified a manner as is possible-con-
sidering the orator. Ladies and
gentlemen"-h took a sip of water
Il will now address you upon the fol-
lowing subject: why We Call Christ
mas Time the Best Time.
christmas time is the best time be-
cause it is the kindest time. Nobody
ever felt very happy without feeling
very kind, and nobody ever felt very
kind without feeling at least a little
happy. So. of course, either way
about, the happiest time is the kind
est time-that's this time. The most
beautiful things our eyes can see are
the stars; and for that reason. and in
remembrance of One star, we set
candles on the Tree to be stars in the
house. So we make Christmas time
a time of stars indoors; and they
shine warmly against the cold out
doors that is like the cold of other
seasons not so kind. We set our hum
bred candles on the Tree and keep
them bright throughout the Christ
mas time, for while they shine upon
us we have light to see this life, not
as a battle. but as the march Of
mighty Fellowship Ladies and gentle
mpN I f0ank Won r.