The Wingham Advance-Times, 1939-12-21, Page 23THE WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES
Tony bowed and grinned while
they cheered him to the echo, Jack’s
club members, with fingers between
their teeth, gave the shrillest demon’
stration the Devon Arms had ever
heard. 1
“I can’t begin to thank you for this
reception,"' said Tony whep he could
make himself heard. “But I want to
tell you that you’d better cut it short,
becausc'each person is ,to .get a present
from that tree and there are a lot of
people here."
He made his way to the center of
the floor, and at a signal from Paul,
sacral of the hotel employees hover
ing in the doorway rushed forward
to help him. Twenty-four Santa
Clauses from the orchestra lined up
behind them and as each present was
detached from the tree Tony read
aloud the name on the gift and then
shouted.
“Paging Santa Claus! Another gift
far special delivery."
At that point a Santa Claus would
detach himself from the group, seize
the gift and go in search of the recip
ient. Soon the room was full of red
figures bearing gifts and as Tony read
each name Jack and his friends took
up the cry;
“Paging Santa Claus!"
Under cover of all the excitement
Jan, very white, leaned close to Paul,
“You’ve made a terrible mistake!"
she whispered. “And it's all my fault. That's Mr. Deverest's chauffeur, Tony
Williams, In introduced him here as
Mr. Deverest because you seemed to
think! . . ,"
“What do you mean, Deverest’s
chauffeur?" Paul interrupted, genuine
ly astonished. “I know Tony Dever
est — I knew his chauffeur, too — the
last one he had. He fired him about a
month ago. That’s Tony Deverest all
right, up there at the Christmas tree.
Listen!”
Tony’s voice came clearly to Jan’s
doubting ears:
“There’s just one present left on
the tree and I’m going to call the one
for whom it is intended up here to
receive*it. Will Miss Jan Payson
please come forward?”
Jan sat motionless -— unable to rise.
“Go on, Jan," whispered Dora.
“Don’t you hear Tony calling you?"
As in a dream, Jan rose and made
her way through the tables. The blue
dress rippled softly about her and her,
face, beautiful and serious, was turn
ed toward Tony. When she reached
the tree he tookher hand and guided
it to a small white package almost
hidden in the green brandies.
“Open it,” he said softly, and she
obeyed. The outer wrapping remov
ed, there was disclosed a tiny jewel
er’s box? Jan’s amber eyes widened
questioningly.
“Paul called you William Anthony
Deverest,” she murmured, bewildered.
“Paul was right,” said Tony. .“And
you’ve promised ,to be Mrs. William
Anthony Deverest.”
He took the box from her and out
of it he took a ring. It was set with a
marquise diamond and a breathless
“Oh!” came from those managed to
catch a glimpse of its flashing beauty.
But'Jan scarcely looked at it as Tony
slipped it on her finger. Her eyes
were on his face and she did not move
them even when he turned to the aud
ience and said, his voice full of pride
and tenderness;
“I am happy to tell you that Miss
Jan Payson, has ‘ promised to :marry
me, That’s true, isn’t it?” he added
softly to the girl beside him,
For answer Jan took a step closer
and Tony, his arms around her, could
scarcely catch her whispered, “It’s a
promise.”
Flushed and radiant, they turned to
see Paul, who had jumped to his feet
glass .in hand, proposing a toast to
their happiness.
“Let’s all drink a toast to the bride-
to-be!" he shouted. Glasses clinked
all over the room, but above their
tinkling Jan clearly heard Mrs. Mal
lord declaring in a voice that mingled
tears and laughter:
“Weddin’s'are even better than fun
erals, I always say.”
THE END.
Copyright McClure Newspaper
Syndicate.