Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25
"Or she'll be still more angry. eh?'
he said grimly, and let her pass.

"Or she'll be still more angry. eh"'
he said grimly. and let her pass.
+ + Il
| STANDING beside her mother in
~ the living room. Camilla said good
| night to her guests. She was as fresh
| as when the evening had begun. She
| was laughing and loving--this Is the
| only word for her peculiarly respon-
sive and intimate look and word to
everybody. That gay manner, those
, tender eyes. that soft and sympathetic
voice were Camilla as her guests knew
| her.
Chris fingered a moment after the
rest. Gus was preparing to take the
living peach" to her aunt's home.
| This young girl came prettily to say
| another good night to Mrs. Rose. who
looked at her and thought. Probably
your voice can sound like Camilla s
| sometimes"
She chdded herself. replied mechan-
| icaily to the girl and TO Gus and
| slipped away to the kitchen.
where's Mrs. Able?" she inquired
| Of the two women, who were making
ready to leave.
Mrs. Able said to tell you she
| couldn't wait"
II meant to go with her and spend
| the night" Mrs. Rose said quietly.
| II will go on after her now. viii you
wait and tell Camilla Miss Camilla
| that I have gone? l won't disturb h. r
! now"
| She took her wraps from the side
| entry. went out that door and gained
| the street She could not risk seeing
Camilla again that night. She and
Gus would he all right. She herself
| must get away--get clear away.
The house was stili blazing with
| light~-lower and upper windows
TIN owing gay banners across the snow.
What happy. peace'filled home it
looked 10 be!
comfortable houses, every one on It's
white snow rug. Most OF the houses
were sleeping, every one with It's ex-
pcctation of Christmas. In every one
lay cifts--trcasures OF simple things
selected with love. In these rooms
plans had been made. realized or frus.
trated for tomorrow. Here and there.
behind shade. a light flowed where
two might he filling the Christmas
stockings. trimming the Christmas
tree. The children--oh. there ones
| thoughts might rest. After they grew
up, the world was different.
way. In many OF these lived children.
| partly grown. still at home. Were
their condolences kept hack? Had
those mothers failed as she had
failed? In those houses, were the
voices so sharp
The tears welled up and darkness
and Wilderness swan together. The
| cold. starry night took no account of
her. Christmas stars those were now.
Already II was well past midnight.
Christmas mornine
Al the tread OF feet on the snow be-
| hind her, she swerved to let some
late one so by. She heard an excia.
nation. a hand was thrus, through
her arm and there was Chris.
Mother Rosef' he said. But II
can't be youF'
She spoke mechanically: You didn't
| stay long with Camilla"
No" he answered shortly. "T--
couldn't. But you~~~is something the
natter"
She told him where she was going
II think I'm pretty tired. Chris" was
| all that she said Bot he knew
Mother" he said, because I'm 20.
| ing to call YOU that, no matter what
happens---''
what do YOU mcan?" she asked
| sharply. What may happen
"0h. no. don't mean that" he said
| mlserabiy. hut it pu, me out Of
business to hear Camilla talk to you
| like that tonight, She~-~why she was
like somebody else. Somebody
| strange"
"You mustn't think too much about
| that" she told him. She was tired
excited. She didn't mean To he cross. :"
Nobody" said Chris. means TO he
cross. One IN or one isn't. Rut II isn't
| that. You know how I've always seen
| Camilla~~gay and sympathetic and
and tender. Shes like that 10 people
thought she was like that"
she Is like that" Mrs. Rose pro.
| tested
Yes. but she's something else, too
Can't you see what il would mean to
man to hear the girl he loves going
after her mother as~~as she did To.
| night:"
MRS. ROSIE was silent. She could
Az ser. She thought hack over the
preparation for the party, The count.
| less instances uf fault finding. ar
| ifanlc comment. af inimticncr, ar ir.
| ritatiun. She knew how theAn would
| have sounded In CHRIS, how they had
| sounded To hrr, Inv could anvhatv
| IN, sho know thai these did not ren
| resent Camilla that they were not
| Camilla"
| she turned on him tiercelv.
"isit ! know thai these things don't
weigh u straw agAtDat all tho tine
| things Camilla IL. Aud You ought tn
| know that"
II don't know that" hc said atnh
| hofnlN, Il used Ia go To the home NJ
nha ut my instructors al college, and
| lie had wife who talked like that
| shed burst out at him before PEG,
| pie She'd say. Well, | should think
, yau might think Of me a little hit. or
Why on earth ara you 50 eareiesps
You never think Ut anything And |
| said 10 myself then that II | ever mar
| fied I'd have wife who wouldn't do
| that III she didn have an idea In her
head You nee. II happens To I've a
| particular hobby nf mIne~ai don't
| know that II isn't with most men
| WhN, I've said to myself dazen
| times that Camilla with her luNeN
| salee and her sentieness, could never
| SNAP At hnNhutN, Ana to hear her
| dating exactly that ihlna to Sou to'
| nlEh II tell YOU. It's hnwied ne over, :"
| "She hardly eperer.-e-a" Airs, Hose he
tan, and then stnnped confronted by
! ihe simple truth that. Camilla did @~
iimnsi every das af her life.
Chris Vent On abaotbeals, II she