Evening star., 1932-12-18

or dark or snowy. Jerry always laughed and
said "Oh. no!' But she let him.
Sometimes Daddy said to Mummy. Come
on, Nina; Nora'l put Ann to bed" And some
times Nora took Ann up,tairs. because Mummy
went with them.
DUT tonight Daddy didn't say, Come on
- Nina" He went into the hall and got
JerryS coat and he fastened the belt for her,
just the way he did for Ann-then he got his
coat. He said, to Mummy I'll be right
back"
Then he leaned over and kissed Ann and
said, Good night Kitten" Jerry said "See
you tomorrow" and they both went out.
That pleased Ann. She liked Mummy to put
her to bed. She liked Nora, too, but Nora
wasn't so. gentle. Nora said things. She liked
Mummy-she liked Daddy, too, but she didn't
like Jerry. She called her that woman" and
sh, banged Ann around when she said it.
There were SO many things Ann didn't un-
derstand. Everybody liked Jerry-Daddy and
Mummy and jim They said she was lovely
They said there nobody like Jerry-she
could do everything.
She wasn't sweet like Mummy. Mummy could
do things, too, but not all the things Jerry
could do Jerry could skate and ride and swim.
She was hard and brown. Ann thought some
times she looked like boy. She had short hair
like AIMS, only it curled up in little black
CurLS all over ner QPaQ. Ann UdlI was uSHt,
she didn't look a bit like boy. She looked
like very small girl Mummy wanted her
that way.
Ann was awfully sleepy now, and it was such
a nice feeling to have Mummy tucking her In
bed Mummy bent over and kissed her. Num-
my's face was wet.
Ann put her hand up Was Mummy crying?
She tried to put her little fingers on her eyes,
but Mummy said GO to sleep, darling" and
then she went out and closed the door.
Ann was glad she didn't believe in Santa
Claus any more y was much more fun to hear
Daddy call, Hello Kitten Merry Christmas,
and to rum run like everything into his waiting
arms.
It seemed though, as if she had to wait
long time this morning. And at last Ann de-
cided she couldn't wait any longer. She was
very careful to put he- slippers on. They were
soft bunny ones and she slipped them over her
little bare feet and tiptoed across the hall to
Daddys door.
1t was Daddys and Mummys door But
Christmas was Daddy,s. Daddy loved Christ
mas So did Ann. Mummy was sad on Christ
mas She liked other days.
She was gay and happy on other days. but
she didn't play and tickle Ann and shout Merry
Christmas! She didn't tuck Ann up in bed
with her and kiss her funny little nose" and
ruffe AIMS hair. She said. Good morning.
darlng!" and then she left her alone with
Daddy.
Ann didn't hear Daddy or Mummy's voice. She
didn't hear anything but Nora banging things
downstairs She was little frightened It was
cold in the hall She was awfully afraid she
was going to cry-when suddenly the door
opened, and there was Mummy.
Mummy-soft and warm, holding Ann tight
against her and saying over and over again.
Merry Christmas, darling, Merry Christmas"
But it wasn't like any other Christmas. Ann
couldn't go in and kiss Daddy. Daddy wasn't
there! Mummy had to explain over and over
again while she was buttoning AIMS little
dress.
Ann kept saying. "But, where is Daddy?"
AUAdMY was awfully patient about it. She
wi brushed AIMS hair ever so gently. And
she told her all about how snowy it was last
night and how sometimes when it Is very snowy
like that-did Ann know?-ft was very slippery
and dangeroustand that things happened to
cars
Ann knew right away-something had hap