The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-31
CHAPTER XIII

s'Sing?" faltered Linda. "Here?" "Just some little Christmas songs to make my evening perfect" In his earnestness the little man looked as if he were about to burst into tears. 'SThe more simple the better. There will be Q boys choir to help with the choruses. You can even practice with them little If you will do this for me, will gladly pay you ten times the amount of your check"
 It was preposterous. It was un- thinkable. Yet Linda did think about 1t. After all, she did need money desperately.
 She had no fear of singing be- fore people because she knew she gave them pleasure = although sometimes they cried Q little. And there could be no one there to know that 1t was Barry Trents wife-one of the Trent women -- singing in a crowded night club for the entertainment of strangers.
 Besides, behind that icy sheath that now seemed to encase her against the suffering that had been 50 uncomfortable in those first hours after Barry's departure, nothing seemed to matter.
 "oYu mean - now?" she asked, dancing. down at her nun-like gray frock,. with its childish collar and deep flaring cuffs of white 0rrandy. s"The way amp"
 "Just like that" Tony was no longer funny. He was appraising her with the shrewd eyes of an lfrpressario. Like that is perfect. [ could not have planned tt het- ter, myself Anyhow, yco ' SIdn't buy that simplicity at any department. store
 1t was true. She lad bought lt in Paris, the last time she hao See,l there with her aunt.
 when, an hour later, the lights were suddenly darkened, people sat back expectantly. Tony had scsne surprise up his sleeve.
 Unseen, the stage revolved, carry ing with 1t the last act - Q team of trick banjo players. Into the silence that fell an organ pealed. Lights twinkled in what seemed to be the vast dome of heaven-and outshin- ing them all, one bright star, as If tgNnsf1xed in space, was Linda in l1or simple frock, with her fair hair frosted by the soft overhead light. inR, her pale young face, and that lcok in her eyes of Q thoughtful child. Barely visible in the shadows about her feet, like 6 group of dis- embodied cheruhs, clustered the bright faces of the choir boys.
 So Linda sang, very softly and tenderiy - "0od Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" "The Little Lord Jesus" - "The Virgins Lullaby" ard 70 Holy Night!" = accom- panied sometimes by the shrill. clear boy voices. Something ach- ingly sweet in her fresh young voice brought to that jaded night- club crowd Christmas memories - as shrewd little Tony had known it would. And as Linda sang, the icy sheath that had numbed her for days fell away in the joy of that imperishable music There was no applause.
 Linda did not know that Tony's programs were always broadcast, nor that when she had finished, people all over the land as well as in that crowded room, wiped their eyes and smiled WaVerinRly at each other.
 She only knew that when 1t was over, she began to tremble, and that someone steadied her and led her to a chair. She remembered people standing over her as she lay back, suddenly limp and un- believahly tired. Then she was in Q car, going somewhere. And so ended the strangest, widest, most incredible Christmas of Linda Benton's life.
 Linda opened her eyes the next afternoon in 0 strange room, with strange woman sitting by her bed. The woman introduced herself with bursting pride as the sister of Tony Abruzzi. Mrs. Campagno was fully as round, almost as funny, and quite as kind as her brother.
 When Linda wanted to get up, she said firmly, "It Is worth my life to let you up till the doctor comes again. If he says, 'All