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THE ZEBULON RECORD, ZEBULON, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, JUNE 10,1938. **4, f. ■ * SHINING •■'• . ' " . r ' V . . * PALACE r % ■ B> CHRISTINE MIXING IMItMIiXIER 'V- •• ■’ ' "•' - .; • ICMf . :- * , - ■.■• 4 - ?' : : . r> . ' Cnpri ifitU t»J ChrUlinr Whifinif I’lirturnlir W\l SIKVK.K THE STORY Leonora Lambert persists in her intention to marry Don Mason al though her foster-father, James Lambert, tries to dissuade her. Leonora suspects that her half brother, Ned, has influenced their father. Lambert offers to give Don a job for a year, saying that if the pair elope, he will disinherit the girl. Don attempts the work offered but becomes nervous and tired, de claring he feels sitfled. Nora is dis tressed and begs her father to end the experiment. Ned tries to induce her to doubt Don. When accused of having given money to a girl whom he had helped in charity Don knocks Ned down. He and Nora elope and settle down in Maine. Lambert refuses to communicate with them, but sends the girl her clothes and SI,OOO. Don and Nora go to Capri for the winter. Their son is born while they are away, Don having work on a London pa per. Don is sent to Cape Town, has typhoid, and his work suffers because of ill-health and worry. They return to America. A friend gives Nora a parting gift of a Kimberly diamond. They buy an old house in Maine and remodel it. They are sent to California on an assignment for the London paper. On an October evening nearly three years later, James Lambert went slowly up the stairs to a room that Martha Berry called “my par lor.” It was a pleasant room with crisp white ruffled curtains at the windows, and a scarlet square cov ering its center table; a room as prim and orderly as Martha her self, yet with a home-like quality about it too. It was here that both Ned and Nora had brought their childhood troubles to be smoothed away by Martha’s gentle hand. It was here (though he did not sus pect the fact) that James Lambert, during the years of Nora’s absence, had brought his. This was Martha’s birthday. James never forgot the date, partly because it was Ned’s birthday too, and years ago they had celebrated the event together; partly because it was his habit to remember the anniversaries which most men for get Martha was not quite well, and the fact troubled him. She had been the prop and stay of his household for so many years. She had moth ered his children, and, James ad mitted with a little smile, mothered himself as well. They must take care that nothing saddened this faithful woman as she grew old. The door to Martha’s parlor stood wide open. She was expect ing him. A fire burned in the small coal grate, and his accustomed chair was waiting by the hearth. Martha was waiting too. Her work basket and copies of a church week ly which usually occupied the center table, had been put away to make room for a display of birthday gifts; a vase of roses from Corinne and Ned; a cake, her name in fancy pink frosting on the top; a gilt bas ket filled with stuffed dates; gray knitted bedshoes; gloves; two books, and a lace-edged handker chief, obviously yellowed from be ing laid away. # James, glancing at the table, knew that he was expected to ex claim and admire. When It came to birthdays Martha was something of a child. Now, though she looked up with her customary smile of greeting, he saw the unmistakable trace of recent tears. It was a dis tinct shock. Never before had Mar tha’s clear gray eyes been cloud ed. He said, despite his inner per turbation: “Happy birthday, Mar tha!” and producing a small, white package from his coat pocket, pre sented it. Martha said, as she had said on every previous occasion of the same sort: “You shouldn’t have done it, Mr. Lambert,” and proceeded to untie the cord with the eager fingers of one who was very glad he had! Those fingers trembled as she held aloft the beautiful gold chain with its drop of flawless amethyst which was James Lambert’s gift. Save for a watcti which Nora had given her years before, Martha had never owned so valuable an orna ment. Regarding her closely, James saw that she was thrilled; though all she said was to repeat: “You shouldn’t have done it, Mr. Lam bert. When can an old woman like me wear anything so fine?” “Every day,” he answered, pleased that the trinket had made her smile. “That’s what it’s for, Martha. And now what have we here?” He moved toward the ta ble. “Haven’t you fared even bet ter than usual?” This was another stock remark, and Martha answered: “I have in deed! My roses came early this morning, as they always do. They bring to mind the days when Mr. Ned was a little fellow and we had our cakes together, here in my par “Havcn’t you fared even better than usual?” lor. The books are from my nieces, Clara and Isabel. Now I’ve more time to myself I enjoy reading. Cook made the cake, as usual; and the other girls gave me the bed shoes and that handsome basket of stuffed dates. Help yourself, Mr. Lambert. A stuffed date ought not to hurt anyone. The gloves came from my niece Clara’s husband, and . . Martha paused. James, bending above the table, had lifted the hand kerchief. There followed a silence before the woman said, gently, her voice trembling a little: “The hand kerchief is from Miss Nora, Mr. Lambert. It came this morning.” If a bomb had exploded in Mar tha’s parlor, James Lambert wouldn’t have been more startled. He wheeled about, exclaiming in astonishment: “Nora! You say this handkerchief came from Nora?” Martha nodded. “Sit down, Mr. Lambert. Though it may not be my place to speak of it, you’re all of a tremble. Miss Nora has never forgotten old Mar tha’s birthday bless her loyal heart!—though in other years, since —since she went away, sir, I have not mentioned her gift for fear of hurting you.” The woman arose, went into her small bedroom, and returning with a package wrapped carefully in tis sue paper, sat down once more and resumed her narrative. “You see, sir, it happened this way: When'Miss Nora was only a wee girl she asked what I would like her to give me for a birthday present I said, ‘Get me a nice handkerchief, child, one that’s a bit fancy for all mine are plain and when I take tea at the minister’s next week I must dress up.’ 1 said it in fun, you know—as a sort of joke; but the child got one of my maids to take her to the five and ten cent store, Mr. Lambert and she bought me a handkerchief —a fancy one as I believe you will agree. I have it here.” Martha had been slowly untying the tissue-wrapped package. It con tained, James saw, a pile of neatly folded handkerchiefs. From the top she lifted one with a bright pink border. She spread it out. Some thing supposed to be a pansy em broidered in garish shades of red and purple, adorned each corner. James Lambert stared at it; but as he remained silent the woman said: “Her taste improved as she grew older.” “Which was indeed fortunate,” re torted James, surprised, even in that tense moment, to find his long dormant sense of humor still alive. “So every year, Mr. Lambert, no matter how fine a gift Miss Nora gave me, there was always a birth day handkerchief as well. To tell the truth, nice handkerchiefs are a sort of weakness with me, and I think she knew it. Nice handker chiefs and nice aprons. I never could abide the sort of aprons that (if you’ll excuse my saying so) Mrs. Ned’s maids are content to wear. Except during the years of war, when such extravagance would have been shameless, my own were linen.” Martha was spreading out a blue edged square. “This came when she was only ten, Mr. Lambert—the year she and Mr. Ned gave me the gold brooch. Notice the pretty border, sir, as re fined as can be; though later she got them all white which was more suitable, except this lavender one she brought from Europe. Just look at the quality! It is sheer enough for a queen—so delicate that I have “And you say,” broke in James Lambert as if rousing suddenly, “you tell me that Nora has con tinued since her—her marriage, to remember you?” “Did you think she would forget?” It was the nearest to a reproof that the loyal woman had ever dealt him. James did not speak, and aft er a moment she continued: “Yes, every year. No matter where she happened to be living, my birthday handkerchief has arrived on time. They have come from many coun tries, Mr. Lambert—ltaly, England, Germany, even South Africa, if you’ll believe it! Beautiful pieces of linen, all of them; but never an address so I could write and thank her. Note that, please. It was as if she felt you would not like me to write, sir—that if you wished her to hear news of us all you would write yourself. That’s loyalty, isn’t it? That’s little Miss Nora! But last year . . .” Martha paused so long that James Lambert stirred uneasily, and she said: “Maybe you noticed that I’d been crying a bit when you came in, sir? It was about Miss Nora. Something tells me that ill luck has befallen her and hers. It was a year ago that I began to worry. My handkerchief came, Mr. Lambert, but it was not a new one. It was one of a half dozen Mrs. Ned gave her one Christmas, and that I’d ad mired. I remembered distinctly the butterflies embroidered in all four corners. It had been nicely laun dered; but I could not help wonder ing if Miss Nora was, maybe, too poor to buy one; and then I de cided she might have been where she could not shop, so had sent one of her own. I tried to put the mat ter out of my mind, and now, you see, I wish that I had not.” Martha lifted Nora’s birthday re membrance that had arrived that day, shook out its delicate folds and spread it across her lap. "Do you see, Mr. Lambert, this is another that she had saved, be cause it was so handsome, I sup pose. There near the center is a tiny place which has been mended. And that’s not all, sir. It is quite yellow from being laid away—dis colored. She had no time even to bleach it! That is why I was crying a little, Mr. Lambert. Don’t you see, Miss Nora would never have sent old Martha a mended hand kerchief if she could have bought a new one. And not to launder itl She may be sick, Mr. Lambert. I feel in my bones that things are wrong with her; while I, who would give my life for the poor lamb, and you, the only father she ever knew, are warm and comfortable, sur rounded with every luxury.” There was a silence before the old woman continued, her voice trem bling: “That is not right, Mr. Lam bert. It is not Christian. Do not tell me that I am forgetting my place to say so. I know it. I have been your servant for more than half my life, sir; but I have been your friend as well; and you, the good Lords knows, have been a friend to me. There is no man in the world that I admire as I ad mire you, sir; but that does not blind me to your faults. Why should it? I have seen you show forgive ness that was almost heavenly; but you can be stubborn —too stubborn for your own good or the good of those that love you. “I do not know what passed be tween you and Miss Nora before she went away. Ido not know what bit ter things you may both have said. I do not want to know. But we are getting old, Mr. Lambert, you and I; and old age is a lonely time, a sad time, unless one can look back over the years and say: ‘I have done my best.’ If you will remember, all Miss Nora asked was to marry the man she loved; and — There!” broke off Martha in con fusion, “I did not intend to preach a sermon, to you of all people! But these things have lain heavy on my heart for years, Mr. Lambert, and I had to speak. If I have of fended, I can only beg your par don.” James Lambert arose slowly. He did not smile, but rested a gentle hand upon her shoulder for a mo ment. “You are a good friend, Martha. You could not offend me if you tried. You have merely shown me the truth that, down underneath, I have known for a long time.” He glanced at his watch. "Ned will be here to see you in a few moments, but—but I must be going down. There are things to to think ** (Continued Next Week) Professional Cards IRBY D. GILL Attorney & Counselor at Law Phone 2281 Zebulon, North Carolina DR. J. F. COLTRANE Dentist Office Hrs. 9-12:30—1:30-5 M. J. SEXTON INSURANCE DR. CHAS E. FLOWERS Physician and Surgeon Office hx. -s 8:30 - 10 a.m. l-3 p.m. Phone Off. 2881 Res. 2961 DR. L. M. MASSEY Dentist Phone 2921 Hrs. 9 a.m. to 5 p. m. Office in Zebulon Drng Bldg. For Insurance of All Kinds and FARM LOANS see D. D. CHAMBLEE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL BBRVDCR BILL STRICKLAND Anywhere AnytisM Patronise eur advertisers. In North China wheat is the principal food. In South China the chief food is rice. The Butcher Boy . : . ” VCU V'iiTri The « i .uU NEED DELIVER)i\(r PROPER ‘ SPEED! gL - y 1 dTxV S WHATEVER MEATS you are in need of you will find them at this shop. You will find that they are wholesome and well conditioned. They have been doubly inspected—first by the le gal authorities and then by our own expert butchers. Let us serve you. Don’t try to do too much cook ing these hot days. Substitute for hot meats some of the cold cuts we carry already cooked, and which we, slice thin for you. Use plenty of fresh vegetables—say a salad of head lettuce, with sliced oranges or grated carrots or fresh cucumbers. Or fall back on the old standby, potato salad, with plenty of celery and young onions. Don’t make a pie for dessert. Try fiuit jello with some fresh wafers that we sell you by the quart. CITY MARKET ZEBULON’S FOOD CENTER Business Cards ZEBULON SUPPLY CO. We Feed & Clothe The Family And Furnish The Home FUNERAL DIRECTORS J. M. CHEVROLET CO. CHEVROLETS OLDSMOBILES New and Used Cars Factory Trained Mechanics J. A. KEMP AND SON Groceries Dry Goods FUNERAL DIRECTORS Phone 2171 LITTLE RIVER ICE CO. Quality and Service Phone 2871 CAROLINA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY NOW Electricity is Cheap Phone 2511 A. A. WELLS Wood and Iron Worker Horsehshoeing—Repairing of any tool or implement on the farm Zebulon, N. C. JOHNSON BROTHERS JEWELERS Watch Makers Jewelry Zebulon, N.C. Everything To Build Anything MASSEY LUMBER GO. Zabnloa, N. C.
Zebulon Record (Zebulon, N.C.)
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June 10, 1938, edition 1
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