Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-10
MRrry ChrtHtmas, Mr.. Baxter
By Edword Streeter
Chopter TX


Chapter TX
As the great day approached
Mrs, Baxter went into high gear
and pushed the accelerator
down to the floor.
The beds and the carpet Of
the usually neat guest room
were now covered with a per-
manent litter Of Christmas
wrapping papers. colored ribbon
and odd boxes Of tags and stick
ers. This was Mrs. Bakers
workshop. She spent hours
there folding. creasing. tying,
with deft and loving fingers.
Once Party Season
The period OF the Christmas
ONCE parties had begun. Mr..
Baxter could remember the
days when Christmas had Just
started to penetrate the brick
and steel jungles Of commerce.
Here and there is those days.
In scattered departments
throughout the ONCE. tiny
Christmas trees began to APP
pear. Little gifts were ex-
changed. The Office party was
born.
Over the years the little
Christmas trees grew until it
became necessary to transfer
them from the filing cabinets 10
the floor.
The young men discovered
that by removing the appended
carboys Of water from old
fashioned water coolers they
had a place for refrigerating
bottles of wine. Gradually the
wine became fifths Of bourbon
dispensed in paper cups and
laced with water. Hilarity was
somewhat noisier. Good fellow
ship was the keynote Of these
affairs.
The sight Of Mr.. Baxter under |
ordinary circumstances would |
have frozen these individuals |
into speechlessneSs. At Christ |
mas parties. however. they
seized him by the lapels Of his I
coat the moment he entered
the room.
We'll. well. If it isn't the
boss! No rank here tonight. /
Betty get the boss a drink.
Here you are boss. Down the
red hatch. Grace. got one of
those paper crowns left? Boss
has got to have a crown
Happy Go-Lucky Week
once parties all over the city
now dominated the entire week
preceding Christmas. How TO
go from party to party at the
end of an exhausting day had
become a major industrial art.
Given his own way. Mr.. Bax-
ter would have ducked them all.
Miss Gillyard. however. held
him firmly on the beam.
CUMMINGS and Bryant Is
tonight" she said. You &C
cepted."
But I'm so tired" COM
planned Mr.. Baxter.
You ought TO 60" said Miss
Gillyard.
There was genuine sympathy
In her voice. You don't have
to stay long. Just show"
And so it was that shortly
after five Mr.. Baxter found
himself on an express elevator.
rocketing TO the 18th floor Of
the Henshaw Building.
Two coat racks had been
placed in the public hall out
side the entrance TO the Cum
mings and Bryant ofhces. They
were manned by a blond young
woman without any definite
ideas on the art Of checking
hats and coats.
Just help yourself TO
checks" she called in a voice
mufned by her burden Of coats.
Swept Under By Voices
As Mr.. Baxter entered the
paneled reception room the
merged roar of many voices
swept over him. Two young
women working in perfect
rhythm pinned a large name
card on one lapel. a white
carnation on the other.
A waiter came up with q tray
Of drinks. Mr.. Baxter took a
Scotch and soda. He couldn't
stand in the middle Of the room
clutching a highball as II he
were posing for a whiskey ad.
Then he saw Cummings APP
preaching through the crowd,
shaking hands like one doing a
grand right and left at one Of
Mr.. Baxter's old high-school
cotillions.
Cummings outstanding char
acteristic was his memory.
Hi Georgel" yelled Mr..
Cummings as If he were in a
hog-calling contest. "Awfully
good Of you To come"
Wouldn't miss it for any
thing" shouted Mr.. Baxter
They shook hands so violently
that Mr.. Baxter's highball
splashed over his coat.
Sorry" shouted Mr.. Cum
mings. dabbing at him with a
handkerchief.
Merry Christmas" said Mr..
Baxter.
Merry Christmas" beloved
Mr.. Cummings. DO you know
everybody here?"
Mr.. Baxter glanced at the
alien faces surrounding him
and nodded. Just about" he
said.
do you know Bert Inches?
Hey, Bert! Come over here.
Here's a fellow you want to
meet. Wonderful guy, Bert"
Mr.. Cummings seized Mr..
Inches by the coat tail and
brought him up short like a
iassood heifer "Hey Won two