The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, December 13, 1912, Image 10
(Copyright.)
L
UK ttpirjt of ('hrliit
UIUH VVHH ovory<
where. Iii the great
house on the hill,
lirldgot, tbo con K,
emboldened by that
aplrlt, hud comis up
from her domain
and stood In the
doorway of the
drawing room with"
ono largo, rod hand
extended.
"I , whh nfther
Jlndln* thin In tho
turkey, mum," alio
?ald. "It might and
It might not bo anything."
The family, busy on ladders and
ohatrs, with Christmas greens, turned
questioning eyes on Bridget.
"What Is It, Bridget?" Mrs. Btono
humored the cook.
"A hit of purple glass with some
pictures on It, mum " Bridget haying
done her duty returned to her realms
below.
"What Is it, mater?" Godfrey Htone
asked lastly.
After a moment of close inspection,
by the window, Mrs. Stone spoke in
tones of excitement.
"It Is a rare amethyst with an Ini
tial engraved on it!"
"I scent a mystery!" laughed hoi
?on, rising to inspect the stone. ''The
Initial is E, Does your butcher hap
pen to ? ? T"
"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 truce
the owner of the stone. Godfrey can
run over today-' "
"Not on your life! Christmas Eve
is not the day to chase around all the
turkey farms in the village."
Ills sister's eye twinkled- "You
would be out of tho house by this
Like a Fairy Picture.
klaie If you had Just seen the ? turkey
flrl.M .
"Pretty?" Godfrey's tone was in
different.
"So much ho that 1 had fairly to
drag Jim away When I took him with
?? to select our turkey." N
"Perhaps," Godfrey tWgested, j
?eekly, "it would mnke the\^ girl's
Ckrlstman more happy if the Trtono
kappened to he hers and was return- ;
*4 to her."
"Tour Christmas spirit ia very com
mendable," Mary put In dryly. *
Godfrey laughed and took the stone
from hl? mother "Where Is this tur
key farm, Sis?"
"On the old farm road ?you can't
Mlee It."
Nor did Godtre> initio the little faini :
tkat stood like, a fairy picture among '
ffrores of flr trees. The tiny cottage j
mad outbuildings were of pure white
aad with their heavy thatch of snow
tkere among the crystal hung
branches of giant fir trees that were
wonderful. Godfrey felt like a tres- 1
passer In the realm of fairies.
The Impression was not withdrawn
when the door of the cottage swun^r
open. The Fairy Queen s'.x-tl there
but the nas not the sprite-1'..i- \ ision ot
dreams; instead, she was (!:?> t :nlx..l.
ment of life and thrills suit] jn\ 1
frey was decidedly disconc \. i:. bi.
tho girl's smile, together with her
words, drew him within tho tiny cot
tage. Outside all was white; Inside
all was suffused hy the red glow from
an opeu Are.
The girl's gentle voice broke God
frey's very evident confusion.
"Did you want to inquire about tur
keys!" She motioned him to the bij?
W* chair by the tin- In so doing
rJ?dfrey csuchf ?i:;h* of her l?ft hand
I On her engagem* n
j ring iu which a yaw ??)>:. *n> ;i;>.
j ed tho Iohh of a Molting.
"No," .ha aald finally, "I hftv
: brought thla!" Ha held un the anv
! thyat and watchad the glrl'a foca, /
, great light leapt Into her eye*.
"Hort, .perfectly wonderful!" ex
j claimed Vjleanor Deane. "Hut tell him
? where did you find It and how?"
n< i question* tumbled from smiling
lip*.
"la tha crop of e turkey," Godfrey
j Informed her. Then deaplto hi* better
Judgment he added, "The bird wnH
j rather inconsiderate -to mwhIIow your
engagement ring- thinking It wan
corn." He attempted to laugh.
A quick color crimsoned Eleanor'*
cheakw. "Art engagement ring In ul
! ways very preciou*," ahe put In hur
riedly, "I thank you for returning
mine." Her confusion over, Kleanor
mentioned her occupation. "Tou aei;
I have entire charge of my turkeys
and It must have been in tho mixing
of their food that my amethyut drop
ped out. I mli It alwaya with my
bandit. I hope the turkey Mm. "
Hho panned In confusion.
"Mrs. Htpne? my tnother." Godfrey
helped her out. Then becauae there
seemed nothing moro to aay and be
cauae he seemed atrangely depressed,
Godfrey made his departure.
"Well!" demanded Mary Stone
when her brother again aat by hla own
Are. "Ian't she lovely, and did you no
ilea that aad look In her eyes? I heard
In the village that tho reason she took
to raising turkeya Is becauso sho was
engaged td some skate of a man ? -H
"Mary! What language!" expostu
lated her mother,
"Waa?" Godfrey tried to keep the
tone of hla voice normal. "The ame
thyat waa tho setting from her en
gagement ring? aha must be still en
gaged T"
Unaware of the tension with which
her brother awaited her answer, Mary
said lightly, "Well? maybe ahe still
i?? but the story in tha* village la that
she broke off with him."
During dinner Godfrey remarked
casually: "Mother? do you think Dad
has done enough for his factory hands
thla Christmas? Wouldn't It be rath
er a good idea to aend a basket to
each of the families?"
Mrs. Stono, rejoicing that the philan
thropic spirit was being made mani
fest in her son, smiled happily. "It
would be lovely, dear? I will Just send
Perkins over to that very little farm
and
"No, no ? Perkins knows nothing
about turkeys!" Godfrey said without
glancing In his tilster'8 direction. "I
will go over tomorrow for some birds
for tho New'Year."
"Christmas Is not the day to chaso
around ull the turkey farms in the vll
1'iKe," quoted Mary.
Christmas day was crisp and spar
kling when Godfrey again approached
tho tiny farm. Tho fairy queen open
ed- tho door and a tinge of color came
Bwiftly to her cheeks when she recog
nized her visitor.
Godfrey, using till his common
sense, first mentioned tho factory
hands and the turkeys that he want
ed for them.
"You know," lOlearior told him, "that
tho birds have to bo taken away when
they are living ? I can't bear to have
It otherwise. I seem to love every
bird." Sho looked appeallngly up at
; Godfrey and laughed tremulously. "I
havo 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
| nf hts voice. ---- - .
! "It was essential ? that I do some
't thing," sho said. "I have been an or
j 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 ? becauso Jimmy always
| had plenty and It hadn't occurred to
| me that I would ever want ? with
! him." *
j Sho paused and Godfrey remained
; silent, longing Tor. yet fearful of, the
finish of her story.
"Well ? Jimmy wi\b one of the idle
! rich and In looking for a pastime tool*
I to gambling. Tie has been gambling
j ever Blnce."
' Godfrey turned his eyes from the
sorrow In Eleanor's face; then ho
spoke aloud the words hln heart was
asking: "l)o you ? love him ? now?"
"Yes. 1 love Jimmy and nlways will
love him -but not " She found It
Impossible to go on with Godfrey's
eyes llxed In bo disturbing a way
' upon' her.
"Nnl how?" he demanded.
"As a husband " Eleanor replied
faintly.
"Then why wear his ring!" Godfrey
ngain demanded.
"I told Jimmy, when ho asked me
to. that i would wear it out of sent!
mont until " Eleanor knew she
would hnvr to finish her sentence, sc
she hurriedly did what his eyes nskod.
"until ? I loved some one bettor than j
I loved him."
"Well." Godfrej decided slowly, j
? you wc * i " t mind so much now that i
the setting is out ? will you?"
"It is r::\ birth-stone and it moans ? I
e .'i:t ." Eleanor returned de
murely
Godfrt / laughed happily and Elea
nor Joined hlru. The Christmas chime !
In- two voices thrilled through ih > tiny
collage
"I am r\( peace for the :-?t t!me :
in my life," Godfrey iiaid softv "And
it is all because it Is Christmas and i
my mother bought a turkey that had j
swallowe a a ^"..u-lhyBl that bch.::svO |
to YOU "
CH..ioli,., 3 >ANCE
W a preparing for
Christina* -mo, <iood*
noun known I wjttht I
wa?, but Cfcr)?t{n*fl do
iogtt ain't for ir.e no
m om. And Ju?r, be
cause I wuh a baking
aomethlng to cat to
morrow, which hap^
p?un to b?. Chrltt >i)uh,
?he thought I wav pro
paring for that day a
?peqiul."
> ) Witty Creeii sighed an ?h<* placed
I ho pit) tu the oven, and pulled a
kitchen chair up beHldo the stove,
The new neighbor, who hud hut re
cently moved into the town, and who
knew nothing of Hetty's history, had
i lint left. With the Christmas spirit
everywhere she hud thought of
couth* Hetty wax preparing a feast
for the duy.
"Now, If Jim hadn't never galled
away on that water logged old Mary
Ann, an he did a-going on four year
ago, I gueue I could a beeu preparing
for Christmas like other folk*. If
there hudn't beeu nobody elite, Jim
and me could of enjoyed Christmas,
and then maybe there'd a beeu some
body else? somebody what Just about
now would a been liking dolls or tin
cars, and If so Jim und me would a
been having a Christmas tree for that
somcbo dy,
and we'd be
a having the
beat Christ
mas in all
South Cove.
"My, how I
did try to
keep Jim
from Bailing
la that Mary
Ann. A n y ? i
body what
knew any
thing about ,
?hips knew
she wasn't flt
to go .to sea
in, but Jim
says it's the
only berth
he's likely to
get, and tak
ing it would
our marrying
just that
much sooner, and the Mary Ann or
Jim ain't never been heard of since
she left that South America place to
go round the Horn on her way to
China."
The bright eyes of Betty Green
were wet with tears as she opened
the oven door to ralBe the pie to a
higher shelf. Ever since Jim Busby
tailed to return In time for the wed
ding which Betty had bo carefully
prepared for four years ago ? a wed
ding which was to bo tho b^g event
of the Christinas season at South
Cove ? she had had a lonesome life.
Two months after tho Christmas
that was to have been Betty's wed
ding day her aged father had been
carried to the village cemetery, leav'
ing her alone in the world. With no
other relatives, and with no friends
except those at South Cove Betty re- :
nialned in the llttlo Ashing town in ,
which she had been born nearly twen
ty-seven years ago.
With the baking finished, Betty left
tho kitchen and wont into her bed- '
room. She wanted nothing so much
as to be alone in that room that had
been her father's ? In that room where
she kept carefully preserved the wed- ;
ling clothes she had lavished so much
care upon four years ago. These
clothes and the faded photograph of
Jim Busby on her bureau were all
that were left her of her romance, i
With these she would spend her
Christmas eve, would live over again
the courting days. And Jim should be
there with her. That would bo her
Christmas.
With care she took each garment
from its wrappings in tho bureau
drawer and spread them on the bed.
The pretty wedding dress which
Sarah Glover had helped her make
? yes, sho would put It on tonight just
as she had planned to four years ago.
Jim would like her to do that; he had
always liked to. see her prettily
dressed, and maybo Jim might see
her from the spirit world tonight.
As sho fastened tho gown she al
most forgot that Jim could not be \
(here, that it waH all !
a make-believe. As j
ehe stood before the ?
mirror the smile of \
four years ago came i
buck again. She noted j
the color in her j
checks; it waa like a
bridal blush.
A rap at thfc door .
dispelled the illusion
she had permitted her- '
self for a few mo
ments. Sho could not ;
go to the door in that
dress. The. caller i
would have to wait, but ;
ho did not wait. She hoard the door
swing, a heavy stop on the floor, and
a voice ? oh! such a familiar voice ?
calling Hetty.
".Ihn! My Jim!" she answered, as
she pulled open the door of her bed
room and sprang into the arms cf a
strong, bronzed sail jr.
Par into the night sho listened to
.1 1 m'n talo of shipwreck on tho Pata
gonlnn coast, of the months and years
of practical captivity before he could
set back to a seaport.
"And now," ho said, "1 am home to
claim my Christmas bride."
"And I have our Christmas baking :
dope." said Hetty. ?]
V T5! VH7 A. PATTHRSON, j
The Christmas Dinner
Should be Selected
With The Utmost Care
We have everything that you could pos
sibly desire in the line of meats
Turkeys
Chickens
Sausage
Veal . .
* . Beef
. . Pork
. .Lamb
Mutton
Phone us before placing your Order
CAMPBELL BROTHERS
?
Phones 24 and' 162
For a Christmas Gift
See our new line of "WEAR-EVER" Alu
minum Cooking Utensils. Nothing nicer
for a Christmas present than a piece of
this handsome serviceable ware.
C[f Give us a call and we will help you?out
in your Christmas shopping. With the
. ?
seasons heartiest greeting, respectfully
yours, .*. .*. .*.
BURNS & BARRET