S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org

spirits oddly damped. Well, all cur to her to turn back from her
there was about it—there were the undertaking. She had undertaken
two other places! She would put to find a Christmasless place and
into immediate action her investigations.
spend her Christmas in it. Be­
If Hardscrabble proved sides, she hadn't run away from
a disappointment—it was destined Tony. A warm, comfortable little
to do it.
After the ambitious- little meal
thrill travelled over her. Tony was
right here with her in this funny
called "supper" Katharine disappeared.
little hotel, being a dear. As long
It was half an hour later as she had Tony
when she broke in upon Anthony "Let's have supper,'' she cried
sitting ill his shirt sleeves in the briskly. "Lefs be happy, man,
hot little bedroom.
dear! Just us two at a weeny little
"O, you've got your coat off!
table here at the end of the
Put it on cjuick; our train goes in world. Then we'll go to the real
fifteen minutes! There's a sleeper World's End. We're due there,
on it. You shall have a good Tony,—you don't mind?"
night's rest, poor boy. I'm doing "Me—mind?" Tony was just
the best I can for you."
getting into the spirit of things.
"But what in gracious " He had the windy little sense of
"We can't stay here, Tony. This having eloped with Kitty; and, the
place is full of Christmas. I've been further they ran, the better. Had
out investigating-. The shop windows
are all lighted up and decorated—actually
decorated! And
about every house has Christmas
he ever really had her to himself
before? 'T'U go to Millenia with
you. Puss, and we'll settle there!"
" 'Millenia'—what a lovely
place. And there wouldn't be clubs
and ceremonies and whist tourna­
THE CHRISTIAN NATION. •Vol. 59.
wreaths in. the windows—hurry,
dear. I'll shut the bags up!"
At Starkville, when by devious
ways they finally arrived at that
dreary-'Eounding place, they were
met upon the little station platform
with no less than three "Merry
Chlristmases." More of them,
cheery and friendly, greeted them
at the Starkville House. It ap­
ments, but just cozy little you and company room of the little house,
mes, Tony. It's time we had our but Kitty with a woman's unease
togethers, dear; come, let's start aud her own particular gift of
right off! But we'll have to go to wakefulness had remained up with be fond o' tliem children! If you'd
World's End first," she added with a bo'ok from one of the suit-cases. like to see 'em, I'll go over with
Kitty-stubbornness.
"Ton)'—Tony !" Her lips were ye—as well's not. The poor-farm's
"After supper," stipulated Tony, close to his ear, and she was gently
comin' after 'em this aft'noon. We
shaking him. She had just re­
which showed that it was not the
better go pretty quick."
peared to be a Christmasy little genuine thing in elopements. They turned from a little excursion to But Kitty had already gone,
spot.
went to the primitive little diningroom
the kitchen for a drink.
alone. The old woman's gaze fol­
in renewed spirits, a boy-and-
"Tony, they've hung their stocklowed
her admiringly.
"Now, ain't it too bad? You'll
d^.ave to put up 'ith a top-floor girl man and wife. "But, Tony," ings up—their poor old stockings !'' "Ain't she spry? Well, I tell him
room, an' a back one at that! But the girl-wife said suddenly over her Kitty was crying, though she did to look at the way I use to kite
we're full up, you see, along of luke-warm repast, "we ought not not know it, and could scarcely around instid o' lookio' at me now
Chris'mas. The bank folks got in to get to your Millenia till after have told why, if she had known. Yes, we got to let the poorfarm
take the Blacksmith Avery
ahead. They always put up with Christmas; for we'd surely run into
Christmas there, and we've me find something nice of yours children." She sighed. "There
"Get up, dear—Tony, please! Help
us, an' we always have a band
here for the rally."
sworn off, you know. Still"—she for the solemn old man-stocking. I ain't nobody else lo take 'em, an'
"Rally?" but Katharine did not dallied with her fork thoughtfully know of something for the other there ain't a grain o' money to keep
look at Anthony. Already she —"still, it would be such a dear, one."
'em with if there ivas. 'Twon't be
tasted new defeat.
sweet kind, Tony! The real oldfashioned,
genuine one that would utes later these two who had run dears, than for the rest of us. All
So it came about that a few min­
much different for them, pooi
"Yes, Chris'mas rally over to
town hall. We have a regular remind us of the shepherds, and
away from Christmas stole, stocking-footed,
out to the small, drear Anthony Kane was not surprised
of us live on poor-farms."
time, the whole lot of us. Glad the star, and peace on earth—" But
you're goin' to be here; strangers how could it "remind" them without
the Mother and the Child? A
He went a little way along the
kitchen to play Santa Claus. that Kitty did not come back alone.
always welcomic. Tree? You wait!
What Starkville don't know about
"Let a little end hang over the
silence fell upon. Kitty's chattering
snowy road to meet her, and now
celebratin' Chris'mas ain't in the
top, so he'll see it firstthing. It's
little tongue. The old wistfulness
he looked, at Kitty's face. It was
dictionary. They ain't every town crept to her eyes.
your very prettiest tie; Tony,
lighted softly by some inner light,
has a Chris'mas baind." The boastful
flovi' of words ran on in a calm
you're a dear; Tony, if you dare
They went on their adventurous
to laugh at me!" but he was not
journeying at once, but to World's
laughing.
stream; but Katharine Kane in a End, mot to Millenia. They seemed
curiously alone in this strange
species of despair clutched Anthony's
arm, and waded out. country, and the loneliness was
As they sat at breakfast the next
morning, a little trail of humble
"Never mind. Puss; better luck
vehicles paraded past the window,
sweet. The spice of adventure
stimulated their mental palates;
rext time," comforted that soothing
person. "There's your third fhey liked tbe tang and taste of it
place—End o' the World, is it? "I think—I think, man, dear,"
We haven't given that a try. If Kitty mused aloud, "that we've
we run into Christmas there, we'll been harnessed up, with the overdraw
dheck-rein and all that, you
change our tactics and call it our
wedding-trip. We never really had know,—^and driven in little narrowroads
that other people made for
one, and it's nobody's business
when we do it or where to."
us, and we didn't dare to turn out
"O, you're a dear!" she sighed. of. We're—we're unchecked now,
"Xo other woman's husband would and^—out to grass!" She laughed
have come off like this, anyway, enjoyingly. "Doesn't it seem good
just to please a lunatic wife." to get our heads down, and broivse
Kitty was'travel-worn and in O, listen to me be a poet, Tony!"
her secret soul a little repentant of "'Me, too." He was not to be
her lunacy. Even a Christmas-harried,
bundle-littered home looked out!" And he stooped suddenly,
outdone. "It's good to get the bits
appealing to her tonight. But be­ancause she was Kitty it did not oc­now?"
Whereat they both kissed her. "Who's the poet
laughed
at the foolishness of being foolish.
World's End had been properly
named; but they succeeded in finding
it, and the night before Christmas
found them in the primitive
little settlement of a half-dozen
houses and a blacksmith shop. That
round a bend in the road a little
further on they would have found
more houses and a general store
they refused to be told; this was
the World's End they wanted. It
satisfied Kitty; she saw no signs
of Christmas. The elderly soul in
one of the houses, who agreed to
take them in, did not wish them a
merry Christmas. The elderly man
soul who appeared to belong to
her wore a serious, un-Christmas
countenance. There were no holly "An' Ellen always made 'em a
wreaths visible anywhere, and the little Chris'mas, too; you needn't
blacksmith shop was undecorated. tell me it didn't jest about kill poor
"We've found the Place, man, Ellen Avery to die 'fore Chris'­
dear!" Kitty whispered, but she mas!"
boasted too soon. But the brief Kitty's eyes sought Tony's, but
matter of twO' hours later she realized
her mistake.
Tony had gone to bed in the
with no triumph in them. Had
and the old person waiting upon
them explained it. She was suddenly
excited and filled with a solemn
enjoyment.
"Ezry! Ezry! It's goin' past!
Don't stop to- wipe your face!" she
called to her old husband in j,
room beyond. "It's Mis' Black-
.smith Aver\-, her that was young
Ellen Till," she explained to he"^
.guests. "Ain't it a pity to be buried
Chris'mas Day? An' Blacksmith
Avery Thanksgiv'in'! I tell
hini it 'd ought to 'been us; we
wouldn't left two little mites."
"Oh, two little mites!" breathed
Kittv. Her fork slipped with a
soft clatter to her plate. She sat
forward in her chair, her eyes on
the tail of the sombre little procession
going by.
"Two, yes; I suppose it's a mercy
'twarn't six; but I declare it's
hard to see some mercies. That!»
what I tell him. They're little
dears; Ellen was a beautiful girl.
There ain't any better stock anywheres
round here than Till stock,
an' I declare I do' know but Avery
comes next. I ain't ever see politer
little dears."
"Oh—httle dears!" Kitty murmured.
Tony did not venture to
look at the troubled little face of
ler. He felt the stirrings of her
denied and hungry soul.
The old voice ran on garrulously.
It was rare it found so good a
chance as this.
they found it at last—the Christmasless
place?
"Eond o' children, be ye?" The
old eyes had come to rest on Kitty's
face. "Well, then I guess you'd
the light he knew.
"This is 'Son,' and fhis is 'Sister,'
" she introduced c[uietly. "They
are both so little, Tony!"
"Sister is; I ain't. I'm big," the
little voice of Son piped eagerly.
"When I'm 'leven months older,I'll
be seven—I—I mean I was gain
to be if mother hadn't died."
"I want mother !" suddenly broke
in baby wailing from the tremulous
lips of the other child. Sister in
'leven months more could not be
more than four. Her round, wholesome
little face was grotesquely
contorted with its grief. To Anth-
O'Uy Kane, looking down, it was a
piteous little face.
"Man, dear "
"Yes, Puss—yes, I know."
"Both, man, dear? How can a
little Son live without a little Sister?"
But he- was spared decision. Son
was before him.
(Continued on page eighteen.)