1928-12-15 — Page 29

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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, 1928.

CHRISTMAS TREASURE.

By FRANK GILBERT.-

THE Christmas bells were pealing merrily from the village church tower as Christine Conrad passed by, and their music thrilled her.

"What?" he cried hoarsely. "Sell that? book accepted, say, on Christmas morning! Why, it has been in this little garden long Ghee whiz! I'd ask her swiftly "enough She's a lovely girl-sweet as her afore I was a 'wee baby. You don't know then.. what you are asking, Missy?"

*

"Oh!" replied Dorothy.""I didn't know you prized it so. I just thought it was lying about here, well-rather-rather in the way, perhaps, and you would welcome a.chance of selling it, I didn't mean to hurt your feci-

After all, where is the soul who can hear Christmas bells unmoved? And Christine Conrad was very human. Moreover, it still wanted two more days to Christmas Day, but, being Saturday afternoon, the old sexton had gathered his little band of ringers to-ings, really I didn't!” gether, and they were having a practice in readiness for the great Festival.

.

The old man's anger waned.

"Of course, Missy, but still, you couldn't expect me to want to sell it, could you ?”**

"I suppose not," sighed Christine, "But if you should ever want to sell it I should like to buy it!"

At that moment Christino became aware that a frail little lady, wearing a lace cap and a print apron, was standing by, curtsey

To Christine, spending the holiday with her office chum Molly Bullough, the Christ- mas bells gave' an especial touch of romance to the quiet village. This was her first visit to the little house where Molly's widowed mother lived with her brother Larry, al though Christine had met Larry in London on one or two occasions when he had beening. in town on business. The house was quite small, but Christine gathered that all Builough's circumstances had not always been so modest, and that, although the family now almost entirely depended on Larry's earnings as a novelist and free-lance journalist, Molly's mother had been quite well off in her youth.

On this afternoon when Christine heard the bells she had taken a walking-stick and announced her intention of going for a five- mile tramp. Both Molly and Larry were busy.

"I'd love to come with you," Larry had) said, "but I've a story that I simply must finish before Christmas."

Christine smiled. She would have liked Larty's company, but she understood, so she set out alone.

Presently she was peeping into an old- world garden, and at once the cheery voice of a man bade her welcome. "Come in, Missy, and have a look around!"

Christine liked being called Missy, so she accepted the invitation, and the old man hobbled by her side, pointing out, here and there, a clump of snowdrops, harbingers of the Springtime days of coming years.

"No garden is ever dead!" quoth the old man.

"See here," and Christine saw violas from the summer still blooming brave ly in the wintry cold. The minutes slipped away, and she said,

"I must be going."

Yet she was reluctant to leave so soon this peaceful garden. Then, rounding a bend in the path, "Oh, I say! How perfectly quaint!"

The old man followed her, gaze, which was fixed on a moss-covered' stone on which was carved a realistic likeness of a woman's face,

"Oh, that murmured the man apathe- tically. "It's very old, so. I suppose it is quaint!"

Christine stooped to examine it, and in- stantly there flashed through her mind, "What an ideal Christmas gift it would make for Larry" It would, she reflected, just suit his rockery."

"I suppose you wouldn't care to sell it ?" she asked. The old man's face registered - surprise,amazement, and finally, horror.

Good afternoon, ma'am!" Christine res ponded."

"What is it you want to buy, ma'am 2" asked the lady,

"I was rather attracted to that quaint old stone face, back along here," replied Christine.

name!"

Larry had no chance to be alone with Christine that evening, to discuss his hopes; but the next afternoon, after lunch, he asked her-if he might take her for a walk. She hated refusing, but as she had planned to go to the garden she said gently, "Not to-day, if you don't mind, Larry. I have a reason."

"Larry accepted her decision calmly while she was there, but the moment she had gone he broke into a tirade again.

"Does that mean she doesn't care for me, after all, I wonder?" he groaned; and . to forget he sat and wrote till the twilight turned to darkness. Thon, from his window, he saw Christine moving about in the garden. below. He lit his pipe, but when she saw the flash of 'the match she knew he was watching. so she went indoors...

The discussion she had had with him carlier in the afternoon had made her late in arriving at the garden.

"I am sorry, miss," said the old lady primly, "but as you didn't call at two o'clock, "Ah, ma'am, there's many the folk who as you said, and I had an offer for it from a have wanted to buy that old figure, but"— gentleman half an hour ago I sold it to him. here a tear slipped down her wrinkled face He will be back for it any minute now."

Christine was almost in tears, for she "times are hard now, and although I should hate to part with it, I am afraid it will come realised that it was now too late to obtain another present for Larry; but she begged te it one day, but it won't be yet awhile."

"Oh, come!" said Christine. "I'd dearly so hard, and offered another pound, that the love to buy it as a Christmas present for a old lady gave way to her pleadings and allow friend who would really appreciate it. Telled her to take the coveted image away with me," she went on quickly, "how much do you want for it?"

"That's not easy to say ma'am. What is it worth to you?"

"I'll give you a pound for it," offered Christine.

"Oh, no, ma'am, you're joking! Why, it's worth a lot more than that if ever I should sell it."

Christine hated haggling, but presently she induced the old lady to part with the stone for three pounds. The price was more than the money Christine had with her. so she said she would call on the morrow at two o'clock, pay for the figure, and take it with her

She returned from her walk glowing and somewhat excited.

"You look happy, little girl," said Larry softly. Her eyes answered him before her lips said, simply, "I am."

"If only I could make you always happy!" he murmured,

Christine blushed, and just then Molly entered the room.

*

Hullo Molly said, breezily "Had a good walk? Where did you go?" ··

Christine told her, but did not mention the garden. She wanted that to be a secret. Larry walked moodily to his study.

her.

She walked away in triumph, and at the first opportunity stopped to examine her purchase. A little later the driver of a pass- ing car pulled up and offered her a lift. Christine accepted gratefully, for the stone was heavy. Then the stranger, an elderly gentleman, caught sight of her newly- bought posession.

"What the!" he began explosively. Christine raised her eyebrows inter-. rogatively.

"Look behind!" he invited; and there, on the back seat, reposed a stone image appar- ently identical with her own!

"What the " It was Christine's turn to ejaculate now.

"Where did you buy yours?" she asked. He told her, and asked the same ques- tion. Scarcely trusting herself to speak, she managed to mutter, "Same place!"

He nodded understandingly. Intensely angry, Christine left the car. "It's too bud!" said the stranger, "but I suppose we can't do anything? I had to pay a pound more for mine because the old woman said she had sold it to a charming young lady. Anyway, I am of back to America immediately after Christmas, so you must excuse me now if you are sure I "Why the devil am I poor?" he muttered, can't give you a lift." savagely, to himself. "I wonder if Chris-Christine smilingly thanked the motor- tine understands how I love her, but I can't ist, and strade back, feeling very sore and ask her to marry me, a poverty-stricken, irritable, and determined to have it out with

Then, the old couple. struggling scribbler!" A pause. "Wouldn't it be just too wonderful if I had

Meanwhile, back in the old-world garden

a huge stroke of luck this Christmas, got my lay another moss-covered stone on which was