The Coolidge examiner., 1934-07-20
CHAPTER III-continued
10

Chiefs
"Did you really make ,hcnl~ he
asked.
Every single stitch"
They're grand. Nobody erer
scued things for me before
The Initials are wohbly.~ Jauie's
expression vas apologctlc. Those
curly ks are very hard TO man
age
Il think they're beauiirgl" lie
selected the handkerchief wlth the
most uneyen initials and tucked u
into the breast pocket % bis coat.
4 shall w~-r one every day OF my
Ife-riEht here tucked Ia wi,h your
smile"
lie swung her up from the 1oor
and lightly kissed her brow where
the chestnut hair grew down in
a peak For a moment the wax
angel on the tree seemed 20 be
swimming In misty blur of green.
Then jamie vas admirlng Cslia's
gifts and feeling better again
4 never saw anything 40 lovely.
Celia's fingers wcrc cnresslng petal
tinted trlaes of lace and ribbon aud
six.
IL looks like a box % sweet.
PEAS jamie said admirlnsiy Size
read The message on thick creamy
card.
For Hugh's pretty Celia
Prom Hugh's sister Louise
Hush's pretty Celia Il hurt Tor
a moment. Then she could bear II.
Perhaps. after while. u would
hurt hardly al all
Hugh sent her my picture Cella
was saying I'VE were 20 visit her
FOR New Years. suppose It's out
o. the question now"
-Eajirrly cut of the question
Hugh uas standing with his arm
around Celia. BOT out % his breast
pocket poked the edge of hand
kerchief marked with uneven ini-
t.ais u was comforting. FOR some
peculiar reason that jamie could not
understand.
4 wanted 10 e." Celia sighed
A frctful shadow slipped across
her face. II vas gone In a moment.
jamie aw it Hugh could not have
seen Il az all lie was looking az
Cei.a's hair. honey -colored and silky.
caught In n knot ai the mare Of her
ncck.
Christmas day was a happy time
The days which followed were pleas
ant. too. jamie was permitted to
stay. each afternoon. a little longer
With Father She took Klliie 90
see him Together they laughed
az the ear which perkcd. and the ear
which iiapped down one day Ia
iher vas strong enough 10 throw
q ball across the room and 10 pull
IL from the tenacious grasp of
Kuue's sharp white teeth. Ills arms
were strong. jamie noticed. Bot he
never moved his legs
"po they hurt you. Father she
asked
"Not much"
'.You never move them"
They deserve a vacation. be said
lightly. They've been very faithful
for more than dfty years
Father was certainly better. They
talked about the fishing trip 10 Can
ada next June.
"Youll have TO walk. jamie Not
even horses can get through those
forest trails"
Il can walk She thought OF
walking with Father beside her. Fa-
ther brown and healthy ln bis fan-
mel shirt and corduroy trousers she
was sure that she wouldn't mind the
walking at all
Polish up your French"
"whyf"
The Indian guides speak French. "
"Je yous aime" Her accent was
very bad.
LOOK herei" Father pretended
to be alarmed. Are you going 10
make love 10 Indian guides?"
That was for you" She laid her
cheek against bis.
"Je vous alme." Father returned
the compliment. His accent was
even worse.
But they weren't concerned with
accents. Father was getting better.
Every afternoon when she left he
said:
Tell Rachel TO stir up some waf.
fe batter. I'm coming home pretty
soon"
Then. M the end OF the week
they learned that Father would not
come home. Doctor Alden told them
He sat beside the living room FIRE
and told them as kindly as he could
that Father might never walk
again.
II was something about the spine
jamie. curled up In corner OF the
davenport. told herself that he
couldn't be talking about Father
But he was. He was telling them
that Father might have TO live In
n rolling chair. There was chance
he said. II Father might be re
moved 10 a private hospital In New
York. He talked of an operation.