Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-26
TENTH INSTALLMENT.


7 IFE-surging, happy, romantic
lfe-had begun for Missile. On
an errand the day before she
- had met Harry Sloane, met and
talked with him. And there
had been a new look in Harry'S eyes
Is he gzaed down at her.
II hardly knew you; you've done
something to yourself"
I've put my hair up" she told him
Kravely.
But you're prettier. You're awfully
pretty. I mean it. Can I come to see
Eou?"
"They wouldn't like It,"
who are 'they?'"
She told him and he seemed i'm
pressed. He knew Of the Colfaxes, Of
course. Everybody knew of the Col
faxes. But look here, it wasn't pos
sible that they would shut her up like
that! Anyhow, she could get out. They
could take some walks together. Now
he'd found her, he wasn't going to let
her go.
And all the time her poor, silly heart
beating like mad, her color like a rose,
her eyes shining, her resentment gone.
Gone, too, StelloB warnings, her pre-
eept and example.
I'm coming around and ring the
doorbell some night. anyhow. They
"Oh, pleased Please don't, Harryl"
Some of these days you'll hear a
Bcuff1e and thud. I'll be the thud!"
When she left him she had forgotten
10 mail her letter. She had to go back
again.
Cnimportant, after that catastrophe
meeting, the letters to Ceciy Stanwood.
missile no longer cared to go to sleep at
night. She preferred to lie there in
the darkness and dream dreams. She
was in love! The sun rose, the birds
sang, the dull daily life went on to that
refrain. Each walk now was an ad-
venture; every head that rose above its
fellows might be his. Forgotten was
the girl that night under the trees.
There was only Harry looking down at
her with soft, family girliSh hazel
eyes and saying more with them than
his words implied-saying she was
pretty, fidgeting bit with his hands,
watching her.
Every night, her hair smoothed, she
listened for the doorbel. She would
watch the clock-7:30, quarter to 8,
B, a quarter past. Adelaide rolling
paper spills, her grandmother knitting.
erect in her chair, deadly hush over
everything; and herself tense young
figure, her muscles quivering as the
hands of the clock moved on and at
quarter after 8 drawing long breath,
Shivering a little as If with cold, and
hope gone again.
He never came.
Her first Christmas with Sarah and
Adelaide was uneventful. Sitting in
her room Missile remembered other
ChristmaSes Stella's ChrtStmaSes.
nothing done until day or two before,
then a wild scramble. Stella coming in
putting. her arms full of bundles.
IF I catch you girls peeping under
my bed thereu be trouble. Mind
that"
A mysterious odor of evergreen when
ene opened the cellar door.
Nom, can go down and get some
Ielly?"
Delf."
On the night before Christmas
stella's cewing machine would start. It
was like her to dress the dolls at the
last minute. It would start and stop
quickly, as II it had sewed a very short
Jean, and the little girls would listen
and know Just what she was doing.
sometimes they could hear their father
Raken and grumble and hear her reply
ing sharply, and at dawn, in their
thin nightgownS, the two Shivering little
figures would steal down the stairs to
the cold parlor. There would be the
trees strung with popcorn and threaded
eranberries, and paper cornucopias filled
with hard candy, and underneath would
be the dolls, dressed and ticketed in
Etella'S writing: ITO Ellen, from Santa
Claus" ITO Missile, from Santa Claus. >"
She made pincushion for her grand
mother, and since Adelaide was always
losing her keys, key rack for her.
This last was very handsome. It Gin
sisted of rolling pin, gilded and with
small brass hooks screwed into 1t. When
she had tied pink bows to each handle
and pink ribbon by which to hang it
10 the wall it brought forth exclama-
tons Of delight from Norah, the house.
maid.
We'll, now" she said, "if that isn't
ene. 1t shines something wonderful,
Doesn't 1t? And it's useful, tool"
Although her gifts were received with
appreciation, there was little or no
Christmas spirit In the house that day.
Mrs. Colfax gave her a copy of Schil-
Ger's poems and Adelaide gave her