CHAPTER X-CHRISTMAS AND WHAT IT BROUGHT

Anne never suspected that Polly and Eleanor had had a "hold-up" at any time, but she wondered why Mr. Dalken should be so kind as to loan his car to the girls on school-nights. Polly explained simply. "Why, he never forgot what we did for Elizabeth, and when he learned we were trudging back and forth alone, he just wouldn't have it."

"He said he couldn't bear the thought of our even having to travel in the subway, alone, late at night," added Eleanor.

So Anne, although she read about the two ruffians who had tried to rob a wealthy broker, one night, never dreamed that _her_ two girls were victimized before Mr. Dalken appeared to rescue them.

Madam Wellington's school prospered splendidly from the publicity given it in the papers directly after the fire. And later, when it was learned that Mr. Ashby, Mr. Dalken, and two other wealthy men had purchased the corner which had always been disfigured by the old four-story amus.e.m.e.nt hall, and proposed erecting a twelve-story high-cla.s.s apartment house on the land, the mention of the fire and the bravery of the Wellington School girls again appeared in the papers.

Letters between Pebbly Pit and New York pa.s.sed twice a week, and the last news from home was: "How we should love to have you spend Christmas with us, Polly dearest. It will not seem like a real Christmas with both my children away from home."

The letter made Polly feel home-sick and she wrote to her mother immediately, saying: "I feel that I shall have to come home even if it takes a month out of school and delays me in my art studies, unless you can plan some other way that we might see each other this Christmas."

Polly had a very clever plan that suddenly came to her, as she read her mother's words, and her reply was the first step in working out her plan successfully.

The second step was to go downtown and call upon Mr. Latimer at his office. She was welcomed there and asked what good wind blew her downtown.

Polly laughed. "It's a blizzard from the Rockies-that is why I'm here."

Then she told him about her mother's home-sick words. "And this is what we must do, Mr. Latimer, or I'll have to leave school and go back home."

"Dear me, I will do anything rather than lose you from New York, Polly,"

Mr. Latimer laughingly replied.

"You must find some excuse on the mining or jewel business, that needs Daddy's personal presence here in New York. Make it necessary for him to be here just before, or after Christmas. Then I will write and let them know that you told me about it, and insist upon having mother come East with father, for her Christmas. Why, even John and Paul might join us here without much expense or trouble."

Mr. Latimer smiled. "There is no harm in trying the plan, even if your father _won't_ leave his ranch while it is under six feet of snow."

Polly laughed at that. "Exactly! Dad doesn't have to stick there in winter-time, any more than I do. Especially with Jeb on hand to take care of everything."

Then remembering a warning, she said: "But you've got to find a real worthy reason for his coming East, because I know my Dad!"

"I'll have you approve the reason before I send it West-how will that do?"

"I think you will do well. Because I may be able to make a suggestion-knowing my father as I do."

Mr. Latimer laughed and patted Polly on the head. "Well, now that that is settled, let us talk about Jim and Ken. You know, do you not, that we expect them home in a few days?"

"I didn't know, but I took for granted that they would soon be home for the Holidays. Although it seems like yesterday that they were home for Thanksgiving Week."

"Not to Jim's mother and me. We miss him very much, as he always was such a lively boy at home."

"I'm afraid we won't see much of him this time. He never even called us on the 'phone when he came from New Haven to see Ruth Ashby, two weeks ago Sunday," said Polly, never dreaming that his father was ignorant of the visit.

"He didn't! Then Ken should have called on you. He did not come to see a girl, too, did he?"

"Oh, Ken never knew Jim was coming-so Ruth told us. Jim telephoned her early Sunday morning and found she would be home, so he ran in Town on the noon train and stayed until the nine o'clock."

"I'll see that Jim does not go back on his first loves quite so suddenly," laughed Mr. Latimer, thinking of the teasing he would give Jim.

"But we are not 'loves' at all-Nolla and I are only good pals for the boys," corrected Polly, anxiously.

"Whatever you call it, Jim ought to be well advised on such matters, as long as legal advice costs him nothing."

Polly failed to follow Mr. Latimer, and he immediately changed the subject. "Now that you are here and it is lunch-hour, why not come with me. I promised to take you to the Cafe Savarin or the Lawyer's Club, some day, and this is the day."

"Oh, it would be lovely, but I just couldn't leave Nolla out of the treat, you know!" exclaimed Polly, eagerly.

"If Nolla is at home, we will have her down in twenty minutes. We'll wait for her, and meanwhile I'll dictate a letter to your father for you to O.K."

Eleanor was moping around the house, wondering where Polly could be, when the telephone rang and she was invited to join her friends at luncheon. So in less than half-an-hour the trio were having a merry time in the sumptuous private restaurant on lower Broadway.

The letter that Polly approved, reached Sam Brewster, and he showed it to his wife. "Ah have been thinking, dear, that we-all might surprise Polly by dropping in on her just about Christmas time, eh?"

"Rather than let her come West and lose all that time from cla.s.ses, I should say 'yes,' Sam."

"We really have nothing to tie us down at the ranch for a few weeks, unless the snow buries us for the winter."

"Sary would be in her glory could she keep house alone with Jeb for a time. Ever since they returned from their honeymoon in Denver, she has been sighing to run the house," said Mrs. Brewster, "feeding the fire"

carefully.

"Let's go! By the Great Horned Spoon, I feel like taking a vacation to some other part of the world-so New York will do!"

Then it was quickly decided that they would start on Monday, and this being Friday, there was no time to lose.

Sary and Jeb accepted the amazing news with smiles and exchange of knowing looks. But they were relieved when Mrs. Brewster herself suggested to Sary: "Have all the good times you want, Sary, while we are gone. Invite your friends, and neighbors, if they can get through the drifts, and have apple-parties, corn-poppers, Virginia Reels, and anything on earth you like!"

"Would you-all keer if we-all ast as much as twenty to a time?" asked Sary, fearfully.

"Ask forty, if you like-and if you can find them," laughed Mrs.

Brewster, recklessly.

"Only see to it that they leave the roof, Sary," ha-hawed Sam Brewster.

"And that the sky-larkin' is all over when we return."

Sary nodded understandingly. She had instantly planned how to create envy in the souls of her old friends at Yellow Jacket Pa.s.s, by asking them all to her parties.

The Brewsters sent John a wire to say that they would spend a few hours in Chicago, and would like him to keep that time open. But when they reached Chicago, John was standing on the platform holding a suit-case in his hand. Tom Latimer and Paul Stewart stood beside him.

John explained: "Paul and Tom are going, too. Some good fairy sent us round-trip tickets, but we don't know who it was. Not a line came with the tickets. So here we are-ready to help in the surprise."

John then introduced Paul, and Mrs. Brewster took his hand as she looked into his face. "You are the image of our Anne, Paul; I would have known you anywhere."

"That he is," added Sam Brewster, shaking Paul's hand heartily. So the party of five continued on the journey, smiling as they pictured the glad surprise to be given the family at the Studio. Little did they dream that the Studio family were busy preparing for a gladsome Christmas for them all. For Mr. Latimer had told them about the telegram from Pebbly Pit, and that he had heard from Tom that he and John and Paul were going to join the party coming East. But he did not say that he, incognito, had mailed the tickets.

The Twentieth Century had a long line of Pullmans to take to New York that trip, and it was small wonder that pa.s.sengers having berths in the last coach, should fail to meet anyone traveling in the first one. So it was with speechless amazement, that the Brewsters met the Maynards at Grand Central Station when both parties were waiting to get taxi-cabs.

"Well, well, Ah believe it's Mr. Maynard!" exclaimed Sam Brewster, in his deep western thunder.