Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-06-05
CHAPTER XII

He was always to remember Jake
like that, with his head on one side
and his tape measure slung around
his neck-a kindly little man with
wife and children he adored, and
canary singing in the window OF the
shop.
The day before Christmas found
Chris rather complacent, especially
after Jake that morning had returned
his reiuvenated evening clothes. They
looked better than he had expected,
and he hung them up with care, to
turn and find Katie in the doorway
watching him.
$50 you're going out into society
tonight" she said.
"How do you know that?"
Il saw that card"
The card, as he knew, lay IN
bureau drawer under his handker-
chiefs, and he looked at her.
81 thought I'd asked you to let my
things alone, my child" he said Sc
verely.
"Wen, good heavens, somebody's
cot to straighten them for you! And
I'm not your child I'm nothing to
you'll"
She whirled and went out, leaving
him in a state of acute discomfort
and revolt. But later on in the day,
1.zA = 6 ,,o,,,o ,,eo apd Christmas
feeling, he sent to the house small
Christmas tree and a box of trim
mings. Then, still under the spell, he
bought a pair of gloves for each of
them, saw them tied up with ribbon,
and sent them with his card. ITO a
happier Christmas next year," he
wrote on the one to Lily Walters, and
did not realize until too late that he
had virtually committed himself to
another twelve months of the present
arrangement.
He trimmed the tree himself that
afternoon and set it gaily in the cen
ter of the dining-room table. "Very
handsome, l call it," he said compla-
Gently. give seen worse done by
Santa himself"
Lily had gone to the kitchen for
something, and Katie and he were
alone. He looked at her for approval
but she was not smiling.
"Why do you do all this for us?'
she said somberly. Were no good
and you know it. Why don't you kick
us out?"
Luckily Lily returned at that mo
ment, and he did not have to answer
her.
1t was only few hours after that
that the accident happened to Jake
Ettenburg, and Annie, after duly
waiting as long as possible, saw hel
dinner party go in and Stauntor
scowling at an empty chair. Queer
all of it, Jake and Katie and Lewises
involved for one moment in some bit
of what Chris in after life was to
call the pattern, but which was to be
for one of them sheer, stark tragedy,
For Jake, hurrying home with an
armful of parcels that night had been
struck by street car.
Chris was upstairs tying his white
tie when it happened, and Kate was
sulking in the kitchen. Then Chris
heard the brakes of a trolley car
squealing outside, a woman's scream,
and the loud voices of men.
Get a doctor, for Gods sake!'
Cliff him up, somebody. There's a
doctor right here"
Chris was on the stairs when the
bell rang wildly, and at the door when
a group of men had lifted an inert
figure from the track and were carry
ing it across the pavement.
Bring him in," he said, and stood
back while the procession moved up
the steps and into the house.
"Got a bed or something, Doc
tor?"
mot down here. Put him on the
floor in the back office. He's better
flat"
But one look told him that the man
would never be better, and told him,
too, with a sense of shocked horror
that it was Jake-that same Jake
who that morning had proudly sent
back his clothes. He stopped over
the PROSTATE figure.
"Can you hear me, Jake?"
"Who is it,"
Its Doctor Arden. Have you any
pain anywhere?"
mo pain. 1 feel cold. guess it's
got me, Doc"
you'll be all right, Jake. Just lie
STILL"
''I'm thirsty. Hate to trouble any
body, but"