1947-12-18 — Page 8

THE CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1947.

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DRUSILLA

process. "Yesterday I got up to overs and unders. You want

a turn?"

Etta Mae hecleated.

"We're going to see

A CHRISTMAS STORY Continued from Page Six

about it."

her mother told her. "There's nothing else to do."

"You M............mean"

"I meant exactly what I said. Go

wash."

"Where'd you Ko yesterday?" Neille queried. "We hooked from the kce wagon. I saved you a piece. But It got drippy, so I ate it. Where'd you go?"

Etta Mac had an impulse to teile, Etta Mae felt herself getting Nellie. Tell it all. Spill it out. The smaller whole of it. But she discarded the

Walking up the driveway, to the flagstone path that led to the sprawl- of the birthday-cokr ing veranda

her

a bolt of

and maller. When

the big bran nother knocked with Aotion, Immciliately. The crime was knocker, the >ent an ardent

ent prayer heavenwards that a belonus, And Nellie could hold it tove the und she died. And, besider, thing could fork from the oppres

lightning wor Brusilla was hers--that is, until sheive sky and frizzle her to a crisp. took her back like she'd promised~ | and not for anybody else to go mer. sing

with. "You k pressed,

to the pack?" Nellie

"None of your husiness," Etta Moe said.

The door opened. A maid-right um of the movies-wearing a black dress, an apron the size of a hand- kerchief at a frilly cap to match, anid. "Yes? From the way she saili

could tell she didn't En Mac think they amounted to much.

ir

I'd

of

"Well Nellie snapped. "I thought you was going to a stuck-up I wouldn't of went out my way to speak to you at all1"

"Nobody asked you to!" Etta Mae

retorted.

"You think you're smart, you!"

don't

"Not half as smart you think

yuu are!"

Instead of asking for the lady of the house. Eta Mae's mother drew a card from her purse and extended was faintly yellawed, it. The card

aloped hur spidery-thin engraving across it.

"Mr. Logsdon calling," she said.

is quite important." Eta Mae goggled at her mother in this be her cool, dignified person ins

"I don't care where you went! astonishment. Could

don't care beans if you went there mother coatsuis and the bird's- !

and never came back! You can go ja grans for all of me, Etta Mat Logsdon 1"

"Oh, shut ap?**

Eta

the familiar feather hat? And calling cards! En- graved calling card

to

"Shut up, yourself! You're a you- know-what, and you eat leavings" That does it, Etta Mae thought, 1 was't speak to her again, ever! Nevertheless, in her heart, Mae knew she had been at fault. She

it. refused to acknowledge

She had What did the satel

Eula Mae at, with dangling feet, Drusilla.

worth Drusilla was

ten

taking in her surroundings: the airy, Nellies, A hundred. Drusilla worth anything. Of course, she had spiraling staircase, the white, white woodwork, the gleaming waxy table, worn to take her back and

the Iminense vase as big as an Ali would, so she would, But the hadn't

Baba jar, the heyond with its aid chen. Tomorrow would be spon enough. Tomorrow after school, she poola of mirrors and elegant fural- ture, and two sets of curtains at each argued with her nagging conscience.

window, and a velvet carpet! would be plenty soon enough.

Monday came and went. And Tues. day. And Wednesday. And at the close of each day. Etta Mae renew- ed her pledge to return Drusillato. cx

The door opened to its full extent. "Won't you step inside, please?"

led two high-backed They were

the en- chair-like thrones 1-in trance hall, The maid clicked away, allver bearing the magic card on

to reappear with the inform juray.

ion that Mes, Carruthers would be down.

TOTTOM

abe

room

black of

She

satia

satia

There was a rustle on the stair- way. Imitating her mother's example, Elta Mae stood up and awaited the

proach of Doom. inexorable

authed. Doom буди gaped, open-mo

pair The days, however, had taken their wearing a Loil. The furtive secrecy, so vitally trousers, a blouse with sleeves like

hat's

wing, twinkly slippers

heels, become a tortuous couldn't-tell-where-they-emailed necessary, had labyrinth

paved

that and her fingernails were the color of varied from light gray to 4 deep ox-blood shoe polish. Around Doom' jet black, Her culpability was amiddle, which was so flat it was a She way woniler her insides weren't mashed,

with fibe

| ever-pressure.

hag-r

and beset. Sunday was on its way.

night she awakened, Wednesday

21

NEW IDEAS FOR

Christmas is always a Jillion times more fun if you bring to it a few ideas. Don't say you never have any -maybe you've just never turned the proper key in the door, that lets

Christmas Ideas

lance. prightly

forth Usually all anyone needs is a stars. Just try the following helter- skelter of random Christmas tricks japd soon you'll be dreaming up your

'owit.

Christmas

Cheer

bair If you

with ads for reducing pills, How do you display the Christmas tonic, and big black stogies. cards your family receives? We put use plenty of bright ribbon and holly, up what we call "the silver clothes the beauty and flavour of Christmas. line." Silver ribbon is stretched is maintained even though the pack. across the root high enough so 24 ages are amusing, not to interfere with holiday traffic. Cords are hung on it by means of clothespins, printed in gilt or colare,

Wrapping gifts can be a chore an art-or a chance for anties. At our house, when we tire of being arty, we go in for comics. Some of the children's gifts are wrapped bright new funny papers.

in

How do you keep track of who sends what, so you can properly thank the giver later? With three children and countless acaltered re latives, this was always a problem for until we hit upon the Iden of

Christmas secretary. Each year wo

to appoint someone in our group Or we write down what the gifts are--and

wrap them in plain tissue, pasting from whomas they are unwrapped.. comic strips across the corners, Last This saves a lot of confusion later.

This

year we had fun packing boxes for distant relatives by lining all carton with funny papers. wax the tipu da. da, uncles, grandmas and cousins something diferent. And they get festive, stick on bright little coloured

because we didn't tag or label

Huge, crunchy popcorn bells tied

wanderful up In kay paper make handours for every holiday caller. If especially you wont make yours

expect

candle just before. cooling.

phrases

single package! Instead, we cut out

and appropriate pictures

And now a blazing Bre, some jolly from magazines and pasted tierse un carols for background music and the

as clues. Fur Mae had her all the time the gifts

instance, whole family gathered around least! Eita and he was killed and guess what!"Grandpa, who is fat, bald and font tree-what better way to wind

of cigars, had his packages spattered your Christmas? "Livia, please."

"We're going to have a funeral. Isn't it

wonderful!"

Halle Carruthers smiled. She ex- tended the smile to include Eta Mac. you, "I'm awfully glad to know Etta Mar, Livia, this is Etta Mae's The smile mother, Mrs. Logsdon." have Evelyn repaired. Livia." broadened, "Mrs. Logadon wants to

"Oh, no! That would rain ber!" Hallie Carruthers glanced from Etta Mze to her mother,

"There you are," she said, laugh- Ing.

Walking home beside her mother. Ena Mae felt the quiet repose of security folding her. in. Her world was stable again. Everything was in

It its accustomed place. War better than that. There was the ex-

even

with

citing prospect of having Livia for a because friend, Not a best friend," Nellie was her truly best friend, no matter what, but Livia could be her

hest friend.

was a crimson sash kind of thing, on the order of a baby's belly-binder, And arousid and

wound around

next

"Can I go on ahead?" she asked

as they crossed the street-car track.

"All right. But ao benanigans. And change your clothes."

Etta Mae dashed off-past Bassel's,

from fearful dream. around until it was all pleaty-look-Lanahan's coal yard, the church, She Thursday it rained. Furthermore,

had to stay in after school and,

Tels. 2800G/7

she walking

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ing.

she was convoyed by "Mrs. Carruthers,"

taking doubled on her tracks and, the church steps two at a time, en

Etta Mae's tered its peaceful, twilit gloom. Lift-

ing her

face, she looked unflinching- ly at the Eye,

"Thank You," she said, earnestly, Thank You very much."

Mr O'Toole, And she forgot her mother said, the name poised like a rubbers, leaving them in the cloak- question. room, and her feet were Jopping,

"Yes. You're Mrs, Legedon? Was and her mother not only wouldn't there something you wanted ?" let her go out again but

punished

her for being y What was in-a

finitely

worse, her father gave her a

talking to when he came home, and

дя д crowning touch the was sent up-

her mother said, "It's ahaui

They moved into the room heyond and drifted from view.

"Hello."

way of the banister, contemplated one another speculatively.

nige," the girl said. "How old

stairs to bed without any supper for Elta Mac pivoted. She and the thumbing her nose when she thought girl who, apparently, had arrived by her parents weren't looking.

"I don't know what's

gotten into you lately," her mother said, pulling Etta Mon's nightgown over her fread. "It seems to me here, bend your elbows, how do you expect And take that look off your face. Kneel down there and say your prayers."

Etta Mae knelt and made a pions tent of her hands.

"I said to say your prayers.". "I am saying them."

"Well, say them out loud and, all things considered, I think you can commence with good Act of Con- trition."

of

"Oh, my God," Etta Mae began, "I'm heartily sorry for having of fended Thee. I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss heaven ''the'n' the

the pains of her "And prompted.

swallowed.

are

Seven-and-a-half-going-on-eight."

"Is that your shopping-bag?" Ena Mar nodded,

"What's in it?"

"Drusilla."

"Oh," the girl said. There was a mall pause, "What's it do?" "Nothing. It's it's dead." "Can I see it? Please."

Mae could, stop her, Before Etta she skipped over to the shopping-bag and began examining its contents.

You said it was a drue-some- thing," she said disappointedly. "And that it was dead."

"That was its name. Drusilla. It

a doll, and it is dead." "I don't like dolls. I have abour and I don't like any of mother umply-teen

"But

them." She grew and

Mac I've never had a dead

"And the pains of—" Etta

"And the pains of hell."

"And the pains of

of

She burst into tears.

Etta Mae took a deep breath.

guces maybe you have now," the said, "Because it's your doll. I-

Etta Mae's voice faltered and broke. I wiped it and I was going to

bring

it back. but Wallace

Parker

Friday WAL leaden and damp, killed it while I was in school." Leaden and damp, it swing a fatal, "It's mine ?""'. suspended weight above Etta Mee's "Uh-huh. It was in its pram and head, and it grew heavier and,

It

know, 1t

was that old

in.

"Uh-huh. I know he's the one who killed it because

beavier sa the day progressed,

Oh! went dizzyingly fast. Lessons, seccas, Evelyn doll, when we moved lunch hour, with her andwiches go Who's Wallace, Fasker?" log "down in

"He's an idiot lives in our block." unchewable hunks, dry more lesson and, throughout it all,

"A really, truly Idiot the frantic ticking of the clock on Sister's desk. Before it seemed pos- tible, there was the final flurry of corrected papers, the burried dusting of the chalk, erasers, the homework aignment, and the loud brrrrrring of the bell in the corridor-like sentence of death from which there was no reprieve,

"flow does, be act?"

"Scary,"

"How scary

1

"Just about a seary as there is"

this" Exta Mar waggled her

hend, and av

Lawliched, and swiveled her.

Wretched, miserable, slow-footed, eyeballarin beir sockets. Exta Mae started home. The way w Her companion shivered. Delight all too short, despite her Ingging tinged with admiration Illumined her step. In front of Parker's, on the serious little face, "Do it again." ground just inside the gate, waS -K Ents Mae complied.

As in a trance,

*Gen1" "You try it," stooped

·

doll's leg. It wore a white kid shoe.

Fete

Mae and picked it up. Her eyes ahead to the vacant house.

Etta Moe

usid.

few magnanimously. "Go ahead, I'

A moment later, crawling under "You watch and tell me if I look

the porch, the very nearly screamed. scary enough. Here goes!" She cast Que horrified glance 摘書 "Oh you do!" Ett Mae Drusilla's scattered remains and, "You look, dreadful!". scrabbling out crab-wise, she

blindly, wildly, for sanctuary.

tler

mather

, ព៧

"Do 1 really"! "Ifoncat!"

ant Etta Mac in chair and wiped

her face with a cold cloib. She held

ber hands and, plene"

be br plece, drew

cried.

was in the kitchen. She "Let's go out into the yard," aug-

gested Etta Mae's new-found ally, There, the two squatted by syringe bush, cagegra in digging a

rather

Topsided grave - with

"She' the image of -you,'! Carruthere, sald

She

the truth from her. eatened. Sedang salaper. Mrs.

"Stay

back directo

hung

"Shi ustled' ber"apron,

is on the hook, took a shopping.

from the terraca.

bag, and left. When she returned, she called to the children and,

there was a cobweb, in her hair, and moment later, was enveloped in a smudge, on her nose. The shop whirlwind of arms and legs, yog ping bag was loaded with Druilin's "Livial the protested. "For the slady corpse.

love of heaven. Calm down."

eriching Bata Mab's Stud and hap ramed felt he bout, "You know the fEvelyn

PAKAN TAWllfans, wain't miselog In

the

She tiptoed out, flew down steps, around the corner, and up the street.

the

up

***************HA

WHAT'S WRONG

WITH THIS COAT

UR ARTIST MADE SIX INTENTIONAL MISTAKES IN MAKING THIS DRAWING, CAN YOU DISCOVER THEM?

Greetings

FROM

PHILIP MORRIS

PHILIP MORRIS