The Washington times., 1937-12-25

Two years ago they had no
lived in this place. He and Evelyr
and little Doug-had lived in
house, with garden; 20 mile
from the city.
And neither he nor Evelyn hac
dreamed, so busy with Christmas
preparations had they been, that 6
robust six-year-old boy could bt
stricken overnight.
That a baby's fever could rise
to strike with lightening-like de
Vastation, exactly IL hours before
the birthday of the child whose
coming had brought Peace or
Earth!
FROWNS AT ACTIONS
Douglas Bates frowned. Across
the room lacquered youth was
tousling Evelyn's hair; the group
around them was roaring its ap
proval. Evelyn's eyes we're toe
bright, too wide.
That open smile on her face
made a caricature of the girI
Douglas Bates had married; the
woman who had been little Doug S
mother. And what mother!
We're toddling along old dar
ling" a voice close to Bates cal
said. "See you at the Whittiers
later nest ce pas?"
Doug Bates turned. But already
AHHy1.pNo n NY-n1c 1njT
was smuggling toward the strange
fat man who was leading her
towards the hall. Bates glanced
at his watch. Seven o'clock
And it would probably be nine
before the place was cleared. Eve
lyns gang" who dropped by for
a cocktail" four or five times a
week, had a way of lingering.
And, after nine o'clock, Douglas
Bates asked himself, what then?
He knew what an evening at the
W Whittiers' snowy apartment
meant. Yet, glancing again at
Evelyn, he knew how futile any
protest would be. And somehow
in spite of Evelyn'S over-high laugh
ter, in spite of the way she ignored
hin1-he knew he would never
desert Evelyn.
How could he, remembering
other Christmas Ewes? When the
boy lived, the house had been
quiet by nine o'clock He and
EV had been busy trimming a tree.
HAPPY MEMORIES
And those sunny Christmas
mornings! A tree aflame with can
dies, lighting the shining silver
star atop the trees highest peak!
A radio playing softly, songs of
Christmas. A beautiful yellow
headed boy romping from toy tc
toy Happiness!
Or so Douglas Bates had
thought. But not on that Christ,
mas two years ago, after little
Doug had slipped away from three
doctors and all their science.
When mother and father had
stood stricken and numb before a
fact too incredible and too cruel
for them to understand.
If only Evelyn had cried out
or tainted! If she had talked
But Douglas Bates could still see
her, even beside the small, gar.
denia-covered grave a few days
later, a mute frozen figure. :. =.
Dumb with grief; her lovely eyes
empty.
A million worlds removed from
the one in which they had lived
And the weeks which had tos
lowed. The months! Douglas
had feared, and he had hoped
But he had not been able to pene'
trate the wall which enclosed the
wife he adored.
He had tried everything. Had
said, very tenderly, IF you are
unhappy because - because we
never have another child. sweet
heart . 1t doesn't matter. Don't
you suppose remember how near
I came to losing you when
when Dougie was born? Let's
adopt a baby. Well find"
Evelyn's drained face hac
stopped him. Her heart ham
mered as he held her close. Hel
lips were pale and taut. Never,
she had said. II never want tt
speak to anything young again
NeVer!"
NEW APPROACH
Douglas Bates had waited si1
months. In June he tried new
approach. I'm ashamed of you
Ev. It isn't like you to quit.
What about me? Don't I coun
at all? You shouldn't go to tht
cemetery so often; it makes vol
morbid. You've got to be-nor
mall"
How do you mean-normal?'
Evelyn had asked.
And, today. Douglas Bates re
GREETED his answer. Il want yol
to be gay. I want you to laugh
Weeping Niobes are out of date
A man wants fun in his home.
Good timesH
1t was shortly after that tha
Evelyn went to Cuba. She stage,
seven weeks. To feturn a neN
woman. Different. A woma
who chartered, but said nothing.
A girl who bought more clotht
than she could wear, who gathere
about her fantastic people VIII
were supposed to be amusing"
She took up dancing with