Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-24

| ~ y her knees beside the gilt.
tering tree. whose tip all hut
touched the ceiling of the
~ living room. Mrs. Austen
fumhled with the string of
parcel
Il got skates" said she I'VE had
pair last year hut ne would have
| lost or outgrown them
Skates? Good Her husband
took them as she lifted them from
the wrapping. He'd like these
Mrs. Austen smoothed with vague
touch a tinsel star on the lowest
branch. More gentle than a breath
her fingers brushed n lustrous globe.
which spun with dartIing light. as she
whispered:
They say hoy crows-iike a weed
between 2 and To-
Mrs. Austen became all at once
very busy with placing the skates
neatly amid an array of parcels in
tissue paper. near foot bail. a par
cheesi board. boys books
Sharply, frighifully. the dnorbclI
shricked. Mrs Austen arose. with n
jerk. hand at her threat. her eyes
dafting with n sort OF furtiveness over
the toys
Don't answer she said in sharp
whisper
Mr.. Austen hesitaied. He was
little. round man. and his tremuIous
effort tn smile was pathetic
Thomas his wife cried, flame
Of resentful color in her cheeks We
don't want anybody. II. our busi
neEs not anybody's but ours He was
ours ours, ours Her voice rose 10 a
scream Il don't want TO share even
a memory Of him. not "A word of him
| hate--
She broke into a fury Of weeping
Mr. Austen tried 10 soothe her with
awkward pettInes. with murmurings
of There. There" but she chung To
her grief with shoulders stiffened
against his touch. 1eaiousiy denying
passion
Let them leave us alone she said
lie was ours
Coming i'm the momen, Of the bitter
cry. the repeated summons of th.
front doofbeiI war like n challenge
SIR. Austen booked III his wife. at IN.
impatient lines between her eyes He
moved uneaTily. but honey They II
know we're here The light and every.
thing" AZ he hcsitaied the bell rang
again. imi,eI iously. With another
gIimmer of his pathetic smile. ai,oio-
getG. piniBtiye. the little man gidIed
40 N. door and softly opened IT,
A little hoy stood there. He wore
b. way # "A coat a nondeEcTtpl gar
mens which reached well below his
knees. and his head was bare SNOW
fecked his shoulders. and the golden
mop Of his hair glsslsned where snow
had touched il and melted into st,cclfs
- kaAf q IL.
10 years Old
fDf" the gBze II thore grave. vide
eyer. through the stiffness came the
'hih strain of . entoi sung near by.
II ~ns Holy Night"
j 80 come tc sfe you" The child
sad. aud stepped into The room sir.
Austen cio~sed the door The I,nt
>'afrd briefly 1T Mrs Alsirn wb.,
S'"I tiRId and hostile beride The
'"ys. ih"n gave his thoughtful regard
to the tree
rs pretty be said Where's The
little boY2"
Of. Austen glanced toward bls
"tf". then bach ~ the child lie,
~ b'hFen." he said "Hui We have
MS rec, Just the me
me boy 'no'ided II seemed that
- "'f' NtfeD al btHe, lie moved
'""Hi1 The tree. stopping before The
'o5s Mra Austen stiffened but her
husband sbpok his head in enfreat1,
'hh 81" ~hhdfeW a step or tnn her
! SEE lhtFns" and ~HtttIfui ~ lie ioV
%FhitH lnnrhed tie skates
"" u Ike fhHss said hn
Ih1ta What ~e Thought Mr.
*h"'eh FDoks Win Il .et19ln .a9.,.
""s a. iei%"e1 man and man
ne b"E AtHk. paHe euveloDe.l
hiF H"pthef lao had made pftef he,
| "'N''n'". Mhybs though they
| nave bttffF DfTs IN IinHuet Ia, .,,.s
/ *"Fi'a1 Maybe that's wbht heaven
! - non sDn anppoaot
n terrible SOFT uuruur sscaDed
aitF AnEien's lips The hills Lov
'khtiy toncbsd bsf skin
Ijbh cay be said lie potildu 4
IN" mat you know +"
btis Austen Withdrew her skin
't"H ~" "onihci ~ his Ringers "Iinu
u" you khow what he'd like she
led
h4Ae btrihais ana sisie,s bo
+ said ann I knpA fiteY are uits,,i.
't"@ ltp you hhHl iHem+
i>l#irulhR, thf TIRES AteJe breath
( i"FF 10 frDn The street ihs fiijut
! fiHutpT ~ . company If rhiLltsH
| Ia"Heit3ted ihe fisge,d WjHdouH Even
| Dioie i3lui hDHiliied ibe slrajn If tie
distant sagnlets mlaMuHten n)ntad
~ the Nihdo# and hfied the drop