HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1937-12-23, Page 22PAGE FOURTEEN WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES
be forgotten occasion.
Chloe, her fingers flying, her mind
turning here,there, everywhere, an
swering a multitude of questions, had
time now and then to wonder what
would! have happened if she had not
run down a certain red-headed Dr.
Scott Kelvin; what sort of a Christ
mas it would have beep.
From her perch on the stepladder,
Chloe paused in her work and looked
down. The aromatic greenery that
half concealed the walls; the boys and
girls hurying busily, importantly a-
bout. Melissa beaming happily on
them all while her gnarled old fingers
busily strung popcorn and cranberries
to make a gay and festive chain to
loop about the tree. . * >
Doing things for others! Remem
bering those less fortunate than you!
Remembering the real why of Christ
mas. Not that it was a season for
"drunken revelry” for thoughtless,
sometimes unwilling gift giving, but
that it was a commemoration of tne
birth of the only Perfect Man who
ever walked the earth. .A man whose
message had been “Love one anoth
er”. “Do good to others . Peace on
■earth, towards men,.good will .In at
was Christmas! This was Christmas.
All about her the girls and. boys
from the Hill were mixing,. friendly
and cheerful, with boys and girls from
the village with whom, under ordinary
circumstances they might never have
come in contact. This was the way it
should be, Chloe told hei^elf, ;and
knew that but for Scott E,el™
might never have been, at least m
Oakton. t ,
The thought of Scott hurt her a little. She hid all but offered herself
•to him. She had offered herself in
everything but the actual words and '
he had as clearly refused her. She
knew that he loved her. She had seen
it in his eyes. She knew, too, that
he refused her because she was .Chloe
Sargent and he was Scott Ke vin,
there wasn’t anything she could do
about that, she told herself wearily
as she pulled her thoughts hack in
line as someone called to her froi
the floor and’, asked for a word of ad
vice or suggestion.
Christmas Eve in Sargent Mills vil-
lage was a time of almost unbearable
suspense for the youngsters, andal- most equally so for the older peopk.
From noon on the doors of L e Lorn
munity House were closed to all out
Chloe and her committee. Trucks
rirpw uo at the door, discharged g
T’widTeved breathless, all but
speechless children, clustered about
do?rXy SwTnrthVkVe®
fcy that had beend threatening snow
lsrthe°trScks were e”'P^edj^c’>athe
ets o' piled about
Community House to o and
her assistants. Melissa had caught a
slight cold the; day.^ejn^to he^
intense disgust and f y’, the
ing held ;"^^orXbt be allowed
rttat'nXh^closek wrapped, to
attend the celebration.
Melissa was a trifle hoarse and not
consented to slay 1^"
^“f»htSVXwed to visit
h6T f°H/£asOserved to Chloe and the
others at the Community' ^ouse^nd.
late in the aftenoon they al^ wm_
home to rest ^or, party it-
fore coming back for tne y
seir rhino nassed Melissa’s open
door5, heV°grandmotlier called to he.
wouldn’t know. I vc been
,at4you m»n y’oVhUen't been near
the man?” Melissa demanded sharp
sorry, Gran, Pye been busy
Sa^That’?no excuse. YoujxmM have
SidMriiSa sha^Aee here, Chh>e
are you moping about that yo
m "Certainly not!” gapped ’Chloe, re
sentful as she usually was after a few
moments alone with Melissa.
“Don’t take that tone to uie, yot g
woman,” snapped Melissa equal y^ < s
curt. "You’re in love with Scott Kei
V’cidoeVhead'went up afld her eyes
flashed. But before she could answer
Gran said abruptly: ,
“Of course you are. And the mans
stark, staring mad about yoy, 1 cant
see what makes you two so stubborn.
Being in love with each other ought
to wipe out any differences between
you. Suppose he is poor-r-that’s not
important.”
“Gran, please, I’m tired. Let’s not
quarrel about S-Scott. We’U talk a-
bout it later on,” pleaded Chloe, and
turned blindly to the door.
Melissa’s little sniff and her re
mark, "Theres’ been too much talk
already,” followed her out of the
room.
In her own room Chloe dropped
her hat and coat and stood for a mo
ment with her hands over her eyes.
She knew quite well as her’grand
mother that Scott loved her as she
loved him. But if he would have none
of her simply because an accident of
birth had placed them in separate
worlds-well, she couldn’t gf to him
on her hands and knees and plead
with him. She sighed,, straightened
her shoulders and went into the bath
room where she drew a warm tub, •
prinkled, bath salts lavishly in the
water and stepped into it. She relax
ed completely for half an hour, got
out and dressed, feeling phisically res
ted at least.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Howell looked at Chloe keenly
she came down stairs to dinner
her frock of cornflower blue chiffon
with its shimmering silver threads
here and there.
"You look charming, darling—like
a Christmas Tree Angel,” Howdll
greeted her.
"Thanks, Dad, I feel like a Hal
lowe’en goblin! Believe it or not, I’m
tired,” Chloe -answered with a surface
lighteness that did not quite deceive
her father.
“Of course you are, darling, but af
ter the party tonight how’d you like
to join your friends in Rio for a
rest?”
Chloe chuckled dryly. “If you had
seen the letter Jim sent me, air mail
and special delivery, if you please,
you’d, never suggest that as a rest!”
"The young man was put out?” sug
gested her father mildly.
"Well, that’s putting it very gent
ly, which is more that Jim did. but
that gives you the general idea. He
was—very indignant, let us say.
Claimed I had been trifling with his
affections. I was a cheat and a chis-
eler and a coquette and a lot other
not too nice words,” answered Chloe
and added with an effort, "Let’s not
talk about him tonight, Dad, let’s be
very Christmasy!”
“Agreed,” said Howell promptly
and put his arm about her. “A nd-may
be you would be excited a bit to know
that when I came in just now it was
snowing.!”
“Grand! The kiddies' will adore
that! It was the final touch needed to
make Christmas perfect,” said Chloe,
and went to the window to look at
the fat, silently drifting white flakes
that were rapidly covering the ground
with a thin, frost-like film. Snow came
seldom to this sheltered, gentle clim
ate and Chloe knew that the children
would be beside themselves with de
light.
Dinner was served early and im
mediately afterwards the closed car
was brought around. Melissa, swathed
in a fur wrap, a warm scarf about
her head, was bundled into it, the
others following. When they readied
the Community House, a crowd had
already gathered’ though the party
was scheduled, for seven-thirty. But
because of the cold and the snow, the
doors were opened immediately and
the crowd swarmed in filling the big
room, the children^ excited treble
voices rising above the murmurs and
exclamations of the older people. The
stage was concealed behind the dark
blue curtains, but the tree stood forth
in all its glory at the side of the stage
and the great heaps of beautiful wrap
ped and sealed packages that hung
among its branches or were piled a-
bout its feet, held the eyes of all.
A boy’s voice said breathlessly,
"Look—there’s a bicycle. Betcha
it’s mine! Betcha!”
“Gee, you got a crust — ‘spectin’
Sandy Claws to bring you. a bicycle.
Don’t you know he’s gota lot o’ folks
•to bring pre’sents to? How could be
buy you a bicycle? Go.sh, they cost
like anythin’!” derided another voice.
Long-* before seven-thirty every
seat in the hall was filled and people
were standing at the back. Yet the
crowd parted, with little exclamat
ions ofjileasure and surprise as a tall
young nurse, a dark blue red-lined
cape about her shoulders powdered
with snowflakes, came. In, pushing a
wheel chair before her. And in the
wheel chair sat Scott Kelvin, pale,
but with shining eyes, his darkly red.
head bare, a melting snowflake or two
upon it. s»
Chloe’s heart turned in her breast
as 1)0 looked straight into her cyps,
as
in
There was a little breathless moment,
With the eyes of the room upon her
she could not but go forward to greet
him. The nurse pushed the chair for
ward and they met just beneath a
great cluster of White-pearle.l berries,
Neither of them saw the, mistletoe,
Neither of them was conscious of the
others about them. Their eyes met
and clung. And then someone laugh
ing, said:
“Look out, Miss Chloe, you’re right
beneath the mistletoe. Whyn’t you
kiss her, Doc?” •
Chloe stood still. The color poured
into her face. Scott, startled, looked
up at the cluster that hung above her,
She saw his hands clench upon the
arms of the wheel chair. The young
nurse, shilling, looked: at Chloe, wait
ing. The whole room was waiting.
Merry, high of heart, grateful to these
two for the brightness the color that
they had brought into dull, drab, rou
tine-stagnated lives.
Scott could not rise. Chloe, with
a sudden lovely impulsive gesture,
bent forward and her hand cupped
his face as her mouth found and, for
a breathless ecstatic moment clung to
his. She felt the tremor that sped
over Scott. For a moment his sound
arm went around her, held her. And
then she straightened, smiled down at
him, scarlet, her eyes shining. There
was a little \ipple of laughter, ap
plause, and the moment was gone.
But Chloe knew that never so long
as she lived would she forget the
touch of Scott’s mouth, thin-lipped,
masterful, beneath her own. The
strength and yet the tenderness with
which his arm had gone about her
and held her close. . ,
The lights dimmed. A tiny bell
. rang somewhere. The mill’s own or
chestra filed into place in the pit be
neath the small stage. There was a
little rustling movement as the aud
ience settled itself. Chloe was grate
ful for the darkness that hid her scai-
let cheeks as she slipped into her seat
between her father, whose hand clos
ed warmly over hers, and Melissa,
who was smiling to herself in the
darkness. ... ,
The orchestra ploughed’its dogged
way through -"Jingle bells, jingle’
bells.” 'Then there was a moment of
silence, the dark blue curtains parted-
quietly and a little group of boys and
girls sang in clear, piping tones the
lovely old carol:
"God rest ye, merry' gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Christ, Our Lord, the Saviour,
Was born on Christmas Day.”
The carol ended, mothers, fathers,-
brothers, sisters and friends applaud
ed lustily. The curtains closed, the
orchestra ploughed its Way through
another Christmas song, and then the
curtains opened to reveal a simple
tableau; the Three Wise Men against
a darkly-green hill, watching the bril
liance of the Star as it shone in a blue
velvet sky. The performance moved
forward with a smoothness that as
tonished Chloe, even though she knew
how hard Rosalie had worked to make
it perfect.
The first part of the entertainment
ended, a breathless pause followed
anH then — there was the crisp jingle
of sleighbells outside, a loud, genial
voice cried cheerfully, "Whca there,
boy!” There was the well stimulated
clatter of small hooves and from back
of the stage emerged the rotund* red-
clad, white-whiskered friend of child
hood, Santa Claus himself.
Because she had wanted to be sure
that not a child in the village would
recognize him, Chloe had an employ
ment .agency in Atlanta send down
the man who wore the familiar cos
tume, and now a breathless excite
ment swept over the children. After-
all the doubt and disbelief that, had
been flung upon this ancient, well-lov
ed figure of legend and fact—no child
quite knew which—they, were seeing
him here before them, in their own
small village. And you can’t doubt
something you see with your own
eyes.
‘Well, well! Here are all my good
little children,” cried Santa Claus
cheerfully in a great booming voice
* that reached to the farthest corner of
the big auditorium, “Yoti have all
been good little boys and girls, have
n’t you?”
A chorus of ecstatic assents swept
the room.’ Santa Claus laughed, laid
his finger against his nose, winked ,
and said cheerily:
"Then I guess there’s nothing for
me to do but give yoti your presents.
Let me see now, is there a little boy
here named Bobby Jenkins?”
A little excited whoon proved that
there was,,and Bobby Jenkins came
forward and received from the hands
of Santa Claus himself the precious
pair of cNpensiv.e skates for which he
had longed1 and had no hope of ever
owning.
Other names were called, Other 1
pxcitcd children rawd down to the '
tree, received presents longed for, but
which they never had hoped to re
ceive. Chloe, listening to their little
yells of delight, watching the way
they displayed their gifst to their par
ents and friends, told herself with a
little shaken sob that it was the.
grandest Christmas? she had ever had.
The first in which her thoughts had
been busy for others, and not herself.
She looked up at the top of the
tree where a decoration that repre
sented the little. Christ Child looked
down on the crowded' room. And
then — her heart all but stopped in
her breast. She stared, afraid to take
her eyes for a' second away from
what she saw, Motionless, lest some
one else see the thin curling tnedril
of smoke that crept up and up—slid
drew a shuddering breath.
CHAPTER XXIX
With her horrified eyes on that wisp
of smoke, Chloe realized the packed
condition of the big auditorium. On
the second floor of a frame building.
An old structure, big and barn-like.
The stairs wide enough.to be used
by an orderly crowd, but packed by
fighting, screaming, fear-maddened
people—children — the lame, the halt
and the blind who filled the room
along with their stronger neighbors
—her hands clenched hard on her
knees. The moment any one else saw
that growing thread of smoke she
knew that panic would run red-tong
ued through the room and the Christ
mas party would be turned into a
shambles. * .. ,
She looked at the pile of gifts be
neath the tree. There were not many
left. Only a few wree still hanging
from the branches. If they could get
these people out quietly., and im an
orderly manner — The tiniest possible
tongue of flame peeped through the
topmost branch and Chloe knew that
only moments remained before the
tree would become a torch, with the
flames leaping along the tissue cov
ered packages, the strings of tinsel
and paper decorations, the cotton pil
ed at its feet. The tree itself was a
living thing and might nOt burn, but
the decorations would be sufficient to
start a fire that might not, in itself,
be so-dangerous. .But that would
breed a panic the thought of which
sickened her. •
She turned swiftly to her father,
her hand pressing his. He. looked at
her and her eyes directed his to the
• top of the tree. She felt the tiny start
that he gave and knew that she had
communicated her thought, her hor
ror of a panic, to him.
“I’ll get them out, somehow. You
see about that!” she whispered, and
her father nodded, squeezed her hand
hard and slipped, away.
Chloe sprang to her feet nad faced
the crowded house. Her heart sicken*
ed a little as she saw how densely
the people were packed into the back
of the house. But she dared not wea
ken. Dared not let her own panic
brush her in the face of this great
Santa Claus had. paused in distrib
uting the last few gifts, puzzled as
he watched Chloe. ' .
“And now,” said Chloe, forcing her
voice to sound bright and merry, as
ift it promised many marvelous treats
yet in store, “everybody who has had
his or her present form in a line, two
by two, and we’ll march downstairs
for another surprise. Let’s hurry it
now. A Christmas surprise never
likes to be kept waiting, you know.
The children clattered out of their
seats, racing to form into the line
and as quickly as she could, Chloe
sent them marching down the stairs
and out into the snowy night.
Heroheart was beating so quickly
that’she felt sure someone must hear
it. She steadied it with an effort and
said', brightly, as Santa Claus at a ges
ture from her went on rather hurried
ly distributing the rest of the pres
ents, "And now, parents and friends
of the boys and girls who’ve had their
presents, I’m sure you want to see
the other surprises too! Suppose you
follow the. children, two by two, and
we mustn’t keep the children waiting,
so move quickly, please, without
crowding.”
She watched, homing her breath as
with a good deal of good-humored
noise and confusion, as eager for the
promised surprise as the children, the
older people filed out of- the room. .
She turned and saw t that Only a.
handful of people, still remained.
Among them were Jane, Melissa -and.
Scott, the tall young nurse standing
beside him. Chloe’s heart caught a
little sdb. Scott in his wheel chair—«
Melissa, moving with the slow, heavy
caution of the/aged’. She forced Iler
voice steady and called gayly:
"And now — that’s the very last
present. And I’m Sure there couldn’t
be really a surprise unless Dr. Kelvin
wore there to see it, Wlw’ll eftfry Dr<