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JAME
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1959. **
PRESENTS FOR ALL!
[AMES had spent a delightful morning at a large store, buying stacks of Christmas presents for the Heppleworth children, spending more than seventy pounds on dolls, electric trains, dolls' houses, painting sets and so many other toys that the back of the large black Rolls-Royce was loader to capacity. At first, he had been somewhat bitter, It was typical of George Heppleworth not even to have bothered to buy the gifts for his own four children. Too much money, much too much money, that was his trouble.
Pushing his chauffeur's cap back on his cad. James switched on the windscreen wipers as the snow started falling from A leaden dackering sky. le could have done with that seventy Donda hhur. More than he got for
two months'
wages! And
those spoilt chil-
dren had co many toys al-
and
ready that it was impossible to walk through their large play- Too without tripping over some discarded plaything. But they were sweet kids, nevertheless, Nol their fault that they had such a wealthy father.
As the whirring of the wipers and the soft, powerful hum of the engine set up an hypnolle
rhylum in his brain, and as the snow started shifting across the rond 1:1 buve half-blinding inkets, the cold began to penetrate into the car. Almost automatically he switched on the heater.
as the car turned into the small winding streets, an den began to form in his mind. He could say we'd been robbed. Yes, that was it, he'd say he'd been held up and robbed of the prescals. Then ho could give
away.
them all
At his home there'd bo а party for his brothers and sis- ters and their
little friends. His parents always party, Only gave a Christmas cake and tea and some sweets. But with crackers and streamers and funny hals, and bunting and a few token presents, the children always had a wonder. ful time. So different from the
CHRISTMAS STORY
By KENNETH TAYLOR
Suddenly, on an impulse, great formal children's party he switched it off and opened given by the ileppleworths in the window at his side
the drawing room of the Manor Snowflakes beat into his face
House, whare the kids their nursemaids and mothers in attendance, stood around ::: quiet groups or
in the
"Nice to e you,
Happy Christmas!"
said his
greying mother 43 she came up to kiss his check.
and elderly
Christmas,
son."" father, and then, a "Who are these
"Happy said his perfumeicrily over-organised little stonily:
presents from?"
joined games, always looking ri: culous Instead of gay In their paper hats.
Inter,
and the cold blast hit Jalan He didn't want a luxury and warmth that didn't belong to him: Kere it was Christmas five and he was working. He should be at home with his parents and younger brothers and sisters, all of whom he helped to support with hard-earned wages. Regardiens ct stences, he turned the big car around.In, the middle of the road, and putting his foot hard dowa on the accelerator, sped off into the poorer section of
of happy children's the city. He would see his
voices rang out. He family! In spite of the sharp-
opened the back of the ness of the cold wind, his face car, and with his arms loaded,
They gluwed warmly.
would be to surprised. He hadn't seen kicked at the front door.
con-
them for weeks as his job kept him on call all day and almost all night.
I was Christmas Eve and he knd no prevents. This thought worried him for a white. But
12
Ten minutes James slopped the Rolls in front of A small, terraced house. Bright Lights
chone
out into the FLITTOR street and the music
"Presents for pil!" ho cried, and immediately he children. was surrounded by "And there're more in the
Fetch them!"
car.
A British Crossword Puzzle
12
13
4
10
19 20
22 23
124
125
26
£27
128
31
ACROSS
} Not close at hand (4).
29
30
32
4 Might it carry enough coal
to sink a ship? (7).
"Always found in a beverage
(4).
Grew old (4).
10 Bird suggestive of a happy
dog (*).
11 Fut of the tissue type (4).
12 Branch of Goelic (4).
14 One who may whistle white,
he works? (7).
17 Suitable race of the BBC
sports? (5).
19. Give the game away (6).
22 Signs. of
promotion
punishment (7).
20 Pinksherd? (4).
2 The
DOWN
16
number 60 many fl
star try to keep? (0),
3 USSA water? No! (3, 3),
4 Seamstress down below (5).
5 Made by a tracer?
not! (6).
Surely
+
6. Bird he gels for tax (5).
7 River of France (5),
12 Circus flguro (4).
13 Speak indistinctly (4).
15 Nominal
bolar? (4).
product
10 Tucks in (4),
ot
18 Topping advice to an am-
étions schoolmarter (6).
or
20 Cure, possiły (0)).
21 Forma ot worship,
speek (6).
27 One who has something to
come (4).
28 Sound mathod, of seeking en
opening. (7),
20 Famous donat (4),
30.Visa for her (4)..
91 One step and the area Ba
site It (7):
w
32 Crowd at his party? (6),
23 Fire-irona? (6),
24 Arcept responsibility (5)
25 Deliver a camnon-ball? (5),
to
"YESTERDAY'S" "CROSSWORD:—Acroat! "I Bet out, "B"Fouse, 8 Satyr, Opener, 10 Roman, '11 Steam, 12 Toll 13 Major, 16' Baralse, 18 Tensed.- 20 Trent, 22 Bell, 28 Shoal, 25 V-ague, 26 Tables, 27 Erred, 28-A-miss, 20 Seared. Down: 1 Short cut," The plate, a Usos, 4 Tarsturs, 3 Pyramid, 0 Aromas, 7 Shako, 14 Jeweller, 18′′ Reailsed, 10 Bathers, 17. Aerotes, 19 Ensues,"21 Realm, 24 Lade.
"rom Mr Hepple worth," replied James not batting an eyelid. "How very kind of him," said his mother, "I always knew there was good in the man."
And then there
lar could be no more talk
his usually hard and humour- less face creased in Christmas smiles,
"I was wondering what had happened to you, James,"
James swallowed. trying to fores the words up to his dry lips.
"Come over and have drink."
D
He followed the heavy form acro13 the drawing room to
where a group of mothers and nursemaids stood next to A tabic piled high with chocolates, ice-creams, jelilles, and every possible type of juvenile delicacy. Hoppleworth unexpectedly winked at James and bent down under the table to reappear with a bottle of whisky.
"Why were you so long?" he asked, banding him a gines, and. raising his "uwen to
lips. Merry Christmas," he added
Suddenly James roolised that Thero must tell the truth.
as the squeaks and he chuckies of delight was no other way out. How he amidsi the sound of tearing hated this man for oll ble paper made it impossible,
"Walt for the morning!" shouted James. But no-one heard. And he smiled happily and lovingly as he saw the
wealth und lack of heart.
"And where're the presents?" "They're, they're .......... I gave them away"
"You did what?" rosted Heppleworth,
At this moment, Mr Hepple worth helped to wheel in an enormous Christmas tree, at least fifteen feet high and over-
awestruck Jooks of the children's faces, Never had they seen such costly toyB.
He had a cup of tea and announced that he must get loaded with large brightly-
back to the Manor, He
then
Was wrapped parcels. beginning to regret Jus "Presents for all!" the called. fantastically rash action. He
A murmur of approval rather would lose his job as surely as than a joyous cry almønered up these chlidren were happy. He from the children - who moved kissed his mother and left rather desultorily hurriedly,
tree,
towards the
They have more than He drove Uke a maniac, re- enough!" jerked out James, be- hearsing the story of the rob- tuse he could stop himself. bery until he was sick of Il; and "They're not evien really unit! ho was firmly Con interested, You should have vinced that it would never be seen the faces und heard the believed. But he would have voices
children of the
to try it. He needed the job whom I gave away your pre badly,
senis, you should....
10
"You gave them to some poor After garaging the car, he children?" asked Heppleworth, walked slowly p from the his voice quivering with un-
abated anger.
kitchen, past the marbie staircase and towards the
"Yes," replied James, walt- drawing room, where he could
ing for 4 new explosion of hear the sound of children's
15 wrath. voices, He hesitated for д
"Do you know whore Urey
and his
face
moment before the half-open livo?" asked Heppleworth, his double-doors. Inside, the children were struggling hard to enjoy themselves. It only their nursemaids would leave them to it!
Before he could stop for second thoughts, he pushed open the doors and stood in the doorway, momentarily shocked. Fascinated, he watched his om- ployer stride over towards him,
Now
lone changing, contortlug in a strange way.
"Yes, sir."
"Go and felch them, Quickly! Take the car."
"You can't take them back! You can't! I gave them away!"
"Fetch them! The children you fool, not the presenta! rike to give them
a real party, too."
39
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The Waits are waiting...
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