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rue ciiaawrrizrovvu ‘GUARDIAN

ING SANTA CLAIT

k‘-\‘\;‘-“h

S

A Christmas Romance ofloving Service, Intrigue and a

Lasting Happiness-The Reward of Sacrifice and Suffering

DECEMBER 16. 1939'

Illlllill

._@-

(Continued from p186 13)

Dora's eyes were round with amazement and her definite opin- ion was that anyone who did not like sum a heavenly place must be out of his or her mind. As she opt-lye, she was lifting her break- fast tray from tre table to her knees. Jan watched her in silence. Ind then commented on it.

"Dara! You lifted tiiat tray so Gflfilij‘. Do you really feel-"

"Oh, I'm well enough-my doc- tor man has been gtvins I113 llii sorts of little things to do that I never did before. It was going to be a great surpilse for you some dav to see me go thraygh my daily d”Zt‘li zlil at one time. But I forgot llfifd the tray. I've spoiled the

" Dora said sadly. . .1 hcr so hard that thc jL and coffee were in ‘o dtngtr at falling l0 t.:e ilcor. She csuld no: spcak: i151‘ heart us. ttzo lull for v: But she r:-

.ti if there was CYPI‘ any- caitlri do iri‘ kindly Dr. ivoiild iieicr count the ‘if

morning wore on. Jan

ill t‘:‘i a...r<i to her and ilie oiclies- "e had learn-

t ve'lcw '"

l' ‘ingly polntedho- the ' liir cuiiiti fit he!‘ feet ("lfl dfmaiidctl that

hr innit-d cvvn for DH

r ti‘! : ’\"illl".i

.1 dim: ill." t‘ act's i -. liei‘ aiiib. 1‘ eyes vxilli the gratitude she

. him. How wonderful it ust :[1?l'.l. a lifetime bring- s to others! Of course acl not realv spent a Ian reminded herself‘, . n,

a‘ ttle over thirty .lve. ddtnly Dr. Curtis locked '.'L‘ Dora's fair head and

this young lzidy ls about

ri-w‘ - ~ will‘ cxiieiwiiicrit." 115w. i-tiurl ciili.‘ land and shire a~ him ll: liiid a'wa_vs refined to "flint! tl‘;it tii" operalitm would . he Lllililg more than DXplYi- l tn i'.1l'lll'f‘. although Jan

. .r.tr:l l1" hoped it would give . i a rflv lifc. ‘Oh. J: isn't t“.is wonderful?" “Oi cou se dear." JJII swallowed th: lump in her threat and tried to be castial as she answered her sis- ic could not overcome hcrci e fear that Dr. Curtis‘ snipe statement had aroused. her helpless little sister- oti an operating table! The of ether-those dreadful s of Wlllllll‘! without being ablc t» rtlp. She Lard Dr. Curtis’ viiicc as from a great distance" v "Ycur sister is going to be finc ‘ ‘s been one of my best and I know she

so fai

r going to disiinpoiiit m-e nozv." 7 DT-‘tifd the pale slender hand cu tho covcrlet and rose ‘. Only then did Jan remem- ' the question of pzifvmfl operation had not neon but. Di‘ Curtis! The mon- llit warm hand resled reassuring- ‘iculdrr a moment. "I

y. mi her n ltivcii‘: min cd it. have I? he es' "l Hlliiil‘

“Ho, but-J‘ "Then you flf‘{"ll‘.'l bolkci‘ about If it will make You I111." I ivant. to tell you that s "s of this operation will n . lo me ai‘.d I can arrange gs at the hospital." r. Citrtis turned awav from the ~si painful relief that made . lips quiver and her eyes‘ fill tears. He envied Tony's i to brint: that lock to the face. When his friend had t told rim about Jan and her . ha 111d tried to convince that the iclca of posing as ‘o n cittuffciir was a foolish Dr. Curtis had to admit it ivas the only way Tcnv .vc rirrnivrcd for Jan to a Vie ‘ifi without her v~zind nfusltig-his kind- n Tony

.s

J

Juiced ‘ 55$ 101 cp-ratirn. hr Wfllffilfl

ll ttiatf Jtau ogiagtift-tto kitow tit o fer nae or. "fflndl miss an this fun?" Tony had ccntanrled. “Not on 3'01" 11191 I've given enough to charity and 115,911.61 to EIICUZh meaty-mouthed s and hypocritical thank pseol. .. I certain-v w) pert it few pennies for the girl Im c. about. ivlthout» P11111116; 1191' in n soot where she'll have to reg- isPr gratitude." Ti‘: doctcr, xiow prt-‘Dflflllo 110 leave, one a few cheerful itistruc- tinvs in the girls. an.“ can he ready to co to the hcsirital this afternoon?’ 11E asked crisiiallv- 111711110111- Wamf‘? 1°’ Jan's answer he went on: ‘Ill send a private ambulance at threenxouh} line it. ocrg.‘ he prom-sell, will‘ no racing tcrouqh the streets wit the siren going full blast. 5687111‘! all the rest of the B11110 0111 °1 a wav." Outside in the Ital]. 11"" across Jan's shoulders he ‘slid! happy about it, Jan.” T1181

‘B’:

helps everybody. you know." "I-Pni happy," whispered Jan.

XIII

After Dora. smiling frcni the stretcher, had been carried out of the room, Jan lost all sense of time. She was not to see Dora again until after the operation. accord- ing to Dr. Curtis‘ arrangements. and the hours went by ln a sort of ‘lriizien procession that dulled her setters to everything-arm tiie work that lay before lier, Site tol- lowed her reguliir rout-ins, accept- ing her cues mechanically, shilling a frozen little smile at the applause she received. Then almost imniedi- atcly it was another day-the day of Dora's operation!

The old woman. always referred to by Jan and Dora as ‘That cranky old Mrs. Talbot" who lived on the same flour, mct Jan in the hall that morning or; she was fitt- liiz iifi‘ kev into the door.

"I hcur your sislfr has gout-i to the hospital." ‘organ lifts. Tinbot. “I hope ev:ryt'ttiig will be all right.‘

Jan was zistrnlshed at this sym- pathy. She had thought that Mia. Tfbot disiikeci her-in fact the cld laiy llilll replied ivitcn

‘niiig to hri‘ Now l}. that sh: was ii would be c suc- c iyould tell Dora coitkl scc k-tr that had l?‘i(‘|_llll'TCl about

'l':lbot

>t1l‘l ll‘l'"tl to v-st. liu‘ l‘l' ct lllll'll“.'ll "l r

‘on her

her hat ' aiinloss- ‘ when she that Dr

lift‘

twirl cf time to _ A tiitii . ‘ ‘ and v.‘.=.s - tired. Paul met her as ‘ cctiiing in and erzclointed . v

"Volt iiiu~l r"!

7-. us

(if-l scniri trail you in

l :i't f"ll. the illlld will

Jan. like an oliedleiit child. ivciil.

to her FOCIII. acxpleci ti‘: cup of hat broth that vxis ‘Till lll1 to her. and curled up on the bed. She v.au‘d nab-she could nct-fal‘. asleep. Yet. about five minutes later. it the maid was gently si tier rind saying it

was sevcn o'clock.

It was a biof=cd relief to rush

through a iuth. lorct- tltivit a sand- \\l"l\ ard art

rnadi‘ for the slioiv.

reossur i l'Fl' as niurli as his

. Dora had caaperatczl beau- peuscd with She

tifiili_\'. Ilo ivas vcry the way everything had gone was ltCL to worry‘. His voice li rd with her for the next houi

Then again site began

‘get restless. to wonder nervously if Dr. Curtis had not been professionally

kind. If only she could sr-a Dora -_iust for a niiitutel But no. she ni' t put on her make-up. she must dance and smi'e and sing her sillv tuneful little song. I-I:i‘ nails bit into hcr palms until SllL‘ felt that. she would l:se control. and hated ewrv Cll.‘ of the well (tress- crl. well fed audlenre “o titrrirzi tlIPlI"f'2ICCS' to ‘her 5w a‘. fast corn" tiie bl (‘f release-ii." c:iild fly to 'I‘-'t1:.‘ . the (‘LIT l0 cariv he? to it tal. Jan scare heazd Zaiiibr is wlrspercd: “Br Mzitiemcissllcl" The morning afttr Data's‘ oper- ta the hotel

lycstlibh lied Ill

fCCLICIF. Lust iii i. when you chino

back frcm the hospital I was afi‘aid...."

Jan look i up a“d remembered that slto l‘ ilF" "nulls ivifc had died in hos ial loivin; an oper-

‘ill

uticn. Far t"? inst time he seem- ed to her not n stun and w-arlaly liotel manager, bu; a sympathetic friend.

Later. when siie answered zi ring at the door. Jlil surnrimd to sec her former Lind ‘v. Mrs. Mal-

lorcl. framed in the tioorwnv. The P1931?‘ bii'k of hi2‘ fiziirc iviis swath-cal in a poll u'.<tei‘ tliiit seeineti to fllllb" her we She ivas ivtaring Whlli. was plziiiily- c new ital. as vi l—. ‘c ' l;i'i- stvlo as Jan l‘. a

that wits the l lord should have curs entered the room. she large trarsprirent-wwnpped bouquet in Jan's fire.

"I would have taken them to thr-

hospital to your sister, on! couldn't gct flier-a duriii". hours. " the began. "I'm

a chance beiiic awry as lotig this. itilyliflils‘. Hwy is the poor (lar- ling?"

"She's 1u=t fine Mrs Millard. Everybody save she eoildivt be better." Jun ivillctl fc"iv.'ii“l ill! easy chiilr and. settled licr \'l.‘~llt’ll" comfortably. “Let me iieIp you off with your coat."

“I don't know as that's itercs- sary." the woman rcniled. smooth- inil the plaid design over her knee.

"It's new. isn't it? And I do like your hat, Mrs. Mallard.“ II do. but. not on her. Jiin was thinking to herself.)

“I'm after having mnclf a com- plete new outfit."

"Really. Mrs Maiord! Don't tell me someones left you a for- time?"

"Well. HOW --:\nd that's lust ivlrat. hgppened." bqxan Mrs. Mallorri. "You'll be remembering that nude of mine that had his futirral on the very day I couldn't go? He

was a sly one. God rest his soul! A savings account, he had all tho time-in a bark. mind V3\i—»'.\'ilh a. bank book and all. and never a word to anvboriv exec t how hard it was for him 1114118 0 111511" ""15 meet." __ "Yuri mean your uncle had mo..- nv?" J-n interrupted “He did titat! And he's nftrr leav- ing it all to me. A 103W. 111! 1"“

yer called it—a fine spoken young

told her that Dr. Curtis was a

want anything to drink. and may; ed softly, “you should have let me

"m" l" Wfl-i- tw- The wry were wad tuned of wuiiiim iinmoiiy t r my, i a iii. hi“ see him before. 1 was worried about

of‘ in!” nephew Timothy Mc- Deverestis and it was unlikely that ffivorfngr, , 5?,“ wart dowyou a: him." ‘

s “Bi.€—~ ' he _would want to sit at the same bit of harm -not a bit." "Worry? I should hope not!" 0h. Mrs. Mallard-Int more tab.e with Deverestls chauffeur. Jan laughed in spite of herself- cried Tony, coming bu. "Look

Blad about it than I can tell you." Yet she could not Just rudely walk “wen, 1g 1 have go

Jan cried. “New you won't have to work any more."

“Listen to the child!" scoffed Mrs. Mallard. "And what should I be doing if not working. as I've

done all my life? No, f l ‘red C tis tit .,ht o . _ and eighty-seven dollgiElsr ilsunighet aufnore Etlilayrmiilfge gglllifillgfglf: seen flnyonm suddenly 10mm‘ vigorous

I had left after I bought some new

clothes fcr mys=lf and Jack, as the face when h-e should e , d .. . _

lawyer advised ‘mo to do. Imagine, promised himself that hepglegtli-ldflsrlee ffémgiiniifigfig "§§’,",l§°‘§,§fi°g_b-1§°,§,

if you can. me taking advice mam to it that. his friend acted perfect- nddlg junk p319 them;- hed

a lawyer! But I put the rest of the 11101163! away and now I can die easy."

XIV

Accepting the cup of tea that Jan had ordered for her and which the belibay had just brought in,

Mrs. Mailord sat back coinplacent- by his urgent arm, could not pro- Jewei chest!»

ly. As she stlrrcd the generous iiiiiouiit of sugar in the cup. Mrs. Mallord drift:d. at a question from Jan. to Jack and his new "club." It was all due. it seem-ed. to that fine young man of Jan's-Tony Williams. Jan flushed at Mrs. Mal- .ord's assumption of an iit:itt between itcr and Tottv.

Sire told the givlabouttlie empty was Tony behind the wheel of the W111 probably find the 11131315 Mr. car. He had caught sight of them. A. 13-" 511° bmke off suddenly and be a shopping day.

store down the block that.

Williams had managed to mitt for and his face was alive with wel- a

tiis bays. It was all izi a bad state of ttpair, but the boys themselves 1nd painted it and fixed i‘. up. She had tmdc t-lirm some nice ilD\‘."lTfl ctiztaliis and Jaii didn't l:n.v. wit"! it. n‘ heart to have a boy the slrcits and safe cut of harm's . Jack was studying hard. too.

arrays been icry bright in oi aitzl Mr. Will ms had told n about a SCiIOlJ. win to go to a miiit titiiform amt bass skrmkcd. lzzizl l:d Jack to work hard toward this particular goal.

school. The buttons, Jan

"1191" l1", Y°l1- T1111?” 511111 D'- the others and rrcape to her apart- tifitd. making 1'10 move t0 18116 5111115! lllcklllg J1“ imught- 1111' rneitt. She unfaslrned the beautiful 1-116 bracelet i119 51199911 11' 11110 nec-sssarilyi patronizing. 'I‘.‘ls was Maggi“ and flung i; mm a draw- his overcoat pocket. lp lie might going to be worse than she had e,- as 1f m? very touch o1 1g "Let's not. talk about it," said imagined. buwed he, fingfl-i Jan. "Only-only don't give me "Very wel. thank you-sir." Tony Myckev-s regfleme u, Supnosed anything like that again. Please. “dmd- “Ppa-“enlly 115 a“ 35191‘ initials inside ker bracelet had not T0111" 1115113111 disturbed her. She had ste-eled her- 711111 W115!“ W115i- 5119 ‘11811 U W 511 N113‘! Pulp-OT’?! 111d 113% Xv self to such references. feeling that £15112"? 19 5115'- §119t£13d 11163111111110 ir;. (‘lips o .ea tin mi eqiia , _. _ _, , - _ . ' y, 2 sern, an a. e same t e lllllIl17Sl' cf rfcces cf toast with I m“ 1211313" m hum‘ Sam gQ-‘Yf: 521111} getgfiidrige tit-Iii?‘ hi‘; P19861115. She would coax him to - “I'd Sh‘? “Us me ma‘ - ‘ ' T i‘; D " tell her -t.hc truth about the brace- m? 311.633). has a luncheon date was the kt.ow.s..ge that the brace- 1e! make {um promise m return W313i .1011 ~50 “'9'”? declded 1° 1M Tcny hat-l (‘W-m her. was Wlu- it. ‘however he had manaflfd to tolls-v it a tlirvrsoitie" “m? m“ f"gl""‘3°" h“; .. . come by it $116 had mime up her Jan laughed nervou51y_ ~I am how she understood eierytrnng. mind w “as brozram just as the 511m T0113‘ W131 be dinghlkdi" She Mrs Mallard s. legimy" ime ~ club dawn came af‘ed last night's weary sum before me glowermg Tom. house for Jackie and hs friends. heartsick houljs No with Tmy collm $11511‘ T931‘ 5J1‘? evemflg Cloth“ _m5 beside her Jan fouald it hard ‘to Fm. a m.” T0,... jmnrned the it.\itat oiis to iiri to dine and speak at ail‘

she cculd nsi stay another‘ minute

.'i_i.id_ hosted hr-rsclf out of the arm- C .

-r. Wl‘.c‘.i she was gone. Jan u ta cirrss hastlv. She had a te with Tony and she. y wait to tell him about Dr. Curtis had said a2"! how kind cvenvzitc at the hos- l1!'§'| lllill bc-tit. Sh: If"! so frsllve she wished she

hart sent.“ flcvmrs ta pin to her dark coat. But cver since she h Jused his orchids. Tony

had refrained from giving h-er any mare flow: . That had been a sil- and chi dlsli thing to do. Jan for the huiidretli time as tiiiiaged through a drawer bracelet that had been‘ ‘Tony's only lasting gift to her.

It was quite a pretty bracelet. Jan thought as‘ site fastened the cl. l) afDllfiZl her wrist. Rhine- stoi‘ s and a pattern of littlc green

Slvlf. that. almost matched her coat. Really. a diamond brace-let couldn't have sparkfcd more. Jan

lill'llT"(l her arm this way and that. admiring the flash of the stones. inarvelliiig iirew at the modern ingenuity that could imitate real diamonds so successfully.

In the back of her mind Jan was going over ivliat Mrs. Mallard had said about her legacy and Jack's club. It was ail woaderftilly‘ gcozl fortune for the Mallard iam- ily. Kind of Tony‘, too. to take such an interest in the boy. I-Ie must be spending quite a lot of money on him. Jan knew enough about rents the cost of paint nnd chiiitz citr-

tair to realize that even the ‘ ‘l rcoiii which Jack's

t up inu=t cost a good

(ILKiflfS. Tony had tiuvei-

I

icr what lie tzrned; sh

loltl posrd it was plenty. since he sccni- to to be somewhat of a confiden- . l s.- :r:t:irv as well as chauffeur

to William Anthony Devercst. From I ‘ at Tony said. site gathered that.

- con Zed in him most

c <1 . .. 0f his private life. 5 ‘ licw much money would he have ta be tnaikutg to be able to in-

uul phiziittltiopy foi‘ a iiliolc tic.‘ ‘ llOLlfl cf boy's?

S only. Jan was struck by another thought. ‘Phat legacy of

airs. Mallard". tivas rat.h"rfui".ti_v that. this unc ' titi‘ii cut c moncy only after Tony is ind eillcd at Jan's cld

ilTIl .! Oh. well-there ivzis tirobzib- ly no connection. And as for the bzys. maybe that club of theirs was no’. nearly so grand as Jack's tnotiiri‘ described. It wouldiftdo any iiarni, however. to find out if she could whether oi‘ not Tony was spriiding all his savings on the Mzillcrzl famiy simply because she lZflCl suggested that they nccded help.

Jan picked up her purse and went down to the lobby. In anath- it would be hung with ; Paul had already lcld . . the huge ivreatlts of bal- wh ch wcrc especially" made ‘ the Devon Arms evrry‘ year

i ordered and ivcre even citing dressed up in red

"Jan!"

"lvtiy. Dr. Curtis!" exclaimed Jan. The last time Jan had seen him he had bet-ii‘. in his white coat looking as stiff and starched as if he had never appeared outside the shining hospital wards. Now he was dressed in a dark blue overcoat that gave him somehow a. more youthful air. Jan could not help noticing that his warm smile and friendly greeting were more whole- hearted than usual. Her color rose as she cavc hliii her hand and chided him for having lcft Dora. even for an instant.

“Dora couldn't be bttler. nor in bettrr hands." said the doctor. "but I've bcen ivoiidering if somebody shouldn't look after you. In fact. I ivas coming up to prescribe luncheon for you with me."

"our"

Jan could not repress an excla- mation that. was half pleasure at tlie tfcuzht that such a busy doc- t-or should find time to think of i1.’ -aiid yet dismay at the recol- lection that ilic was even then on ill‘l' ivay to mcct 'l"r.ti_v. Slie-cxitlalti- (‘l1 us‘ ivcll as slie could that the litnchcon data ivas oitt of the ques- tion: she was mcrting a lend within a fciv minutcs.

"A girl friend? I'.l take you both to lunch."

Jan's color rose a shade higher Rs size (‘Xplillllfi haltingly that lt was not a girl she was meeting. As Dr Curts still stood looking at her. with that very intent friendly glance. she grew more em- barrzssrrl. She did not. want to ham hm know that site was lun- cliliig with Tony. The latter had