The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-05

as well as comely, being q mcZzo-
soprano solOist of ability.
was payment, for value received.
At least, in the near future she
| would meticulouSly render Marko
her careful services in his library.
| Why, then, did she feel guilty? Be-
cause she knew in her heart that
Tom would not approve? 1t must
| be that. However, she wasn't go
ing to let the thought spoil her
happy holiday. Everything would
come out all right. Tom need
never know about the pact, or If he
did, later, it could all be satisfac-
torily explained.
They drove off, just after noon,
in the little car, the rumble seat
crammed with gayly wrapped bun
dies. Gypsy Struggled close to
Toms side. What fun Christmas
was. 1t had special, a different
flavor from any other day in the
year.
There was turkey. There was
cranberry sauce. There was plum
pudding. The old house wore
wreaths in all its windows. The
hall smelled of fir boughs and fruit
cake and candle-wax. Mrs Morell
had her hair waved; there was q
flush in her thin cheeks.
Dear children! No, you're not
1ate--Clyties was just basting the
bird. Daddy's down at the furnace.
He'll be upstairs in a minute. You
run up and lay your things off in
my room, Gypsy. Cousin Lou is
in yours and / don't believe she's
dressed yet"
Cousin Lou was a spare, smil-
ing, middle-aged woman from As
bury Par, always included in the
Christmas group. Mr. Morell
looked around the table with a
swelling sense of life's goodness. A
man had his shares of burdens
and worries-often he didn't know
how he was going to make both
ends meet-and then Christmas
came along, and he was thankful
Just to have his dear ones gathered
around i'm. There was Gypsy and
that nice boy she'd married. Gypsy
was all right. He didn't have to
worry about her. A couple of years
back, he hadn't quite known
Gypsy. had been going places with
that oldish- rich man. He and
Mother hadn't liked the idea. But
then the thing had Strengthened it.
self out. All his worry had been
for nothing. Gypsy had fallen in
love. Now she was starting life as
he and Mother had. There wasn't
much money, Of course, but the boy
was young and clean and ambi-
tious. Gypsy was taken care of.
No one would have known,
watching his lined and prosaic
countenance, as he sliced meat and
spooned dressing, that such
white meat, Bertram? / guess he
thinks the second joint Is choicer."
The old white china, with its gilt
bands, the deep blue glasses, the
rose wreathed plates for the pud-
ding-all, all were in their accus-
toned places. This was Christmas,
with all the good old things as they
| had ever been. Morells had eaten
from his china 100 years ago,
thought the father gravely, and
would 100 years from now, please
God!
Clytie rolled in with fresh plates,
rolled out again with laden ones
| She was brave in stiff new uni
form to-day. Her crinkly hair had
been Strengthened" for the occa-
sion.
Gypsy was cracking walnuts for
Cousin Lou. Across the table, the
girl twin squeaked joyously at some
joke of Toms. Gypsy's new scent
was much admired and everyone
exclaimed over his or her gifts.
They all felt expansive and happy.
Afterward this sense of well-being
would deepen into drowsiness. The
younger ones would go OF to
coast, the elder ones would steal
"a nap, perhaps. But at the mo-
ment all was cosiness and laugh
ter.
Gypsy collapsed into her favorite
deep chair by the fireplace, aftef-
ward.
IL didn't know I was so tired un-
til this instant" she confessed lux
uriously. I'VE were up until all
hours. I hadn't wrapped any of
my packages and had to
trim the tree :"
Tom said he proposed a walk in
half an hour or 10. Did anyone
want to come along? Gypsy stied a
yawn. She knew, she said, that a
walk would do her worlds of good,
but she wasn't going to have one.
She was going to curl up on the
sunroom couch and snatch 40
winks.
So the party separated, as family
parties have a way OF doing. The
wind outside blew colder, the early
dusk fell and the lamps were light
cd. In the kitchen regions Clytie
clattered cheerfully away with the
last pans. She would don her new
purple silk presently and go off TO
the African church In the village
The bill that Mr. Morell had given
her cracked entlclngly In her
purse. Clytle wns thankful. She ex-
perienesd tho Chrlsin az spirit.
The house quieted down. Mr.
Morell dozed by the fire In the Nv
Ing room, his wife and Cousin Lou
played checkers NJ table nenEbs
and IN the sunrOOm Gypsy, cufled
l,up under an Old Paisley shawl.
trlgd IN vain 10 sleep. Al first Aho
had been desperately dr0wsy but,
once she had stretched out she had