Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-12-14
IMPENDING
DOOM!

u 'IAar-iust on IA" said Clemmy
calmly from the door.
You're for 1t. the boy grinned Sc
Hardrun 10 sympathy. You're her body
and she's going 70 make the most Of g.
\ You should see the horrible things she
did 10 her dolls she'll probably have
J. you mummied ia bandages and be
feeding you With spoon before the
hours out"
Mind you clean the heels Of the
boots as wen as the toes" Clemnly said
to him sterniy, as he lodged from the
room.
so. I'm your body" Hardron smiled
4 at her. What does that mean. your
slave forever7"
Hes just being funny c2emmy
bluShed adorably. Its because helped
\ you first, Il makes you sort Of, my
patient. I'm trying to learn nursing,
you know"
'sTrying?"
Wen, can't do it properly. not be-
ing able to go away 70 q hospital"
Too young yet, eh?"
Cant afford II" she said as though
! poverty was but q natural incident IN
life and no reason at all for repinfng,
and the man who had never denied
himself looked at her queerlY. Even
this child found contentment In sac
rificing her dreams such as he had
never got out Of all his taking.
I'm glad I'm someone you can prac-
tice ON then" he smiled wTyiy.
Il don't believe you're going to be,
she said cheerfully. You LOOK ever
so we'll don't even believe greats
win be enough for your breakfast:
"Groatsl" he almost groaned, then
because Of something In her eyes. But
IL you're really set on feeding me with
q SpoOn. let IL be greats"
Odd his desire to please her, yet Il
seemed TO improve him, for she said
with q lovely burst Of laughter:
you know, you're quite a duck, real
~" Amazingly she sat beside him on
the bed, and amazingly he loved her
doing It. You'd ike q real get-yOtu-
teeth-into-it breakfast, wouldn't your
Well, you can have It today. Sausages
and bacon, as wen as tea and toast
Exceptional today?"
"But, Of course, Christmas day. Hang
the cost and let's be happy, you know"
she laughed.
Aren't you always happy2" he asked
almost pleadingly.
She thought that out.
Yes, always, Of course. There's Mum
and Dads and LIES lovely. I mean,
nothing that can happen can alter the
real things, can 1t? But with Impend-
ing Doom hanging over"
She stopped, caught her breath, gave
him a scared and embarrassed glance.
All" he said softly. That's why you
didn't expect me to be an old duck.
I'm the Impending Doom2"
I'm sorry" she breathed gently.
That was stupid. And Dads says it's
only your different way Of looking at
things. You--every one is really decent
underneath, and Christmas is no time
for hard thought anyhow"
Hardron lay thinking that out for
hours. He'd often heard the same
words said as a catch phrase, a senti-
mental generality meaning nothing;
but this man Bob Rule and his fame
tly not only said it but acted on IL.
This money might of his had a mean
look when ranged alongside common
human decency. He felt ign0rable.
Where, Yesterday he would have
counted this accident that had intro
duced him into Bob Rules house as q
lucky stroke for getting at his man
rom inside his defenses-nOw ne felt
mean. Big Business seemed very little
md very cheap beside the warm splen-
Tor of the Rules thoroughly L1nbusi-
lesslike kindness.
The thing irked him so much that
Re insisted on rising at midday. He
rot down to find the whole family set
ing the table in the diningroom for
he Christmas dinner. It looked so en-
hanting that he turned away uuicklyl
md said sourly to Bob Rule.
i suppose you got my car out Of
he drift2"
Wont until this snow goes, and u
hat may De a week, Bob Rule said.
"Hump Hardron frowned. But it's %
ot so far TO Several village. I've booked
room in the inn there"
Too far in these drifts"
What about getting back to st.
Worse. The Spenny Brooks impass-
Die. I'm afraid you are marooned here,
II. Hardron"
They stared at each other. Bob Rule
Milling. Hardron surprised at his own @
ueer sense Of shame and pleasure.
Tt can't be helped Bob Rule said,
Don't let It interfere"
But simply can't stay in your
ouse, Rule"
lemmy setting your place now"
Clemmy looked up at her name, pat 2
d chair: place Of honor. Next 8
me, too"
Il told you you were her body"
obbie grinned as he came in with a @
den tray. She'll probably cut your @
Irkey up for you. Ghastly, these OH
omen"
DUbf MAAl2 H. EkliEt ##&
roat felt a little tight. II came here
II mean in the circumstance"
Lets forget them. Bob Rule smiled. 8
We're all human beings and-wen. this
a day Of truce"
"A day OF truce
Christmas day and all it means.
ood viii among all memo good say
& 1t unless we mean tiff only for
day. Call it an act Of God, If you
e, and behave accordingly"
Il think do like" Hardron yielded
tn sudden strange, grateful glow.
haven't sat down to a family
lristmas dinner since-stnce my first
ise in wages enabled my mother 50
ford q turkey"
We're bringing ours in now" said
IS. Rule, pink from the kitchen.
We make a bic Of ceremony over
Is, Bob Rule said. Il march 1t in
and the kids cheer. You
mt mind2"
TN cheer louder even than Clemmy,
rdrOn said and went 20 the chair