The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-04-01
CHAPTER XIII

SssNs SN$Nsss
GIT WAS nice thing for them
to ask us, and I don't see
how we could have gotten out Of
it." said Aunt Meg in an undertone.
'sBut, gosh, it's more fun at
home, Christmas Eve" Bruce OBJ
served.
"Sh-h-h!" Brenda muttered in
horror. "Your voice is absolutely
penetrating I" They were all in
the Bly, library, guests at the great
Christmas party that Cliffs par
ents-in-law had been planning for
weeks. For the moment only the
Tafts were In the room: Aunt Meg
rustling In silk; Bruce handsome
and sulky; Brenda in rapt attend
ance upon little Anthony; Cliff
nervously proud of them all. Al
win had just arrived; Tony had
had to do the Christmas tree at
the Orphanage, but Of course she
was coming later.
The Bly, house was enormous; 1t
stood majestically on Pacific Ave
nue. corner that commanded the
sweep of the cold winter bay, and
the Preside slopes, and the Golden
Gate.
''Oh, glorious !" said all the
guests as they arrived to find the
big back drawing room deliciously
warm, and a great wood fire roar
ing and swapping in the enormous
fireplace. Like all the houses along
Pacific Avenue on the north, the
living rooms. with their windows
for commanding, the wide piano.
rama, were at the back; the en-
trance hall was a tumble Of wraps
and of attentive maids today, but
there was plenty of holly and mis-
tletoe there too. Christmas trees
stood in all the corners and up on
the great angle of the stairs. and
scented the air with pine.
There were relatives asked In for
Christmas: faded gentle elderly
men and women basking in the
family glory; there were nice boy
cousins, all penniless, evidently,
rather variOusly dressed, but BASH
fully amusing and laxative. and
being very much encouraged by I'm
Gle Rick and Aunt Tina. There
was one specialized nice girl cousin
with her young man, and there
were meaningless young men for
Geraldine and Pauline, and OF
course Martin Gossing and Hello
Use. For Heloise was going to be
married too. only two years after
Mary Rose, and Mamma positively
said this time that she didn't want
to hear another word of engage
ments for years!
Over this heterogeneous party
DR.. and Mrs. BLY, reigned in happy
excitement. The doctor told Aunt
Meg at every opportunity that that
was what the house was for: to
give the young people good time.
He reiterated In great satisfaction
the statement that 1t was his idea
to have Clifford's people-have ev-
eryone. Cliffs aunt, and his SIS
tiers and brothers-why not? It
was Christmas.
Evidently the big table-forty-one
would sit down at it-had been In
the process Of getting set and deco
rated for the better part of the
day; as for the tree, concealed
downstairs in the billiard room, Its
completion had occupied the family
for weeks. The atmosphere Of the
big house was one Of innocent
laughter and cheer; the Blys, the
Tafts, the cousins might all have
been children again. gathering at
the piano to sing the carols Pau
line played 50 nicely. bending over
the great jig-saw puzzle that was
spread on the library table, run
ming up and down stairs.
Brenda and Alvin, with the pre-
cious woolly armful that was An
thony, had arrived at the Taft
apartment that morning before
Tony was out Of bed, and Brenda
and Aunt Meg had spent a happy
day managing the good, sweet. con-
tented baby. Tony had rushed off
to work, Bruce had come home,
and In the old way had kept the
place in an uproar while he man
aged bath; Cliff had come at
about three o'clock to gather up
presents for the Bly, tree.
"Gosh, the Bly, library looks like
the Emporium packing room now r
Cliff had exulted, as they had filled
his arms with the very creditable
Taft collection. Everyone had been
dressing then, for it was to be ar
early dinner; Aunt Meggy. crimped
and rustling; Brenda. quite undis
guisedly changed in figure again
matronly in spreading silk; the
baby In his fur-trimmed cap ant
capped coat.