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v v x tom could just discern the outline of the roadster why dont they come in he wondered impatiently by ring lardner v j 10m and grace carter sat in their livingroom on fr christmas eve sometimes talk ing sometimes pretending to read and all the time thinking things they didnt want to think their two children junior aged nineteen and grace two years younger had come home that day from their schools for the christmas vacation junior was in his first year at the university and grace attending a boarding school that would fit her for col lege i wont call them grace and junior any more though that is the way they had been christen ed junior had changed his name to ted and grace was now caro line and thus they insisted on being addressed even by their parents this was one of the things tom and grace the elder were thinking of as they sat in their livingroom christmas eve other university freshmen who had lived here had re turned on the 21st the day when the vacation was supposed to be gin ted had telegraphed that he would be three days late owing to a special examination which if he passed it would lighten the terrific burden of the next term he had arrived at home looking so pale heavyeyed and shaky that his mother doubted the wis dom of the concentrated mental effort while his father secretly hoped the stuff had been non- poisonous and would not have lasting effects caroline too had been behind schedule explaining that her laundry had gone astray and she had not dared trust others to trace it for her grace and tom had attempted with fair success to conceal their disappointment over this delayed homecoming and had continued with their preparations for a christmas that would thrill their children and consequently them selves they had bought an im posing lot of presents costing twice or three times as much as had been toms fathers annual income when tom was teds age or toms own income a year ago before general motors accept ance of his new weatherproof paint had enabled him to buy this suburban home and luxuries such as his own parents and graces had never dreamed of and to give ted and caroline ad vantages that he and grace had perforce gone without behind the closed door of the musicroom was the elab orately decked tree piano piano bench and floor around the tree were covered with beribbon- ed packages of all sizes shapes and weights one of them addres sed to tom another to grace a few to the servants and the rest to ted and caroline a huge box contained a sealskin coat for caroline a coat that had cost as much as the carters had former ly paid a year for rent even more expensive was a set of jewelrv consisting of an opal brooch a bracelet of opals and gold filigree and an opal ring surrounded by diamonds grace always had preferred opals to any other stone but now that she could aflord them some inhibition prevented her from buying them for herself she could enjoy them much more adorning hci pretty daughter there were boxes of silk stock ings lingerie gloves and hand kerchiefs and for ted a three- hundreddollar watch a deluxe edition of balzac an expensive bag of shiny new steelshafted golfclubs and the last word in portable phonographs w b ut the big surprise for the boy was in the garage a black gorham sedan a model more up to date and betterlook ing than toms own yearold car that stood beside it ted could use it during the vacation if the mild weather continued and could look forward to driving it around home next spring and summer there being a rule at the umvers- ity forbidding undergraduate the possession or use cf private automobiles every year for sixteen years ince ted was three and caroline one it had been the chmtmat evt custom of tht carters to hat time is it asked grace looking up from the third page of a book that she had begun to read soon after dinner half past two said her hus band he had answered the same question every fifteen or twenty minutes since midnight you dont suppose anything could have happened said grace wed have heard if there had said tom it isnt likely of course said grace but they might have had an accident some place where no body was there to report it or telephone or anything we dont know what kind of a driver the murdock boy is hes teds age boys that age may be inclined to drive too fast but they drive pretty well how do you know well ive watched some of them drive yes but not all of them i doubt whether anybody in the world has seen every nine- tcenyeavold boy drive boys these days seem so kind of irresponsible oh dont worry they prob ably met some of their young friends and stopped for a bite to eat or something tom got up and walked to the window with studied carelessness its a pret ty night he said you can see every star in the sky but he wasnt looking at the stars he was looking down the road for headlights there were none in sight and after a few moments he returned to his chair what time is it asked grace twentytwo of- he said of what of three your watch must have stop ped nearly an hour ago you told me it was half past two my watch is all right you probably dozed off i havent closed my eyes well its time you did why dont you go to bed why dont you im not sleepy neither am i but honestly tom its silly for you to stay up im just domg it so i can fix the stockings and because j feel so wakeful but theres no use of your losing your sleep i couldnt sleep a wink till theyre home old folks christmas hang up their childrens stock ings and fill them with inexpens ive toys tom and grace had thought it would be fun to con tinue the custom this year the contents of the stockings a me chanical negro dancing doll mus icboxes a kitten that meowed when you pressed a spot on her back et cetera would make the kids laugh and one of graces first pronouncements to her re turned offspring was that they must go to bed early so santa claus would not be frightened away but it seemed they couldnt promise to make it so ter ribly early they both had long standing dates in town car oline was going to dinner and a play with beatrice murdock and beatrices nineteenyearold brother paul the latter would call for her in his ear at half past six ted had accepted an invitation to see the hockey match with two classmates herb castle and bernard king he wanted to take his father3 gorham but tom told him un truthfully that the footbrake was not working ted must be kept out of the garage until tomorrow morning ted and caroline had taken naps in the afternoon and gone off together in paul murdocks stylish roadster giving their word that they would be back by midnight or a little later and that tomorrow night they would stay home and now their mother and father were sitting up for them because the stockings could not be filled and hung till they were safely in bed and also because trying to go to sleep is a painful and hopeless- business when you are kind of jumpy thats foolishness theres nothing to worry about theyre just havmg a good time you vere young once yourself thats jus it when i was young i was young he picked up his paper and tried to get in terested m the shipping news what time is it asked grace five minutes of three maybe theyre staying at the murdocks all night theyd have let us know they were afraid to wake us up telephoning at threetwenty a car stopped at the front gate there they are i told you there was nothing to worry about rpom went to the window he x could just discern the out lines of the murdock boys road ster whose lighting system seemed to have broken down he hasnt any lights said tom maybe id better go out and see if i can fix them no dont said grace sharp ly he can fix them himself hes just saving them while he stands still why dont they come in theyre probably making plans they can make them in here ill go out and tell them were still up no dont said grace as be fore and tom obediently re mained at the window it was nearly four when the car lights flashed on and the car drove away caroline walked into the house and stared dazedly i ii wake them said grace and went upstairs she opened teds door looked and softly closed it again she entered her daughters room and found caro line semiconscious do i have to get up now honestly i cant eat anything if you could just have molla bring me some coffee ted and i are both invited to the murdocks for breakfast at half past twelve and i could sleep for another hour or two but dearie dont you know we have christmas dinner at one its a shame mother but i thought of course our dinner would be at night dont you want to see your presents certainly i do but cant jhey wait g race was about to go to the kitchen to tell the cook that dinner would be at seven instead of one but she re membered having promised signe the afternoon and evening off as a cold light supper wouid be all anyone want ed after the heavy midday meal tom and grace breakfasted alone and once more sat in the livingroom talking thinking and pretending to read you ought to speak to caro line said tom i will but not today it christmas and i intend to say a few words to ted yes dear you must but not today i suppose theyll be out again look at this said grace theyre my favorite stone at her parents heavens what are you doing up tom was about to say some thing but grace forestalled him we were talking over old christmases she said is it very late i havent any idea said car oline where is ted isnt he home i havent seen him since we dropped him at the hockey place well you go right to bed said her mother you must be worn out i am kind of we danced af ter the play what time is break- fast eight oclock oh mother cant you make it nine i guess so you used to want to get up early on christmas i know but who brought you home asked tom why paul murdock and beatrice you looked rumpled they made me sit in the rum ple seal shi go he laughed at her joke said good night and went upstairs she had not come even within handshaking distance of her father and mother the murdocks said tom must have great manners mak ing their guest ride in that un comfortable seat grace was silent you go to bed too said tom ill wait for ted you couldnt fix the stock ings 1 wont try well have lime for that in the morning i man later in the morning im not going to bed till you do said grace all right well both go ted ought not to be long now i suppose his friends will bring him home well hear him when he comes in there was no chance not to hear him when at ten min utes to six he came in he had done his christmas shopping late and brought home a package grace went downstairs again at half past seven telling the servants breakfast would be post poned till nine she nailed tre stockings beside the fireplace went into the musicroom to tee that nothing had been disturbed and removed teds hat and over coat from where he had carefully hung them on the hall floor tom appeared a little before nine and suggested that the children ought to he- awakened tonight no they promised to stay home well have a nice cozy evening dont bet too much on that said tom at noon the children made their entrance and responded to their parents salutations with al most the proper warmth ted de clined a cup of coffee and he and caroline apologized for making a breakfast date at the mur docks sis and i both thought youd be having dinner at seven as vsual weve always had it at one oclock on christmas said tom id forgotten it as christ mas said ted well those stockings ought to remind you ted and caroline looked at tht bulging stockings isnt there a tree asked caroline of court said her mother but the stockings come first weve only a little time said caroline well be terribly late as it is so cant we see the tree now i guess so said grace and led the way into the musicroom rtmie servants were summoned i and the tree stared at and almired you must open iur pres ents said grace to her daughter 1 cant open them all now said caiohne tell me which is special the cover was removed from the huge bo and grace held up the coat oh mother said caroline a sealskin coat put it on sa i her father not now we havent time then look at this said grace and opened the case of jewels oh mother opals said caroline theyre my favorite stofie said grace quietly if nobody minds said ted ill postpone my personal inves tigation till we pel back j know ill like everything youve given me but if we have no car in working order ive got to call a taxi and catch a train you can drive in said his father did you fix the brake t think its all right come up to the garage and well see rld got his coat and hat and kissed his mother goodbye mother he said i know youll forgive me for not having any presents for you and dad i was so rushed the last three days at school and i thought id have time to shop a little when we got in yesterday but i was in too much of a hurry to be home last night everything was closed dont worry said grace christmas is for young people dad and i have everything we want the servants had found their gifts and disappeared ex pressing effusive scandinavian thanks caroline and her mother were left alone mother where did the coat come from lloyd and henrys they keep all kinds of furs dont they yes would you mind horribly if i exchanged this certainly not dear you pick out anything you like and if its little more expensive it wont make any difference we can go in town tomorrow or next day but dont you want to wear your opals to the murdocks i dont believe so they might get lost or something and im not well im not so crazy about i think they can be exchanged too said grace you run along now and get ready to start caroline obeyed with alac rity and grace spent a welcome moment by herself tom opened the garage door why youve got two cars said ted the new one isnt mine said tom whose is it yours ita the new model dad thats wonderful but it looks just like the old one well the old ones pretty good just the same yours is better youll find that out when you drive it hop in and get started i had her filled with gas i think id rather drive the old one why well what i really wanted dad was a barnes sport road ster something like paul mur docks only a different color scheme and if i dont drive this gorham at all maybe you could get them to take it back or make some kind of a deal with the barnes people tom didnt speak till he was sure of his voice then all right son take my car and ill see what can be done about yours caroline waiting for- ted remembered something and called to her mother heres what i got for you and dad ahe said ita two tickets to jolly jane the play 1 saw last night youll love it when are they for asked grace tonight said caroline but dearie said her mother we dont want to go out tonight the real treat said grace would be to spend a quiet eve ning here with just the two of you the murdocks practically in vited themselves and i couldnt say no after theyd been so nice to me and honestly mother youll love this play will you be home for sup per im pretty sure we will but if were a little late dont you and dad wail for us take the seventwenty so you wont miss anything the first act is really the best we probably wont be hungry but have signe leave something out for us in case we are tiom and grace sat down to x the elaborate christmas din ner and didnt make much im pression on it even if they had any appetite the sixteen- pound turkey would have looked almost like new when ihey had eaten their fill conversation was intermittent and related chiefly to signes excellence as a cook and the mildness of the weather children and christmas were barely touched on tom merely suggested that on account of ils being a holiday and their having theatre tickets they ought to take the sixten and eat supper at the metropolc his wife said no ted and caro line might come home and be disappointed at not finding them tom seemed about to make some remark but changed his mind the afternoon was the longest grace had ever known the children were still absent at sev en and she and tom taxied to the train neither talked much on the way to town as for the play which grace was sure to love it turned out to be a rehash of cradle snatchers and sex retaining the worst features of each when it was over tom said now- im inviting you to the cove club you didnt eat any breakfast or dinner or supper and i cant have you starving to death on a feastday besides im thirsty as well as hungry they ordered the special table dhote and struggled hard to get away with it tom drank six highballs but they failed to pro duce the usual effect of making him jovial grace had one high ball and some kind of cordial that gave her a warm contented feeling for a moment but the warmth and contentment left her before the train was half way home the livingroom looued as if von klucks army had just passed through ted and caro line had kept their promise up to a certain point they had spent part of the evening at home and the murdocks must have brought all their own friends and every body elses judging from the re sults the table and floor were strewn with empty glasses ashes and cigarct stubs the stockings had been torn off their nails and the wrecked contents were all over lhc place two sizable holes had been burnt in graces favorite rug tom took his wife by the arm and led her into the musicroom you never took the trouble to open your own present he said and i think theres one for you too said grace they did nt come in here she added so i guess there wasnt much danc ing or music tom found his gift from grace ka h t fv heavens what are you doing up ashed caroline staring hard at her parents it was nearly i a in thjmbuted ty kief feature scdualf when you promised to stay home well keep our promise said caroline but the murdocks may- drop in and bring some friends and well dance and therell he music and ted ard i thought youd rather be away somewheie so our noise wouldnt disturb you it was sweet of you to do this said her mother but your father and i dont mind none rs long as youre enjoyin- yojr- slves rjjanywv thai joj anv ds m a set of diamond studs and cuff buttons for festive wear graces present from him was an oal ring oh tom i she said well have to go out some where tomorrow night so i can break these in said tom well if we do that wed tet ter get n gojd nights resv iii beat ou upstairs said torn k k ft itr k k k r rpruitrd froin round up t hmfi lardnrr copyright iz3 charls scrtbnrrs svni jxt jzrmilion 0 the ptblt yns carols out- 5n mill st the fii singing carols iwas vsy popular a years g by u being re vived by group of younz people tne girls from ief to right are kay brown dl- annc water elda cray mirle stover mary stouffer klain spofford and audrey brown