The Wingham Advance Times, 1933-12-21, Page 21 AGI T\VC:)
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WINGHAM ADVANCE -TMS
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HE STORYA
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79
By MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
mu(1by James _amnion
STRANGER AT THE FEAST ON CHRISTMAS A.S DA
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', ' "s meant. .He shifted his btuicll and aricl now she cant the, ' f) ' :
George, Chisholm blew into his of- nr � t t e -1 e otit into hall. would give ltizri some help.: This soft t.,,ut4fly and Methodically he went: to
f ce after lunch a little late, It was
the day before Christmas, and George
was always a trifle exited on the
day before Christmas, Now his ares
eof,
Er full bundles and he smiled
s� _
rather sheepishly at his elderly secre-
tary,
'
-• Cr
"Stuff for the kids' stockings," he.
'
said. "Want to see:it?"
Nothing was further from the sec-
retary's mind, She adored George.
however, so she went dutifully to his
desk,
"Just nonsense," he explained.
"'Look at this."
This proved to be a flat rubber
arrangement with a tube and a bulb,
and was intended to be placed under
the plate of some unsuspecting indiv-
idual and then inflated. George plac-
ed it .under the deck blotter, and the
blotter rose and fell in most gratify-
ing fashion. Infact, it was still' doing
so when the head of the accounting.
department carne in. He fixedit with
a glassy stare, then moved to the
water -cooler.
"Here," " said George, "Here's a
fresh glass, Watkins."
Watkins took the glass and filled
it. He started to drink, and a small
stream of water sprayed down over
his, coat. Wherepuon George burst
into delighted laughter and showed
Trim .the small hales in the side of
'the glass., Watkins, however, gave
'fitly a sickly grin and started out.
.•Then he stopped.
"Almost' forgot. There's a man out
:side to see you," he said. "Pretty
',shabby gent, but insistent. Looks
like a panhandler to rife."
"I'11 see him in a minute,"
George sat down and commenced
rewrapping his parcels, and Miss El-
•derr brought' some small envelopes
'and a check, and laid them before
'him.
"The gold pieces for the servants,"
she said, and added rather grimly;
'`And Mrs. Chisholm's Christmas
check."
She did not like Henrietta Chis-
holm. Indeed, she had disapproved of
the whole marriage from the start.
"A widow with two children!" she'.
said to her room -mate. "Pretty en-
ough, but just out for what she can
get!"
1\r Irick was only party true, it be-
ing probable that, next to herself,
Henrietta cared for George Chisholm
mare than anyone else in the world.
George eyed the layout, the seven
envelopes for the house servants and
Henrietta's check, and some of the
exaltation died out of his face. Since
marriage he had pretty well lived
up to his income, and sometimes his
house reminded him more of a high-
class night club than anything else.:
As he signed the check he was re-
membering a conversation that morn-
ing.
"Try to conte hone early, George.
We're having the usual crowd in to
trim the tree."
"I thought the kids were. to help
to
this year;"
"Well, everybody seemed to expect.
the usual party."
"And the children expected some-
thing else."
She had kept her temper, although
he saw she was annoyed. "One would
think they were your children,
George."
"That's not a bad fault—in a step-
father! We're spending a lot of
money, Henrietta." e
"If you object to the party for that
reason, youcan deduct it from my
Christmas check."
Which was an •tnaanswerable argu-
ment, Henrietta's substantial Christ-
mas gift always being spent by the
middle of October.
r.
Gcor;,c had entirely forgotten the
man outside, He wrapped up his par-
cels, thinking what a' difference it
made having children in the house;at
Christmas. What queer little heath-
ens they had been that first Christ -
as after hie marriage.
"Do you kids know what Chtistanas
i.s?>,
"Sere. day
Spit+,. The. - Santa Claus
tomes!"
" it's t,s w,little .more than that.
It's the birthday of the Christ child."
"Who's the Christ Child?"
e
He was still smiling at that when,
on his way out, he saw the man who
was waiting for him; a tall man, ra-
ther gaunt and certainly shabby.
"Hello!" George said; "1 clears
forgot you were here."
The man 'smiled.
"nn accustomed to that," he said
itlii:ri.7t rattiest: "And. of coutse it's
crust the usual story. I need a job,
Mr. Chisholm, Any sort ' of job, T
dare say 7 could Sweep floors."
Gcttrgt' ryed. hint. Nang it all, the
at was a gentleman, whatever that
nade a dive for his pt,eket, but the
T
stranger stiffened slightly. "I'm not
begging. Sorry!"
George "Let's
x <
glanced at the cit c,1..,
go' back into my office," he said. In
visitor.
si
the office he mach ids x r.atc a sit
s
eluaii, and sat himself.
"r e!t g • youto ie ?"
Jtt. t what ort t;, at z e.
1
"End of the block. l.a..i office in'
the biiildink;'i I've only been in t.otvn
a week. Came tip fruan South Ain-
lice
in
She kissedGeor,•Se casually. "Did
. r.
}en bring .the 5errants' money:"
"Yee. c.. \td that reminds
me, nt
y
'dear; t 1 have t e... rto
e. r, 1t c l a t eta a man help
serve tonight.".
ti t t;,l t
He explained. tl
tlaa ed to her careft lY
Really, George!" slteo .said"Some..
i r
bane.. I think you go crazy about
Chr%stnla.s
Yitne. Why didn't you give
him .motley?"
"Hewc tt tt talc
de c _ 1 t ' m nev "
of think is new' to him. And I'm
lending : him my evening clothes. I
suppose he can dress in your room?"
Hobbs .concealed his astonishment
as best he could,
'.Promptly at -nine, Henrietta came
down stairs. She was the first one
down. < And a little before tlae other
guestsJerry F rsy. arrived,' hada
g 0 )ilaa �
lireliinitiaryhighball, and kissed her
under the mistletoe. It was unfortun-
work, and it was fully an hour later
that Henrietta 'found- "hie there rd x on
the ladder, carefully` -placing the stir.
"Good heaven's, George! You might
have told us."'
"Well, you seemedanmed otherwise oc-
cupied."
1
. ,
The - lvnlc he turned down to her,
she thought, was rather strange. She
turned and again.
went out
. o
He sat on top of the ladder for
her. "Merry
Christmas, my dear,"
"I do,t feel merry at the moment!'
,r
"NO? Well after all, if my mem-
ory, serves me, Christmas Isn't prim-
arily a time for merriment anyhow.
Joy, that's the word, isn't it?"
"I I think you've had too much cham-
pagne," she said disdainfully, and.
went with considerabledignitytip the
stairs.
Geo a
e slept in his dressing room
that night, by tacit agreement with
"Monsieur is a very good mother," said Mademoiselle.. He looltecl
erica. I'd been there for some years,
but there was the usual revolution,
and I had to get out. Worked my
way up. I'm an engineer by profes-
sion; mining engineer."
"I married the widow of, a Mining
engineer," George remarked.
"Well, :a good Many of us die very
young!„
There was a short silence. George
looked up with an apologetic senile.
"I've just thought of something. It's
ridiculous, in a Way. Still, if you
won't take a loan-?" The visitor
shook his head obstinately. "My wife
is having a party tonight, and she
always has in a couple of extra then.
well, it's not Much; you get'a
Slipper at midnight and six dollars."
"It's a long time since I've seen six
dollars, or a—" .He ".checked himself.
"Or a Christmas party. My wife used
to have them."
"Then you're married?
"I was. I lost ray job and she got
out." His tone closed that subject.
'But see hete,'I'll have to have even-
ing .clothes, won't I?
"Yon have mine," George said
canr
g
easily, "I'm wearing a dinner jacket:
It's very informal; people in to trim
the children's tree, and then supper."
The stranger smiled, somewhat it-
onically, "Lord, how that takes me
backl" he said. He rose and held out
his hand. "Since we won't be on 'a
hand -shaking basis tonight," he ex-
plained. "And now, if you'll give me
the address ;
George wrote it down. It was not
until they reached the street and
Blake had opened the door of the
limousine that George remembered
something.
"137the way,what's your name?
Y
"You can call;ine Smith:"
George's benevolent mood lasted
only about thirty minutes; to be ex-
act, until the car 'stopped in front of
his house. Then he remembered; he
would have to tell Henrietta, and
Henrietta would not like it.
On entering the house, George
sniffed the Christmas greens which
te andbecame a small boy
decorated "t
again,
"Mother,
' x1 thestar n
, may I put u o the
top of the, tree?" "If you're care-
ful on the ladder." . .
He grinned cheerfully at Hobbs
is coat.
as the retial took his
"Tree things down ?"
"Yes, sir,"
'The star
all right?"t?"
"Yes. I'd wrapped it. Looks like
new, sir,"
George nodded. Even Henrietta
did not know why, ever since their.
marriage, George had himself taut the�
star . ort top of the tree, and a ,clear
white Tight just below it; or thct the
star itself was mixed, up in his mind
with a number of vague aspirations
which shewould certainly have nailed
sentimental and rather silty,,
'Henrietta was in the drawingroom:.
`Then he'll probably take some-
thitig• else, How clo you know he- isn't
a thief'"
for one thing, he's a fain-
ing engineer. They don't usually steal
the spoons. As you ought to realize."
y 1a
He was instantly sorry. 'He knew
very little about that early marriage
of hers, save that it had not been hap-
py.'
"Where are the children?" he ask-
ed hastily.
"Mademoiselle is keeping them up-
stairs, I don't want them to see the
tree."
"Why not? They t? haven't believed
in Santa Claus for years?"
"Well, they're not coating down.
Tomorrow is their, , 'eir d y a.. This is mine.
Ours."
"Then let's act like it!" he said'pa-
cifically,
p
cifically, and ki•sed her. She return-
ed the caress, but absently, and he
felt slightly chilled.
Fortunately, a distraction arrived
at that moment. The two children, in
night clothes and small dressing
gowns, had appeared on the landing.
Henrietta heard them and whirled.
�
!" she
Go back!" said."Junior! Pat-
ricia!" ricia!
"Mother, we want to sing for
sly,"
T
ad
"01t all right,sing,a'.she said.
George stood looking up, as the
two thin childish voices rang out,
"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Thein old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!"
They dict not seem silly or senti-
mental to. George, watching or listen-
ing. But they did seem small and
young and rather lonely. Curious; he
had always had that feeling about
Henrietta's children.
It was for that reason that 11e spent'
1nt'
so mtich time with them in their
nurseries onthe third floor. And it
was for that reason, too, that that
night, having carted diem up again,
heremained there until it wa;; time
to dress.
Ile was fastei ng their stockings
gs
with thumb tacks to the mantelpiece
when Henrietta sent Hobbs for him.
Henrietta
Monsieur is a very good mother,"
said Mademoiselle, a Temoiselle smilin
g.
Re looked at her sharply, but there
wasno guile uile in t1he Frenchwoman's
face.
On the landing he spoke to the but-
ler. "There will be an 'extra man to-
night, Hobbs, And .I'd be glad if you
W
i ouncl s zai p y, )ut t ere -sn as no gu e
ate that Hobbs' chose that moment to quite a time, w t i t e s al an
appear. white light beside hint. Then he got
"It's :the new ntan, madam; the one
Mr. Chisholm spoke about. He's not
very well, madam. He just came into
the kitchen and keeled over."
"Then tell Mr. Chisholm, If lie will
bring strangers in -1"
So it happened that Henrietta re-
ceived he'iguests alone, for .,George
was back in the butler's bedroom off
the pantry, watching while :the man
named Smith recovered from a'spell
of unconsciousness. There was ;a
strong smell of frying eggs in the air
acid thearoma George •tr ma of coffee. Get
g.. had
taken one look at Smith, and then
!ordered food.
Henrietta's parties were very noisy.
The noise pentrated to the back
where George sat beside Hobbs' bed,
and where Mr. Smith finally opened
his eyes and said:
"Passed out, slid I? Well, it was
a long wall:, and the kitchen was hot.
I'd better get up.'!
"You're not getting up," said his
host sternly, "You're staying right
here. Also, I've gat some medicine
here." He smiled. "Good for what
ails you!"
Smith took the glass. "You're a
good fellow, Chisholm."
It wasnot
until time to tries the
that Henrietta- missed' George.
tree t a
Tilen be . went forward, slowly and
rather thoughtfully;
for. the whisky
on an empty stomach had loosened
hisg
S uest's tongue, and something he
had • said was sticking in George's
Trig
1 said, m not grumbling," a e "but
reminds me of. things I'd
that racket renal s g
just as soon forget."
"Sorry!" said George. "I'll close
the door. I'd as soon have Christmas
Eve alone, with the family."
"You're lucky to have a family. I
1
soun
lost mine through a party thatsound-
ed like this one. Found 111y wife be-
g
in kissed by the mine manager and
threw hint out. Then it was his turn,
and a month later he threw me opt."
"And your wife.?r,
,
Olz then it was her torn. Shegot
a divorce and took the kids. As she'd
spent all I made, and more too
Well" --he picked tip his glass
—
"Merry Christmas!"
i e library, tree was n the � < y, and
when George finally went forward he
had
discovered. that no one touched
it, and that Henrietta wasdancing
with Jim Forsyth across the hall.
down, • and on his hands and knees
he spread, the moss.
It Zaas'there that .Hobbs found. him
just before midnight. It appeared
that Smith, although 'still weak, 'in-
sisted on going.
"But if you ask me, sir, he's not
able.
George went back a.g ain. He' found
Smith sitting up.
"I've got to get out, Chisholm."
"You're staying here. There are
half a dozen empty rooms upstairs."
The argument which followed was
rather one-sided. Smith finally agreed
to be helped up the back stairs; bet
before he started he turned to George
"Forget v;hat'I said a while ago," he
said abruptly. "She had her Side of
it, too. A man's pretty yellow to talk
about his wife."
They got hien up finally, but at the
door of Henrietta's best guest: room
he balked again. "Not in there!" he
said.
I3ut' he was'ver J =. tired, and at last
they got him in and left . hint there,
Outside the door George instructed
Hobbsto take his clothes as soon as
he was in bed and send them out :to
be pressed in the morning. Then he
passed in a pair of his own pajamas.
and a dressing gown.
It" was not until he went down.
stairs again that he realized that the
party was over, and that an indignant
Henrietta was waiting for him.
"George," she said sharply, "is
there any reason why you should in -
stilt :the best people in this town? And
on Christmas Eve, too."
"It seemed to me that quite a few
of them had forgotten that."
She eyed hire suspiciously and with
a certain anxiety. "I can't make you
out tonight, George.` Something has
gg
happened to yon, What is it?"
"I don't know," he said, "I've been
thinking a little, that's all, About us.
About otar marriage." grave-
ly.
he said rave-
1y. Then seeing the alarm in her face
"It's nothing jserious. Ijust wender-
ed if aye were going on indefinitely
beim 1 it
g the soloists with asoTig -and -
dance chorus always behind us."
"I've tried to make you happy,
George. Everything I do is for that."
"Is it? I wonder." He patted her
shoulder reassttrin l . "Sort " he
�Y Y,
said. "I didn't mean to spoil things
P g
for you. I've had a trying sort of
day, that's all." TIe moved toward
in her face.
'Henrietta, who 'did not like to. be
roused at dawn when the children
came rushing down. He had slept
badly; and he was still half asleep
when they carne in, wild with excite-
ment.
Then. Patricia said something that.
tirade him sit up in his bed. "You.
carne in the night and looked, at .me,
didn't you?"
"What? 'I. did?"
"Of course. I was awake. You
stood by the bed and looked' down at
me, Thera you tiptoed out."
"You, dreamed it, child."'
".I didn't dream youe dressing.
gown, Daddy!'"
He was still thinking about that
when Mademoiselle- took 'thein up to
dress. ` He felt uneasy. He did not
like the idea of Sniitliprowling ar-
ound the house at night. It would
be a joke on him if they found the
place looted that morning. and the fel-
low gone! He got u'p and, going down
the hall, opened the door of the blue
room, but Smith was sleeping quietly.
Not a thief, then. A mart who had
had kids of his own and lost them,
and who some time in the night, lhad
obeyede some obscure desire to see
children safely asleep on Christmas
Eve.
"Poor devil!" George said.
The incident cleared away the ,hist
vestige of last night's resentment.
After all, he was lucky. If Henrietta's
ideas andhis were not always • the
same, she had anade him' a good wife.
Wien he heard her stirring at 8
o'clock he went into her room. T-Icn-
rietta lay in her big bed, a coffee tray
beside her,
"I'm sorry about last night,
Geoi"ge," she„said. "I was tired;'.
"Well, seeing that I came in my-
self ---Merry Christmas, my dear.”
He kissed her, and with unusual de-
monstrativeness, she put her arms
around his neck.
"I do love you, George.''
"I hope sol""
He turned to leave her. Then he
remembered, something.
"Look here, Henrietta. .I'm going'
t0•,ask this Smith fellow to .have lunch
with las. Do him no end of good"
It's a man's pride that gets hitn when
he's had bad luck."
"no we have to?"
IIe tirade a slight gesture. "Lis-
ten, Henrietta; t want him to see the
children. TTe had a pair of Iris own
otace, and his wife vamoosed with
them. He lost a good job and the
lady got out: He didn't say mach,
but I gathered she'd been extrava-
gant and rather silly, He wasai't put-
ting all the blame on her, of course,
It just came out."
Henrietta •staddenly stirred in her
bed. "Ansi` is that all'yott know about
him?"
"Seems nicety," It said, with his
tpaiclr smile. "Yes, He's been down
in South America for some years."
He went otit then, and :Henrietta
Im orc , mw .Ylw 'u'uNLil{i}n,AiM,. ,: w( Wilg1.4vfh4,y'
sat bolt upright as the door closed.
I surely !
1• 1
Not that! O i, .,uz 41y apt.
he micl came ,When t a a. e is for her
tray she sent for Hobbs, and waited
in a frenzy of anxiety,
When Hobbs . came in she was
trembling.
Mr. Chisholm: wants. this . nian
Smith to stay fes lunch, Hobbs.."
"Very well, madam,"
"What sort of man is he Hobbs?
What does he look like?".
"He's a tall. man. Blond, Very
thin, too. Undernourished." •
She got rid of Hobbs and lay back
in her. bed. Not for a moment did she
question the identity of this man who
would later confront her with that
jeering smile of his. There was;. no
way; out, she knew. She could not ap-
peal to his pity, for he would have
none. Nor would, be believe, if -:sire
told him, that she had married George
Chisholm finder a lie because she ,car-
ed for him; had buried her past ;be-
cause she was afraid she would 17.se
him.
He might already: know who She
was. She remembered drearily that
there was a large silver -framed pic-
ture of herself in the room. where
George had put biro.
'When she was ready to go doaa u
stairs, she opened her toilet -table
drawer and produced from it a sniatll
jeweler's box, care fully' wrapped and
tied with ribbon. In it were the two
black pearl studs she was giving
George for Christmas, the bill for
which he would. find two or tiir'ee
months later among the chaos of her
desk.
She stood staring at the box. She
had nothing to substittne for it. She
would have to carry it down asad
George wouldaccept it amiably,_ as
he always did her gifts., He was good
and he was kind. Never, perhaps,
since her marriage had she realized
all that as she did that morning. ,
It was eleven o'clock when,clothes
Q
disheveled and his hair awry, George
nose from the floor where he had
been setting up Junior's electric train
and went upstairs. He found his
guest awake and bathed, and loolcrig
about for a razor.
"Miss my clothes, too," he said.,
"They've gone out to be pressed.
Ann I'll get you a razor," said
George.
When he came back he found him
standing' in front of Hemietta's pilo-
tograp hs,.
"Thithe wife?"' he asked ligh'tly:'
"She's very lovely, Chisholm."
"And I'm very Jacky. I want you
to meet her."
Smith
stood still, the razor ini his
Hanel. "T'd like to, but—" He shrug-
ged his shoulders. "You're a good
fellow; Chisholm. Just the same, L-
ough's enough. As soon as my cloth-
es coarse, l'il be moving an."
"You'll cl'a nothing of the sort. You
are lunching with us?"
"Can't be done."
"What can't be done? Don't be` a
fool."
Mr. Smith diet not answer this dir-
ectly. "And listen here," he said.
"That drivel I talked last night --just
forget it;will you? He grinned.
"When a man's in my position the
only, way he can save his pride is to
blame somebody .else." '
"Sure, I, know that. Lunch is at
one, o'clock. And by tlie. way, I owe
you six dollars."
Smith openly jeered at him, "For
what? Don't be a fool! As for lunch
I don't want it. You get nay clothes
and I'll get out."
'They won't be Ilene until noon.
Besides, I've been telephoning around
town about you. We may land some-
thing:'
Smith th was carefully •examining the
blade of the razor, It was a moment
or' two before he answered, "All
right," he agreed. "I'll be there." He
started for the bathroom.
Hands in his pockets, George wan-
dered around the room. The small
possessions of the other man's pock-
ets lay on a table by the bed: a letter
or two, an old wallet obviously, empty,
a none -too -clean Handkerchief: A few
minutes later, George went down-
stairs to the telephone again.
When Smith, amazingly altered
from the day 'before, came clown at
one o'elock, he found. George waiting
for liken
"Hello!" lie said, "Well, if things
line up as I think they will Come
into the library. My wife is there,
and the children."
It was once more with his faint,
jeering smile that Smith followed
hint into the library, Henrietta was
standing very stiff and still hi front
of the fire,
Smith, . having taken Henrietta's
cold hawed with considerable, inariraer,'
(Continued ora liege three)