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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1913)
3 TUE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 21, 1913. Jre$cott A WHETHER Mrs. Dalton wn dis contented, or dissatisfied, or disappointed, she wu, at any rate, very unhappy. And it wa corn In? on Christmas ere, when no one has a right to be unhappy. She had married Rodney Dalton when be waa on the high Ude of suc cess, and money had flown Into her hands as the waters of an Irrigation ditch flow when the gates are open. And she bad gowns from Paquln. and gems from Tiffany and the Rue de la Faix, and gold and silver table equip age, and Summer jaunts to Europe with her motor car and everything as might befit a princess 01 the Dioou. And now now Rodney had failed, failed utterly, and they had gone to a little hut In the' country and were buried alive! At least Teresa had called It a hut In the first place; it was really an old farmhouse, half way up a hill, soma 20 miles away, capable of a good deaL From there Rodney bad gone In and out In the endeavor to repair Ms fortunes in the city. A Lost Fortune. The knowledge of his failure had coma to her with a great shock. She was -at the assembly ball, and, that clumsy De Valles, having torn her flimsy draperies, she had gone to a dressing room for repairs. And while one of the maids was busy with needle and thread in her behalf she heard Frances Bannock, who also was un dergoing repairs, and who had not no ticed her, talking to soma one whom she herself did not see. "Why, did you notice her?" said Mrs. Bannock. " Tou would never dresm such a thing happened." "No. She holds her head as high as a duchess. said the other. "And Mr. Bannock tells me It Is the worst failure In years. It demoralized the street and sent stocks down to rock bed. as he calls it. No one had an idea of it. Every one yes. Jennie, that Is the way It goes; such a bad rent every one thought Rodney Dalton was as solid as the hills. It doesn't seem possible It can be true, and she so entirely at her ease. Why. look at the Jewels she wears! Bannock said they would have to go; the creditors will Insist upon it- If that is so 1 mean to have Bannock buy that saddle horse of hers and give It back to her. I waa always fond of her." "Oh, perhaps It Isn't so bad. said the unseen lady. "If these Jewels go there are others. There are failures and failures, you know. Haven't you ever heard of a fortune In a failure?" And then Teresa seemed suddenly to lower above them a royal creature in her purple chiffons strung with bril liants, and with the filet of big soli taires across her hair. "Do you know what you are talking about, Frances Bannock V she cried. "Mt husband failed! It Isn't possible!" "I'm sure Tm awfully sorry. Teresa." "Tou know very well. Frances Ban nock, that if Rodney Dalton has failed it will be an honorable failure, leaving htm without a penny. And tell your gossip there who is It? Oh. I see. Rosamond Leigh that I shall hold my head Just as high without my Jewels! Give me my cloak. Susanna." And she threw the wrap of rose colored velvet, covered with priceless lace and lined with priceless sables, over her white shoulders and hurried from the room and from the place. "She doesn't know what failure means, poor thing," said Frances Ban nock. ... "I fancy she'll llnd out, aald Rosa mond Leigh. "She la quite a fury, isn't she?" The horses could not go quickly enough as Teresa hurried home. The wings of the wind could not have borne her swiftly enough. As she waited for the door to open she glanced up at the night and the great scarf of stars above the street, and a half formed sense of wonder and of relief came to her. Since the stars were still in their places It was Im possible that things had changed so disastrously for Rodney. She swept upstairs to her sitting room and went In like an angry and avenging fate. Rodney was waiting for her. She saw in an Instant that hope waa gone. "Is It truer' she cried. "Have you failed? Did you let me go among those cruel women knowing that? Is every thing to go?" "Quite true," he said. "Everything." She tore off her nerkloce and bandeau Bus Discloje 0 F the preliminaries of this Inter view with Santa Claua tne wruer reaolutelv refuses to telL That they necessitated persuasion It is pos- ! slble, of course, to concede. Important personages love to be persuaded. Even Santa Claus did. though he failed to make the point that his coyness be Included in the interview, a wish that important personagea have voiced be fore. Ttat the Interview took place In Greenland, too. you may believe. As to directions for the situation of that delectable mansion of Santa Claus himself, on that the interviewer's lips are sealed. That rivers of raspberry syrup flow In their rapt courses about It Is admitted for of what use would it be to deny the dreams of childhood? That all the trunks of the trees about It are the original Inspiration for those red. white and blue candy sticks we used to come by In the shining honrs when the earth was intimately close and the people In it so very smiling (ah. how smiling they nsed to be) can not be denied. That the ground about Santa Claus' house Is moiasses candy (though frozen quite hard) and that the bashes about It are ripe with choc olates, "n lemon drops. n sugar plums, 'n candles of every bright color is true though these things we knew very ions ago. before w had come to for get. But one forgets even cocoanut candy when one sees Santa, and when one comes to think of bim in his very works! oi and In his very overalls, m-hy, ft just gives one a thrill. For ganta Claus was very busy, and as he planed at the wood upon the bench the shavings came from him like exuberant snowflakea It was ob vious that he was behindhand. And fancy what it must be only to have Europe and Asia and Australia done, and all the toys for all the kiddles In ' all America and Africa yet to fix! One might have forgotten him had he frowned, with only half a continent to do. But with two, and one of them America! It seemed too much to ask. though this affected Santa not at all. He smiled like the heart of childhood, although, of course, be was young In ;mji onx when he eomjanied with - f ' . and bracelets, together with her long string of pearls, and flung them on the table beside which be was standing. "Take them!" she cried. "Teresa!" "There's a fortune in them. A for tune one might be happy on if it were not for the wild folly of the big gamble. Tou couldn t be content until vou were In with the Rothschilds and the rest. What is this they call them? Captains of Industry and masters of money. And here we are now, ana i pitied by Frances Bannock and Insulted by Rosamund Leigh!" "Teres!" he said again. "And she said the creditors took everything." "Everything belonging to me. Tour Jewels are your own, and the old farm house on Qrayshead Hill waa yours before you married- me, is yours still. with Its two outlying cottages. That Is where we shall have to go till" "Till what?" "Till I am on my feet again or in my grave. The grave would be a blessed place beside this!" And he left the room. She stood a few moments where she was. If she had been turned to stone she could hardly have been more still. Then she turned and breathlessly began unpinning the parure of brilliants and amethysts that overlay her bodice and stripping her dress of the strings of jewels that fell between the folds of her purple chiffon to her knees. And she gath ered them into a corner of the cloak she had thrown otf and ran down to the library. She had heard him go in there. ' "Do you suppose," she cried, as she flung the door to behind her, "that I am less honest than you?" A Wife's Love, And then she saw him as he sat In his chair, with his arms thrown out straight across the table and his head fallen between them. In an instant the cloak and Its con tents fell with a smothered crash to the door, and she was kneeling beside him, with her arms about him. "Oh, Rodney, Rodney, darling, for give me!" she cried. "I was beside myself! ' I don't care what I lose If I don't lose you! Oh, what a wicked wife I am. when I should comfort my husband. Dearest. I know what a cruel thing it is to you your pride your honor!" And she rose and stood over him and lifted his head and laid it on her breast- "And if the Jewels are mine I won't have any quixotic nonsense about it. Tou shall take them, and perhaps they will be enough to make a start. No, no, you mustn't refuse me. I shall think you haven't forgiven me if you do. And I couldn't blame you! But. or, I should be so wretched! We. will fight It but to gether, dearest, and old Grayshead Hill isn't so bad after all. I remember the house. It had some pleasant rooms and a view. I was having quite a revenue from that and the two smaller ones before the tenants left as much as J 500." And she laughed gaily and checked herself, surprised at the sound. "We'll go tomorrow," she said, "and now we'll go and get what sleep we may. I am sure you need It- Why didn't you tell me, dear one, and let me hold up your hands?" How radiant she was now as she talked, all flushed and eager, her cheeks burning, her eyes gleaming, her burnished hair, from which she had snatched the diamond pins, falling about her In great curling tresses, her smiles and her tears! Was ever any one sweeter or more caressing? It put the heart Into Rodney. They both forgot how different it had been a half hour before. Of course they didn't go on the mor row, but as soon as the bankruptcy allowed. And Teresa had some old silver and china and linen of her mother's that had long been packed eway and could not possibly be called Rodney's, and other various furnish ings, and as the farmhouse had always been rented partly furnished, it did not take long to put It In tolerable array. Of course Olympe and the fine lady upper servants were not to be thought of, but the faithful old Caro line, who had been the maid of Teresa's mother, went with them, and there it was. Treasures of Gold. It Is no easy thing to change a whole manner of life from great lux ury to as great simplicity. And when LING - u. at. His The Grecian gods, who In reality were con scious children. That Is why they lived so long. From these ne learneu to smile, although, of course, this ac complishment would fall to interest you. Tou are wise and a stockbroker. You have forgotten. It was on this question of age that I commenced. It waa a certainty that Santa would answer truly. His record is known for several hundred years, and at that period yo cease to care. "Mr. Sauta," said the Interviewer, diffidently, "would you care to tell me would it be too much to ask your age?" His shavings ceased Immediately. His smile brought curious memories of rose gardens and shining brooks when vou were . It was, perhaps, of smiles ilke his that you remembered near the brooks you who snrlle and are smiled at no longer, and so are old. Santa regarded his visitor suddenly with the gentle seriousness of a child softened by a wisdom consciously ban ished. "My age?" said ha "My dear. If I had ever thought of It how could I be here? One comes to age only through keeping playmate with the soul of youth, and coming of age is ever young. I never think of sgo, only of childlmcd and the times of smiling years. That Is where those old fel lows, the philosophers, who sought eternal youth, made their mistake. They sought and counted the time of search. The gods died counting the days of happiness, and one day found that they, too, were old. Circe used to lauph at me because I made toys for children. She used to say that it was nicer to make fools of men. But Circe, she died, too. Tou see. she counted. She was a gracious tadv. I've heard It said, rest her soul!" lie stood serious for a moment, but with an Infinite tenderness upon him still. He stood, the purity of child hood hopes emblasoned In a man. The great, white, wonderful World Ahead showed In his eyes, no spot upon it, still peopled with the gracious ones, simple and brave and generous and kind, that lived In that World Ahead when we looked out upon it, too. The mansions of high hopes were there and generous ambitions and castles of simple dream stuff in which one was to llvs In the gentle eye of the kind world. Santa Claa looked pint ana whit Teresa, with the help of Caroline and a chore man. had disposed of such be longings as they had and given the old place a homelike air, and arranged for wood fires in all the rooms and prepared a few Indigestible meals, and taken long walks through the coun try and brought home new treasures of gold and scarlet boughs, and later of fluffy seed vessels and red berries: had visited various poor people and read verses to various sick ones, the days began to lag and life began to seem more featureless and dreary than she had ever dreamed it could be, and her discontent, if that is what It was, made her all but really 111. The only excitement or pleasure of the day was watching Rodney come up the hill from the train. And when he came he was as low-spirited as she and the roaring fire was the only cheerful thing in the house except Caroline. She, when announcing din ner, glowed with satisfaction; the soup she had made of little but the garden herbs, the steak or the chicken she had broiled, the whip of sugared cream atop of the wild plums she had stewed, all filled her soul with the Joy of creation, that acknowledged but little Indebtedness to the hens on the place and' the cow the choreman had taken care of In the absence of an occupant of the house, for the milk and eggs. And though everything was excellent and dainty, too. It seemed to Teresa sordid and mean, and she had no appetite for It. and she would He Work Mi .Secret of Youth dud and smiling and always wtlh the child look. Shavings were upon the floor white, white shavings with a plney smell and upon the bench and cling ing to Santa Claus' overalls. There were boards and wire and pieces of canvas and pots of paint, and one could Bee boxes and boxes of tin sol diers heaped up, and heaps and heaps of little railroad engines, too, and aeroplanes, not to speak of automo biles. Mrs. Ssnta'a Voice. And every little while would sound a voice (It was Mrs. Santa's) calling sweetly as silver bells. "Hurry, now. Santa! " Buddy at Pike's Corner will never get hlsl" or "How about Effle's present Santa?" It brought Effle very Intimately close. It seemed to suggest that Effle's letter had even been read, a thing unlmagined by Ef fle. secure in the removed confidence of four. "Mr. Santa, do you read every letter that every little boy and girl sends you even when it's Just a scribbler" he was asked. "Why, of course," said Mr. Santa in surprise as to how so apparent a fact could be doubted. "I get them all. What is the postman for?" "And In a year how many do yon " Santa put up a pink finger of warn ing. "S-sssh," he said, "we never count here Joys or sorrows or letters or tovs we never count We only love "life and childhood and have thankful hearts and make toys. That's how we keep young. Young Joe. the reindeer, told me that when we first went Into the business to gether rural delivery. "I go about on an aeroplane nowa days. We've got to keep up with the times. That's another way to keep young." . T He confidentially lowered his voice. "I only keep Joe, the reindeer, now to . pose for the Christmas supple ments: and do you know he seems to like ltr He was back at work now. and the shavings, like an encouraged Btorm, Indicated that Bud could count on his. "Yes." he continued, "I keep up with the times and that's another way of keeping young:" -And the sifts themselves have changed,1! awake half the night, having wrought her brain to sleeplessness In bemoan ing her condition and In trying not to let Rodney know. But in spite of her effort Rodney might have felt that he had not much of a home to come to if he had allowed any thought of himself to outdo his constant sense of his wife's having lost the life she loved through his reck lessness. As it was he made the best of it, concealed his depression till it ceased entirely with better luck, told her the news of town, his improving opportunities, -of his determination to pay every dollar of the balance for which the creditors had compounded, and was always praising and encour aging. "Oh. Miss Teresa," said old Caroline, "the Lord broke the mould when he made that man!" So the seasons wore away, from the melting snows of March through the roses of July, the drifts of Autumn leaves. She tried to make cheer for Thanksgiving day, and Rodney felt his heart glad within him at what seemed to him a sweet acquiescence hi fate. And now .the Christmas snows were upon them In a great uproar of storm. Caroline had gone into town for her mistress and had sold, for a fraction of its value, of course, a ring that had come to her from the estate of some one of her dead and gone great-aunts, and that she had happened on only the other day in looking over old boxes. 4NTA Bench The Vvv l - ' ... -i. - , -Yes." he replied, "fashions have, "She Was Kneeling Beside Him and she had bought the material for a royal dressing gown for Rodney. And the only useful bit of work Teresa had ever done was the making of this garment, in secrecy save for Caroline's supervision, that Bhe might surprise Rodney with it. She was really quite happy while engaged in this work. And then she and Caroline cut down and made over some of Rodney's cast-off clothes for the boys of a family in want on the other side of the hill, and after she had carried them to their destina tion Teresa seemed to hear all night the mother's thanks ringing in her ears. She felt like a person who was doing good in the world, was resolved to do more, and enjoyed the sensation. etii J' - 5 4 - "Little soldiers," replied Santa, in- CLAUS Benevol Discusses - " " 1 i -v W if j-.-rI;i,Vi rJ -3 i With H er Arms About Him," The dressing gown was lying over a chair by the fire, quite glowing in the firelight, for it was Christmas eve at last. It was growing darker and darker outside and the -snow was driving past ana tne sieet i&sneu um roaring wind of the northeasterly gale. T . ttma that PnHllV Wfl.fl fit V, Ufa ,aln Vl O W h 1 (3 1 1 P ft bv half an hour ago. How cruel, she thought. that Koaney, usea to ma nnw ciclh cab, should have to struggle now with v. - - , rnnti Th f 1 r .were B U 1- 11 U i3 L U . ... wu vwh. roiling- their great flames up the chim neys and she saw the room she had II1UUC) BU 1 -15 1 1 - - and etherealized. She wondered why it frio-htened her a little and gave her Old Gentle rtid n His- Hedvu ... . Christmas JAs - Pike's Corner wants one, too, and mother!" "Father!" answered the silver voice to his. "What did Effle want?" "A doll," came back the silver voice. Dolls and Soldiers. "That's what the little Egyptians had," said Santa Claus, ceasing sud denly his work. "Dolls 'n soldiers are the toys that never get old. ' Er I wonder if they count?" "Of course not" promptly responded the interviewer. "I don't think they do, either," said he, eagerly. "Dolls 'n' soldiers never count they stay too young. People laugh when I tell 'em that but they never smile. People have forgotten to smile." He laughed a timid challenge. " 'N that's another thing that makes em old," ventured he. " 'N their hearts can't get out in the sunshine." And he nodded his head. "Yes, the toys change," said he absently after a little "always change. There Is only one thing that is ever the same." "And that?" The interviewer feared to disturb him, for he seemed to speak to him self. "The heart of the child," he an swered. "That is what the race of men commences with and what it leaves behind. That is what it has passed from and to what it will come. It Is that which makes men gentle who are hard. The heart of the child! It is mankind's unrecognized ideal for Itself the heart of the child." He stood still, looking out beyond the bleak window to where the night whipped snow down from the black gley. He turned and smiled again. He looked apologetically at his bench. The Interviewer ventured a query. "Don't you ever have trouble get ting down chim " "neys?" he said, and nodded his head decidedly. "N I can come any where. Any child knows that," said he. "In a little crack in the wall in through a little keyhole. I can come always to those whose mothers want me-" . "But how do you know " "There's the postman, as I told you," premonitions of trouble of danger. She remembered that It was called the witches' fire. She went into the dining room, where, the table was set with her mother's old' silver and the old damask Caroline had bleached to snow, and rearranged it a little, and went back again to the window, shielding It with her hands that she might look out: But again there was nothing but blackness and the emptiness of the driving storm. Where In the world was Rodney?. Hadn't he come? Had he thought the storm too bad and stayed in town? He would never do that; he. would not . i . nhriotmiiq pva! leave Her ttiuiie " " . " Could it be that Rodney had left the i . nni4 iAEt Vi i a wov 1n the dark. and was he lying now in some drift, to be covered in a winains sneei i ; , i - cfeA m-o 1 1-,wl 1 1 n dnii ana iroieu ov. ' .. ... --. - - -a ' . i- ftntimr it Impossible UUrt II IIIV 1 D.-l.i, ......... (T, ' to sit still, going at every other turn to the window again. Alone on Christmas Eve. Tii i-inrV utruck seven. No sign was there of anyone looming darker on the .1 1. ! Intn tfeA window's 1 fill 6 of light The clock struck eight, bhe ran to the door ana caiiea. out v.i t,a VkAntTi hnck into her throat; there was nothing but the great pressure or tne snouiaer ui mo . and it took til her strength to close the door. The clock struck nine.-Oh, wi,,,,. waa Rodnev? What might he be suffering: remaps ne v . . i. v. ,1 iAr. ha, f nrnVA.r. Oh. dear Lord, was it possible, would she never see Rodney again: She still walked the floor wringing her bands In agony. The fire was fail ing. Caroline ana inu cj In and heaped the logs and went to . . . i Tn.oc, Hid not see: she sno o, - stood now by the window as if frozen thus herseii. tier newi -She was conscious of nothing now but dull misery. And then suddenly a clang of bells, a snorting of horses, high voices on the wind. "Oh, he Is dead!" she cried, moved from her dull deadness to a wild hor ror "They are bringing him home! And then the door was thrown open and Rodney was there, white with the snow, and Caroline with a broom was brushing him off. as well as the two other men and the two women, and they all cams forward before she, moved in the shock of her reaction, "We lost the train." Rodney was say ing, "and we took a trolley half way and had to get a team for the rest I never had such a wrestle with ths weather in my life! Aren't you glad to see me?" And he took her in his arms and nothing was ever so delight ful as the touch of that cold face oa hers "And here," cried Rodney again, "are' some old frlynds to be made hap py with our Chrlstmaalng. Mr. .uelgb. and Mr. Bannock are In the plight where I found myself a year ago or so. And they are renting your two empty cottages till they can do better, and I thought we would put them up while the storm lasts and tiU their plaoes can be put In order." But Teresa was already flying from one to the other, undoing the wraps and veils of this one and turning to loosen the cloak of that one. and hurry ing for a glass of hot wine for all o them. "Come into my room." she cried, "I will have fires laid In yours. Where are your bags? It must have been a terrible drive. Are you sure you're not frozen? Don't yon need dry things? Oh you will like it here In time you will thlnk'lt isn't half bad to fall when It brings you to Grayshead Hill! And she talked on, bubbling- over with the happiness of her relief at Rodney's re turn alive and well, till the two ladles had put themselves In order. "Dinner Is spoiled, of course," she said, as they all went into the dining room. Rodney having taken care of the men It is my fault- I was so worried I forgot everything. But there will be some thing, thank goodness. And Caroline shall make us some eggnog to drink to old Father Christmas by way of. a nlWhenP'some time after midnight poor Caroline had gone to her tired slumbers and Teresa herself had tucked her In and given her a delicious tingling sleeping draught, Rodney lingered on the lounge by the fire that was now a mass of amber, and when Teresa cams back pulled her down beside him. It is hard for Leigh and Bannock, he said. "But their wives will behave worlds (Concl uded on Page 4.) said he, clipping out the planes of a thousand airships. "But how could he get your address?" "How could your asked Santa, gum-' mlng the thousand to separate places. Of course the caller hadn't thought of this. "But don't the children ever see you coming r "Why, no," said Santa, who had fixed a thousand motors. "I change into father or mother till they go to sleep again. It's easier than changing to a curtain." He looked anxiously at the little clock. He had only completed a thou sand little flags one couldn't help counting while he had spoken, and he was obviously wasting time. Insidious ly, subtly, the spray of snow, powder ing In, dimmed him like a gossamer veil. "Mr. Santa," said the Interviewer "but one thing more. Do you not think, with all due respect, that toy distribution for a man of your years Is a little undig " The storm mist crept through as he rose, veiling him more softly, subtly yet. "My dear," said he gently one could not tell if it were the mist that lent to his voice a greater softness 'mine Is the noblest of all professions. My poor little toys are toys only to chil dren and the blind." His voice sank. "My toys are charity, faith, hope, which are eternal childhood. They rep resent the highest spirit of the race, a spirit to be forgotten with the years." He shook his bead, and again the storm spume beat against the window, veiling ever so delicately the old man. "That is why the toy giver Is no blehe gives toys to children, charity to the world. But I," he struck him self, "I must do more than this. My dear, do you know my ambition? To fill the stockings of the older people, with toys, only with toys. When gold has gone people will be simple once more, being wise, for those most wise are most simple. Then they will be lieve in me again, and then when they are very, very wise I will give them toys." The interviewer rubbed my eyes suddenly. . Santa Claus had gone. .CCopyrtgbt, 19X2, AU right xesarvedj; its? m
