The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1937-02-18

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ey:s ss,l IN, die oax cioci. Gis '~ns
par. oi the .nantei psnciins. ]; vas
already d quarter OF three.
Zone moment. / have fo.G3tt:o
an important message saic lance
as he went to the sound-prcti Gag
phone booth in the outer office.
Eleanor waited meanwhile II. the
bay window of the living roora
where she was playing solitaire with
| little success. For the last half yea.
| she had lost her taste for reading
and neither books old or new were
| able to hold her attention. On the
felt-topped table before her we're
| spread the cards, but as she looked
at them they seemed to her as if
they were receding toward the END
Of a long tunnel. Below her q
bird's-eye view of the street held
her real attention. Presently she
saw viii barrow jump from his
taxicab and guessed by the smile
and salute of the driver that he
had received more than the usual
tip. Then as the bell Of the apart
ment sounded and she was turning
from the window, their own caz
rushed up at frantic speed and
stopped with a wrenching culver.
Hasn't Emery come home yet.
Eleanor? I think before we are
through with Christmas we shall
have snow. which il what. ] need
as a background for my pine-trce
SKETCH" was the artists greeting.
mot yet, Will, but it is only half
past two. DR.. Amunde and I have
been ready for an hour and I ara
as restless and eager for the start
as though I were a child waiting
to hang up my stocking. And to
think that after all the waiting
Christmas Eve will be over so soon.
Tonight it is to be, tomorrow it will
have been. I think that December
twenty-fourth is the most mysteri.
Gus. aggravating day of the year"
For a week Eleanor had lived On
a sort Of island, as it were made
OF her W self-communing, people
touched her hand in greeting, words
flew past but did not penetrate. She
had so longed for this day, this
Christmas Eve, was she to be again
disappointed, would her hearts d..
sire again pass her by?
THE telephone. Will, please an
swer it," she cried, half crouching
on the window seat and putting her
fingers in her ears as if to smut
out a message. the hearing o. ,vhicn
she might not be able to bear, at
the same time that her eyes sought
to read DarroW's face as he re.
turned.
THAT mai Hart. who is a heavy
stakeholder in the r. r. T. & E. CO.
has nailed Emery for an hour or 10.
En- says that we are to ke IN
and that he will take a train that
arrives at seven in time to join
the family a little late for supper"
The artist spoke the words Of
the message glibly. but there was
an unusual look of repression about
his mouth, an expression OF resolve
that dignified his face ARD s6oed
strength to its charm. As - turr.e6
toward the light Elea:1r SOW fnat
his forehead was beaced with
sweat, a strange condition fcc .
winter afternoon.
What do you wisi. to Go1" ;e
asked. avoiding Eleanor's eyes.
DO? Go, by all means" There
was a thrill in her voice and \
sudden hardening Of her features.
color came to her cheeks, her eyes
flashed, anyone who glanced at her
casually would have said that Mr..
Vance was starting to spend Christ
mas out of town in the heigh. Of
health and good spirits.
Then she dropped for a moment.
Are you telling me the real
reason, WiI?" she faltered. Are
you sure the delay is not because
there has been an accident or
Emery been taken ill?"
The artist nodded yes and no,
then added. Il will wait and go up
with him if you prefer it."
Eleanor's voice had held such a
quality OF fear in restraint, that
The Stranger interpreted it at once,
and, coming from the den where
he had been reading, he took her
nervous hands between his own in
a grasp that was at once tender
and r~eassuring.