The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-02-07


| For second Patty Ann Painter
| thought she was going to faint before
all those children and parents, or sob
| aloud. What child-she looked out
| over the whirling room. She saw one
pair of eyes, wide blue eyes, agoniled
eyes, and their lids dropped. Norman
Mackenzie
She forced her lips to smile, forced
her eyes To flash the signal for the
opening carol. The smile was hard
to manage. But manage it she did.
And at last 1t was over, all the pieces,
the dialogues-gay and funny, the
carols.
She asked Norman Mackenzie to
help take the presents off the plat
form. Norman's face became for an
instant a miserable fiery red, then
white again. Without smiling as the
others did he went up and down the
aisles handing out packages.
Then there were mothers shaking
Patty AIMS hand, and saying she
went to lots of trouble for the chill
dren, didn't she? She said THANK
your thirty-four times and more-and
suddenly she was alone. She hated to
be alone. How could she stand things?
In the morning Patty Ann flew get
ting things done. She went uptown
early. She went first to the dingy lit
tie room behind the city offices where
"Old Judge" Mackenzie wrote slowly
in big book.
The second place Patty went was
to MaXwelrs jewelry store She went
to clothing store, toy store, a
candy store. With dozens of packages
she ran home. She changed her dress
and went into the kitchen and stayed
there the rest of the day.
When Curtis came whistling home
he found he had guest for the vaca-
ton, small boy with blue eyes, dark
circled, that gaZed with frightened
fascination at his host and hostess.
And no, supper was not jolly, music
over the sradiO was not, bedtime
story was not. At last Patty Ann
took silent little boy to the bath
him about soap and towels and pair
of gay red-trimmed pajamas. Then
she sat and frowned at the fire. She
was not at all certain she was sensi-
BILE person. AT last small voice:
Teacher"
She went quickly to the spare
room," smiled at the clean little fig
ure in red-braided pajamas, held out
big glass of creamy milk.
Two thin hands took the glass, but
no mouth opened to drink. Two eyes
only looked at her piteeusly.
well" she laughed. 81 see old Mr..
Cat is going to get some, too. He'll
be glad! Jump in now and I'll tuck
you up"
Slowly he got in the white bed, laid
eyes tight. She caught her breath,
leaned over and kissed the thinnest
cheek she had ever kissed. And she
saw gray cord around a thin neck
and something bright on it down I'M
der the gay pajamas. She moved
Good night, Norman" she said.
He did not answer.
Patty Ann that night did not sleep
great deal.
No, the hostess and guest did not
eat much breakfast, either. Curtis
eyes were wondering and pitiful. Be
cause he did not say anything Patty
Ann admired her husband more than
ever,
AS jolly as could be Curtis was at
the distributing of some presents. He
things, but she did-nOt know until
hours later that they were lovely. that
they were anything at all. He put a
square, not very big package in Nor
man MacKenzie's hands and helped
him undo the strings.
"Well, well. well A watch! A real
watchr' shouted Curtis Painter.
But back into Curtis hands plopped
the open box, and little boy in an
agony of crying threw himself against
Patty Ann, his fingers working at his
collar. Patty Ann picked him up, as
she had longed for months to do, and
went with him close against her into
the spare room.
After long time, that was not so
long as it seemed to the man pacing
the sitting room, the spare-roOm door
was opened and Patty Ann, her face
Curtis thought-like the Raphael Ma
donna, came, in her hand the hand
of a flushed and smiling little boy.
Patty Ann went TO the table, took up
silver watch and chain, fastened
them in the proper way across the
front of Norman MacKenzie's new
coat. Unclouded, frank blue eyes
smiled up at her.
Thank you, teacher" said Norman
Mackenzie.
Patty Ann snatched the lid off a
great candy box, and they ate candy
and played with toys until it was
night.
Curtis, the great judge of the flu
ture. said Patty Ann was pretty
good sort of sociOlOgist. And, yes, he
wouldn't mind. he supposed. if Nor
man stayed with them longer than
over the vacation. But that's another
story.