The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-09-03
CHAPTER X-COntinued

81 started trimming the Christ
mas tree night before last" Vic
toria said. II had to get some more
things for it in town yesterday"
She stopped, remembering
Marsh's and the white shawl. The
sick reluctance to believe it all took
possession of her again.
Quentin gomez"
He went early-I didn't see
him."
Weak misery blotted out all other
emotions and she turned desperate
ly toward the duty of the minute,
toward the wrapping and tying of
presents, the heaping of bundles,
the fastening of trimmings on the
tree that stood in lone cold state In
the downstairs drawing room.
It was cold in the drawing room;
Victoria worked in a sweater; left
half the trimming undone. There
was no heart in it today. Christ
mas had always been wildly fes-
tive time in the Hardisty family
even the dreadful first Christmas
when Quentin and Vicky and Gwen
had all been ill. 1t would be no
such holiday tomorrow. 1t would
never seem Christmas again.
ooh, my God!" Vicky said, stand
ing still in the middle of the room,
putting her hands that were sore
from wires and string and tinsel,
that we're cold and dirty, tightly
over her eyes. "My God, what shall
I dot"
Well, and what had to be done
now? With the rest of the trees
trimming Nurse must help; it was
too much to do alone in this cold
room. Victoria went out to the
kitchen and asked Claus, the old
German gardener, who was brewing
himself some coffee on the laundry
stove, to look at the drawing-room
radiators. Company tomorrow.
Then upstairs again to find beds
made, and the children dressed and
circulating about with their usual
uproarious activity. Bricks, cray
ons, railway trains, and blackboards
were all in evidence. The question
of stockings arose; when were they
going to hang the stockings?
"The holes of the nails we had
last year are all here!" Susan said
excitedly, in interested investigation
at the hearth.
Mother" the gentle twin said,
at her knee, eff we hanged them
now might they be filed by sup
peri"
ooh, no, darling, because Christ
mas isn't until tomorrow"
The nursery door opened; Gita
shyly insinuated herself into the
room, closed the door again.
"Amah's sick, and Nina said I
could come over" she said.
Victoria's face paled, but there
was no one to see.
"Come in, Gita. Better close it,
dear, because Madeleine's getting
all ready for her bath-aren't you,
my sweetheart" She rubbed her
face gently against Medicines lit
tie fluffy head and felt the tears,
hot and hurtful, in her eyes again
and the agony of despair in her
heart.
At noon Quentin telephoned.
"That you, Vicky? Vic, will you
look in the pocket of my coat-the
gray coat-and see if there's lit
tie black book there? I'll send down
for it if you find it"
"Just a minute, Quentin" 1t was
the Doctors wife talking; it was no
longer only Victoria Hardisty. In
moment she was back. cts here.
Want Claus to bring it in?"
well, but won't that mean that
you've no carr"
81 don't need it. I'm not going
out. I was downtown this morn
ing"
Everything all right"
A pause. Then Vicky said heavi-
ly:
~ guess So"
Gwen, don't get too tired. I'll be
home early"
Vicky put down the telephone,
stood up, and somehow moved
blindly toward her bed. In another
moment she was flung upon it, in a
passion of tears. To have to end
all this-to have to end the happy
years when she had felt so sure
that she and the children were
enough-to have next Christmas day
dawn on a nursery to which Daddy
was stranger
whats the matter Vicly?"
Magda asked, late in the afternoon,
when Vicky, from sheer inability to
do anything more was lying idle
on the couch near the fire in the
upstairs sitting room.
Natter" Vicky. responded
brightly. "Too much Christmas!"
eyes, but it isn't that" she said,
after a pause. "You were crying
this morning. What's the matter?"
Vicky turned raised eyebrows to-
ward her in innocent surprise;
broke, and looked at the fire, biting
her lip.