Newspapers / The Caucasian (Clinton, N.C.) / Dec. 26, 1912, edition 1 / Page 6
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(Thursday December 2Cf Page Six. THE CAUCASIA On her engagement Eng er there wm & ring In which a yawning cavity nark ed the loss of a setting. "No" he said finally. "1 hare brought Xblr'." He held up the ame thyst and watched the girl's face. A ; gret light lapt into her eyes. ' "How perfectly wonderful!" ex- : claimed Eleanor Deane. "But tell me f where did you find it and how? Her questions tumbled from smiling lips. "In the crop of a turkey,- Godfrey informf d her. Then despite his better , judgment he added, "The bird was rather inconsiderate to swallow your 1 engagement ring thinking it was ; corn." He attempted to laugh. j A quick color crimsoned Eleanor's ' cheeks. "An engagement ring is al- j ways very precious," she put In hur riedly. "I thank you for returning mine." Her confusion over, Eleanor j mentioned her occupation. "You eee : I have entire charge of my turkeys ; and it must have -been in the mixing j of their food that my amethyst drop- , ped out. I mix it always with my hands. I hope the turkey Mrs. " j She paused in confusion. "Mrs. Stone my mother." Godfrey j helped her out. Then because there seemed nothing more to say and be cause he seemed strangely depressed, Godfrey made his departure. "Well!" demanded Mary Stone when her brother again sat by hie own fire. "Isn't she lovely, and did you no tice that sad look in her eyes? I heard in the village that the reason she took to raising turkeys is because she was engaged to some skate of a man " "Mary! What language!" expostu lated her mother. "Was?" Godfrey tried to keep the tone of his voice normal. "The ame thyst was the setting from her en gagement ring she must be still en gaged?" Unaware of the tension with which her brother awaited her answer, Mary said liphtly. "Well maybe she still is but the story in the village is that ; she broke off with him." j During dinner Godfrey remarked tones of excitement. , casually: "Mother do you think Dad "It is a rare amethyst with an ini- has dene enough for his factory hands tial engraved on it!" ' this Christmas? Wouldn't it be rath- j "I scent a mystery!" laughed her , cr a Pd idea to send a basket to son. rising to inspect the stcne. "The ; eacn of the families?" Initial is E. Does your butcher haD- I Mrs- Stone, rejoicing that the philan- (Copyright.) HE spirit of Christ mas was every where. In the great house on the hill Hridget, the cook, emboldened by that spirit, had come up from her domain and stood in the doorway of the drawing room with one large, red hand extended. "T w. a ftha L Sj$i:' findin this in the rfn m if- i turkey, mum, she said. "It might and It might not be anything." The family, busy on ladders and chairs, with Christmas greens, turned questioning eyes on Bridget. "What is it. Bridget?" Mrs. Stone humored the cook. "A bit of purple glass with some pictures on it, mum." Bridget having done her duty returned to her realms below. m "What is it. mater?" Godfrey Stone asked lazily. After a moment of close inspection, by the window, Mrs. Stone spolie in mm mm POITII- (Copyright.) sill pen to- "Oh, mamma, is this the turkey you got from the farm I told you of?" chimed in the eldest daughter, 'be cause if it is we could easily trace the owner of the stone. Godfrey can i run over today " "Not on your life! Christmas Eve thropic spirit was being made mani fest in her son, smiled happily. "It would be lovely, dear I will just send j Firkins over to that very little farm and " "No, no Perkins knows nothing ! about turkeys!" Godfrey said without glancing in his sister's direction. "I Is not the day to chase around all the turkey farms in thQ village." Ills sister's eye twinkle.!. "You wculd be out of the house by this CSS will go over tomorrow for some birds for the New Year." "Christmas is not the day to chase around all the turkey farms in the vil lage," quoted Mary. Christmas day was crisp and spar kling when Godfrey again approached the tiny farm. The fairy queen open ed the door and a tinge of color came swiftly to her cheeks when she recog nized her visitor. Godfrey, using all his common j sense, first mentioned tne factory hands and the turkeys that he want ! ed for them. j "You know," Eleanor told him, "that i the birds have to be taken away when : they are living I can't bear to have It otherwise. I seem to love every bird." She looked appealingly up at Godfrey and laughed tremulously. "I have a good weep after each gobbler's departure." Godfrey turned swiftly away, then Impatiently back. "Why do you " Eleanor smiled wistfully and a little slow shrug crept over her shoulders. "If you care to hear why I will tell you," she said. "I care very much," Godfrey re turned, and kept the tenderness out I of his voice. J "It was essential that I do some thing," she said. "I have been an or phan for many, many years and for j almost as many years I have been en gaged to a Mr. James Vane. Jimmy and I grew up together and have been, sweethearts always. I never saved any money because Jimmy always had plenty and it hadn't occurred to time if, you had Just seen the turkey e that I would ever want with girl j Wm." "Pretty?" Godfrey's tone was in-! She paused and Godfrey remained different. silent, longing for, yet fearful of, the "So much so that I had fairly to finish of her story. drag"3im away when I took him with "Well Jimmy was one of the Idle me to seef our turkey." rich and In looking for a pastime took "Perhaps, Godfrey suggested, to gambling. He has been gambling meekly, "it would make the girl's ever smce. Christmas more happy if the stone Godfrey turned his eyes from the happened to be hers and was return- sorrow In Eleanor's face; then he ed to her." j spoke aloud the words his heart was "Your Christmas spirit is very com- asking: "Do you love him now?" mendable." Mary put In dryly. I "Yes. I love Jimmy and always will Godfrey laughed and took the stone lTe him but not " She found It frorails mother. "Where is this tur- Impossible to go on with Godfrey's key farm. Sis?" i eyes fixed In so disturbing a way "On he old farm road you cant upon her. miss It" I "Not how?" he demanded. Nor did Godfrey mlsp the little farm j a husband " Eleanor replied that stood like a fairy" picture among faintly. groves of fir trees.. The tiny cottage - "Then why wear his ring!" Godfrey again demanded. "I told Jimmy, when he asked me to, that I would wear It out of senti ment until " Eleanor knew she I flfflls Like a Fairy Picture. and outbuildings were of pure white and with their heavy thatch of snow i there, among the crystal hung branches of giant fir trees that were wonderful. Godfrey felt like a tres passer; in the realm of fairies. j - The Impression was not withdrawn when the door of the cottage swung open. The Fairy Queen stood there, 1 but she was not the sprite-like vision of dreams; instead, she was the embodi-. ment of life and thrills and joy. God-1 frey was decidedly disconcerted, but ; thegirl's smile, together with her words, drew him within the tiny cot tage. J" Outside all' was white; inside all was. .suffus ed by the red glow from an open: fire. The girl's gentle voice broke God frey's Tery evident confusion. Did" you want to inquire about tur teya?" She motioned him to the big low chair by the Cm In so doing, Godfrey caught sight of her left hand. would have to finish her sentence, so she hurriedly did what his eyes asked, "until I loved some one better than I loved him." "Well," Godfrey decided slowly, "you won't mind so much now that the setting Is out will you?" "It is my birthstone and It means- contentment," Eleanor returned demurely. Godfrey laughed happily and Elea nor Joined him. The Christmas chime in two voices thrilled through the tiny cottage. "I am at peace for the first time in my life, Godfrey said softly. "And It is all because It Is Christmas and iny mother bought a turkey that had wallowed an amethyst that belonged to yen-" EGINA gazed de spondently out of the window. A light snow was falling like millions of sparkling dia monds and pearls yet Regina saw nothing. Her Christmas tree had not come! It mat tered not that the day was a won der day and that the eve of Christ mas was close at hand. Nothing mat tered to Regina save the fact that Bhe had promised her Sunday school class a glorious tree and that now there was no tree for them. Tears welled slowly into Regina's eyes and blurred the glittering landscape. She argued with herself that she might have known that the New York shops could not be relied upon to send a tree to the suburbs at so short a notice, but that did not help the situa tion. Regina shrank from facing those twelve I'ttle girls whose smiles would vanish in childish disappointment when they learned that the tree they had been promised was not to be theirs. The tears brimmed over and fell. Regina's vision was cleared and in the clearing she gazed directly at the miniature fir tree in the vacant lot next door. A sense of keen delight swept over Regina. After all, her children would have a tree! Some fifteen minutes later Regina appeared in outdoor costume. She had put on her gymnasium suit, high rubber boots and her father's great top coat. Over a riot of curls her snug fur cap fitted closely. "You look for all the world as if you deserved your nick-name," expos tulated Regina's mother. "Regina, I do hope no one will see you." "There's no one for miles around," Regina laughed and shouldered an ax. "Unless the people who live In the bungalow turn up I will have the world to my self." She picked up a big tub with her free hand and trudged off toward the fir tree in the vacant lot. Regina's eyes were too intent on her mission to see that a thin curl of smoke was twisting from the chim ney of the bungalow that rambled in the lot beyond the vacant one. Regina drew near the coveted tree and her heart expanded lovingly. "What a little beauty!" she ex- S claimed half aloud. The little tree was of special origin and stood not much higher than Re gina. Over its branches a veil of smoke seemed to linger. After a mo ment spent in admiration, the girl put down her big tub and began to clear i away the light fall of snow from about the roots of the tree. Her cheeks were gloriously red and the sparkle in her eyes rivaled the day Itself. When the snow was cleared Regina swung the great ax into the frozen t earth. The ground scarcely responded : to her strength. She swung again. "Hey! What are you doing to that tree!" Regina dropped her ax and gazed in the direction of the deep, gruff voice. A man was standing on the veranda of the bungalow. Regina picked up her ax and with dignity swung it again. "I say there, you that tree be longs to me!" The man was coming toward her. Regina stopped and turned. 'This is a vacant lot," she called out with asperity. The approaching male whistled. His speed quickened. He made an invol untary movement to raise a cap that In his haste he had forgotten to put on. T beg your pardon, his voice had lost the gruff quality, "I thought you were a man but that tree is mine. I brought It up from my father's gar den in the south. David Langhorn spoke rapidly. Regina's face was rather startling In Its beauty and he had a desire to cover her embarrass ment. T have taken very special care of that tree." "Very special," Regina said coldly. "X have lived here a whole r,TJ and no one "I hav been away lately. w i L 1 don't t?e why you leave tost poor little trees around in vtrasl tots," Regina put in hurriedly because she felt like crying cow that her precious tree was taken from her. "This is my lot," Langhorn told her. "If you had chopped down " "I wasn't chopping It down!" Re gina cried indignantly. "I was going to put it very carefully into this tub." 3he stumbled over her words, but de termined to tell this very goo I looking man with the red hair that she was cot a George Washing ton. "I ordered a Christmas tree by express and It didn't come. My Sunday school class twelve lit tle girls are ex pecting a tree to night in my house and now " Words failed Regina. She bit her Hp and looked appealingly up at Langhorn The man laugh ed because it was the safest thing to do for the present. "And I have brought down twelve little settlement boys with the same promise and nary a tree have I got. I reckoned on getting one in the village." Regina laughed and the whole world seemed to echo the laugh. "I have tried even the department store!" She gazed into David Lang horn's eyes. "I am sorry for the poor little souls whom we are disappointing my class worked so faithfully all last summer." "By Jove," David said. "I read once of some people who had a Christmas tree out of doors! They had great bonfires and the tree was lit by a thousand candles as well as the stars and a Santa Claus drove up over the real snow! Couldn't we do something like that?" "With this tree! How perfectly glorious!" Regina, beside herself with joy, began to shovel away a greater clearing. David took the shovel away from her. "My kiddies will do that it will be the treat of their lives." David looked seriously at Regina. "Now go home and get warmed up. This afternoon I will call properly and In the evening Christmas Eve " He did not finish with words for the hearts of both David and Regina were overflowing with good tidings of great joy. That evening Santa Claus drove up through the crisp snow and opened his great bags before the little tree. It was a wonder tree there in the vacant lot and it was hung with a aundred electric bulbs. Six bonfires reared their flames skyward and around and about danced and capered twenty-four joyous children. And when the moon was high in the heavens and ?Js- I the spirit of Christ; 7fckviC I mas had entered lSJA 0v I into each heart. David and Regina s AVVi drew the band of children about them and led the young voices in carols. Still later when one tiny girl had cuddled herself in to Regina's arms and two more had fallen asleep In David's there was only a duet of voices. David and Regina sang all the old English carols until twenty little kiddies had fallen into a happy sleep. "For unto you Is born this day. "In the city of David, A Savior!" The voices of David and Regina trailed into silence and they only looked at each other. Regina was the first to speak, the mother instinct prompting her. "Perhaps we had better waken them now the fires might get low." j David was silent a long moment, then he said slowly and reverently, The fires will never burn low Re gina. This is the night when the Great Spirit of Love was born into our world." 1 i i 5ft U 1v? MERCER had "N ! The a of hard. ttr-r. ... served hr. and ht fU , leateC. bat h q;tly ho tra for th poor chUi t, ' Lag in th chatif;:r"i tz:ir ... .tv w lau ycnc rr.aa '.broach th crowd. -Vv, .o hrr fid -Oh. Ix: r Grrt , rour her!" rtcU:-; pulvlr. "Mor terrlf.fd thi- . . aouncf-d the doctor af;r V -imlnation. Thr4 turr.!r. j taw It happen frorr. a di.r. itrtl and rec cr.!:d rr :r . x AssUt.'np Paula Ir.to t- r made the child cetr,fer.. -ind steppe In wi;h hr TH report to you !tr, p, ralleni to the poIicrr.xR, ttely permitted tNrr. to dr In a few minut thr stricken home. A tln-d r. , r man opened th door, ar i My 5 ?f Q'Xitp you won't like my children to her home. o yM p 9 Christmas present ce was unnecessary Sh. this year. I-" f 1 l h"USP- tb; 'r , SSSS' -v' fft. Instructions and an h- lf f. b?en unusually ai- lent throughout dinner and when at tactful rxplanatior;. last th butler ,T accepted th! lat b)o h J.trow and the ktnd falp had c ai- , two were alone, he n '"f lor reached over and were working ow th ,v: took his daughters ,ckve ,c !n of tSf . . bare home. Christmas trr .... nanus. n. , . "F "Paula." he said " 1,rown promlted xr-y milPtlv "I'm afraid " "" ? - t- I,J1.- V. n . . V. i ther." Interrupted ' ?u : the smi Ing girl, "if it ha. one dia- bf hf and af,;r l;n -n mond less Uiat you wished. Ill survive "i"" at thh cVaV v" ' " ' C Paula. 1 "If it were only that! have always respected your common sense too highly to deceive you about business matters, so I will not con ceal from you that the Casten deal went against me, and I am penniless. Every newspaper in town will have the details within a few days. I am an old man and do not care, but natu rally my keenest regret is for you though nobody can say that your old daddy didn't give up every cent he possessed for what he knew to b right and just." Paula covered her eyes with hei hand, while the father watched hei anxiously. "Don't take it hard, dearie." he begged. "We'll not starve, though II will be a struggle for a while." "Father." she said calmly, "I anc not taking it hard; I was only won dering how much we could scrape to gether to continue fighting. Men like Casten have no right on this earth I'm ashamed to admit It, but as far at I am concerned. I'm glad, truly glad It's a blow for you. but don't worn about me. You know I always deslrec to make my own way, but it's next tc impossible for a rich man's daughters Then when I had to take mother! place, my hands were too full. All 3 care about Is that we get enough tc go after Casten. There's a Christina! party at Barham's tonight, but I'c rather stay here and talk things ovei with you." "Pollie girl, you have no idea ho you have lightened my worry," sak Mr. Mercer huskily. "I know you'i rather not, but by all means go tc your party. It's most Important thai the true state of affairs Is not sns pected until absolutely necessary. Ill spend the evening across the streel with Judge Simms. When your moth er was alive, the Judge and his wlf? and she and I never failed to cele brate Christmas eve together, and they'd be hurt If I stayed away." ers and caterers, and lone 1-:- .t doctor was ready to go. th (va .?.;? had shyly drapgod bakrs : dies of all sizes and fha;.- r.'c nt wee kitchen. At last Dr. Grant was rvaiy ? leave. "May I ask for a lift. Paula r v, asked wearily. "I have had a j-j day. I told Mrs. Prown that j-t That's Tim Brown He Llvet In Row Alley." w-culd be around to see her toraorro and also tq watch Tim eat bis Ctriit mas dinner. In a week he will bit Paula kissed him absently and ran turDed Into tho briiiianUy lighted t upstairs to dress She was far from nue he Opened to glance at her eft B oisasier. ana tne nIng cloat .0h how 8topia 0f cO- Buddenness of it startled her. to let you go so far out of your BEST TOYS FOR CHRISTMAS They Should Suggest Action and Set the Mind of the Child at Work. In selecting toys for the children's Christmas, remember they should be such as to suggest action, and bring the imagination into play, as it Is the child who plays, not the toy, and Imagination is the soul of the play, j The best toys are those which set J the mind to work, and give the little brain scope for expansion. This is one of the strongest recommendations for the simpler toys. The wonderful mechanical toys sold in the shops are complete in themselves, and leave the child nothing to do hut to wind them up and start them go inc. In this case, it is the toy that plays, not the child. Children soon weary of hav ing nothing to do, and, losing; interest in the monotonous repetitions, the lit tle inquisitive mind sets about in vestigating the internal ''nltn. greatly to the damage of the toy. which is soon ruined and thrown away, while the child turns tar it miss ment to the old toys that are eo hopelessly undone that ererythias they are supposed to ca must from the play-spirit in tha chill. Tt's one thing to talk about earn- wnen you are going to the Bariums' Ing your living and another thing to x0 ym going home. I've ta do it." she told herself. "You are a enough for one night," aniwered FasU success so far because you are you? Vitn averted face father's daughter. ItH mean hard Now that she remembered her ovt work. Still, work overcomes heart- trouble, she felt a strange ibyse aches and teaches one to forget!" wlth tnIs man who waJ !n tbe irt She brushed the powder-puff across cf their financial wreck. The fl! her nose, and descended. At the door became awkward somehow then ot ihe library stood Mr. Mercer. seemed nothing to say. "I forgot to tell you. Paula, that I "Paula," began the doctor abruptly, found it necessary to put Dr. Grant "I have heard of your mlBfortuse. zi In possession of the facts." now I feel free to aik you to be t7 Paula turned away at mention of wife. I realize pi eas don't interrupt the young physician, and started tow- until I have finished I realize that ards the door. you v1i uke ltepa to support 7 "Good-night, deariehave a Jolly self at once, but I need you too nscb time!" called her father. to allow that" Paula swept into the waiting auto- Paula's heart leaped violently. mobile and settling down for the long the elation was brief. The sweets drive into the suburbs, rapidly evolved speedily turned to bitterest niiery numerous plans, meanwhile noting the "Why does this occur to yo? Christmas gayety on all sides. The night of all nights? It would ees M vMlaDg Wlth the edited chatter of If you were doing this out of char children returning from belated shop- ity." commented Paula coldly, ping or sight-seeing tours, and mln- "No, Paula, out of esteem- I 13 gled with their merry voices were the poor, but I have enough for two. Tci subdued conversations of their elders, certainly understand why I hare cc Pi sparkling snow, slelghbells, spoken before; -a Paula Mercer eoc bright lights and holiday decorations hardly be expected to share a jo-- I Of L. sympathetIc note In her physician's precarious income" neart. The huge motor purred softly. He appropriated her reluctant tir fv 3 aula rached up to arrange "And so you allowed your the rich red ribbons which held holly- come between us! No. I thas ths against the glass doors and for the honor. Dr. Grant, but I tsrt beLnr' A6r TOZ8iCDC "mote her some pride, too." because of her real gladness. "Paula." pleaded the young ? JTm i forgetting what it means to miserably, "if you only knew the nTL ' h "It's ties there have been between ffj an , f age to t"t wretched pride and my lore. I Auv!r i you so much, Paula." I? thrw ir the floor, "If I were you Td engage a co- ,t YJ? tto Vhe Sained her tent housekeeper." Pasls resr tn! tJSS.J" 01lt te estigate. sarcastically. But her heart ached S'lS a Prostrate she said it , . L??? 1316 wneehL T3onX donX dear." treated ffp gathered swiftly. The doctor. Those things hurt tooc asr.1 ted from blame, from you! Can't you love ne, "IL d M the UtUe Please see how infinitely I mT front of the automo- you.- - fcOaand- 21p and fall on the snowy vThy dldnt you say that 2;,. Paula whispered unsteadily. RosTlntBnnra--ta Ut eateem. and what girl & voTnntr n,a-" desires esteem 7eVt?heT te-faced she's yearning for lover te plck ' f ?'X!iv" -m . soon be at your home, dui ! I?8,110 lua.w aunounced until then!" exclaimed the doctor "anla bravely.
The Caucasian (Clinton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 26, 1912, edition 1
6
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