{ title: 'Tupper Lake free press and Tupper Lake herald. (Tupper Lake, N.Y.) 1937-current, December 23, 1937, Page 15, Image 15', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031109/1937-12-23/ed-1/seq-15/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031109/1937-12-23/ed-1/seq-15.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031109/1937-12-23/ed-1/seq-15/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031109/1937-12-23/ed-1/seq-15/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Northern NY Library Network
TOWN WEEKLY MAGAZINE SECTION COlSICLUDim: CHLOE'S CHRISTMAS CAROL SYNOPSIS — Chloe Sargent runs down and injures Scott Kelvin, the village doctor. She undertakes to carry out his plans for a Christmas party to the mill hands and their chil- dren. Chloe and her friends take over a day nursery run for the villagers and Chloe takes home Susie May and Timmy who have been deserted by their mother Srott is in love with Chloe who breaks her engagement to Jim Pearsall when sho rclizes she loves Scutt. One day Chloo finds a strange worn.in lurking in the grounds. She takes her in and discovers it is the mother of Susie May and Timmy COM.LI S1ON OITSIDE IN THE hall Melis- sa looked at Chloe and Jane and demanded. \Where did you tind her?\ Chlo« explained and Melissa nodded. \Poor soul. She's known a much easier life than this. No- tice her accent and her man- ners? I knew that Susie May was not just riffraff!\ Melissa said firmly. Chloe and Jane exchanged an amused, affectionate glance. When Jane and Chloe had changed from their outdoor clothes and had come back downstairs. Susie May's mother had finished her dinner and. as Melissa. Jane nnd Chloe came into the room she stood up Hnd. with Susie May dinging to her hand, said breathlessly, \You've been so kind. I'm going now- \ \Of course you are.'' said Melissa promptly \You're go- ing upstairs to put Timmy nnd Susie Mny to bed nn<1 then we're all going to have n con- clave and see what's to ho done next \ The woman's eyes filled with tears, and she choked so that she could not speak Hut Melis- sa didn't give her much chance. She .^ushered >-her upstairs and into Che nursery and there she left her. When Melissa came back to the library Mowell had arrived and heard the story from Chloe and Jane As Melis- sa came in Howell was saying, frowning a little: \But of course I will have to find out first why she was fired before I can decide whether we can give her another job —\ \Oh. but Dad, .the needs work —\ protested Chloe ex- citedly. \I know, darling, and we al- ways try to give it to people who need it,\ her father point- ed out. \But after all, she wasn't fireof without some rea- son. This is a busy season, and we're giving work to ev- erybody who run qualify. So if she was discharged, then that's pretty good proof that she couldn't do the work. Tt'y f^ct- ty hard work, you know, and it has to be dune liLht.\ by PEGGY DERN \Anybody could tell with half an eye that she wasn't strong enough for that kind of thing,\ said Melissa firmly. \But we've qot to find her a job. Gran, so she can take care of Timmy and Susie May. We isn't let her give them up. liian, you didn't see her face when Susie Mt.y came in—\ \No but I saw her face when she lifted Timmy out of the cradle and said, Timmy, dear';\ said Melissa and sniffed a lft- tle. her eyes mispiciously bright. \It's funny to me, though, that not one of you three very smart people has decided that there is a grand job made to order for Mazie, whirh, by the way, happens ,u> be her name.\ * \A job made to order for her, Mother?\ aeked Howell. , \Of course -matron of the Day Nursery,\ said Melissa firmly. Jane and Chloe spoke to- gether, Greek chorus efTect. \Why. of course! Why didn't we think of it?\ \It's what I've heard some of you young folks call 'a nat- ural', \ said Melissa firmly. \We can furnish a room in the nurs- ery for Mazie and the children to use for themselves, and give her the salary that the nurse is getting now.\ Jane and Chloe and Howell exchnnged glances and Chloe said, pleased. \(Iran you're a genius!\ Melissa chuckled. \Well if I do say it myself, I (!<> occasionally have an in- spiration \ she agreed mod- est IV. MF.LISSA drove into town the next day and went straight to the Community House, where she seated herself contentedly anil watched hnppily, with sparkling eyes, the excitement and bustle all about her as the decorating began. Chloe and her Day Nursery committee, ihded by a number of young people from the mill village, were in charge of the task. The tree itself was so tall that its top bmshed the ceiling. A noble cedar whose gray-green needles stood straight and tall because the tree had not been cut down. It was a living tree, its roots sunk in a huge green tub. After Christmas was over, the tree would be planted in front of the Community House and every year thereafter that custom would be followed. In the huge living room at the Sargent home a group of chat- tel ing girls siit at a lon n table sm rounded by heaps of brightly colored t 'hi ist m.-i M wiappmi^s ini'l a Yint.iMc c-ra o ( toys and other gifts, busily wrapping, tying, sealing. In the back room of the city's largest wholeaale grocery house half a dozen, extra clerks were busily filling huge baskets with a week's supply of groceries for five people; and in her tiny cubby-hole of a private office, Sara Jenkins was tucking bright, shiny new paper money into envelopes on which had been written the name of every employe in the Sargent Mills. Truly, this was to be a Christy mas never U> be forgotten. From her perch htgh on the stepladder. Chloe paused in her work and looked down. The aromatic greenery that half concealed the walls; the boys and girls hurrying busily, im- portantly about. Doing things {eft others! Re- membering TViose less fortunate than you! Remembering the real why of Christmas. All about her the girls and boya from the Hill were mixing, friendly and cheerful, with boys and girls from the village with whom, under ordinary circum- stances they might never have come in contact. This waa the way It should be, Chloe told herself, and knew that but for Scott Kelvin it might never have been, at least in Oakton. The thought of Scott hurt her. She had all but offered herself to him. She had offered herself in everything but the actual words nnd he had as clearly refused her. She knew thnt he loved her. She had seen it in his eyes. CHRISTMAS EVK in Snrgent Mills village was a time of nl- most unbenrnhle susfH*nse for the youngsters, and almost equally so for- the older people. From noon on the doors of the Community House were closed to all but ('nine and her com- mittee Trucks chew up n\ the door, discharged great baskets piled high with the most excit- ing looking packages gorgeous- ly wrapped in shining tissue, sealed with brightly colored seals and tied with extravagant bows of ribbon. Clusters of wide-eyed, breathless, all but speechless children clustered about the doorway impervious to the sharp bite of the rold wind, the lowering sky thaH had been threatening snow for the past two days, and watched as the trucks were emptied, the bnskets of packages carried in- side the Community House. Lunch was served to Chloe and the others at the Commun- ity House and. late in the af- ternoon, they all went home to rest for an hour or so before coming back for the party it- self. As Chloe |I,ISS<NI Melissa's open door, her grandmother ralle'l to h«-r envoi fully. \How's K<ntt Ktlvin getting along '.'\ \Soi i y , (Ji.ui. lint I'm aftaicl I wnuliin'i kn'\.. I'v e been so And thru someone luiif/hiiifihi snirf. \Look out. Miss Chloe, i/ou're riylit brut nth the mistletoe. Whyu't you kiss In r Ihicf busy lately,\ Chloe apologized. \You mean you haven't been near the man?\ Melissa de- manded sharply. \I'm sorry. Gran. I've been busy,\ said Chloe defensively. 'That's no excuse. You could have found time If you had wanted to,\ said Melissa sharply. \See here, Chloe. are you moping about that young man?\ \Certainly not!\ snapped Chloe. resentful as she usually was after a few moments alone with Melissa. \Of course you are. And the man's stark, staring mad about you. I can't see what makes you two so stubborn. Being In love with each other ought to wipe out any differences be- tween yon. Suppose he is poor that's not important.\ \Gran please I'm tired. Lots not quarrel about Srott. Well talk about It later on.\ pleaded Chloe, ami turned blindly away. HOWKlX LOOKKI.J at Chloe keenly as she came down stairs. \You look charming, darling — like a Christmas Tree Angel.\ \Thanks. Dad. I feel like a Hallowe'en goblin! Believe it or not, I'm tired.\ Chloe an- swered with a surface ligbtnesn that did not quite deceive her father. \Of course you are. darling, but after the party tonight how'd you like to join your friends in Rio for a rest?\ Chloe chuckled dryly. \If you had seen the letter Jim sent me, air mail and special delivery, if you please, you'd never suggest that as a rest!\ \The young man was put out?\ suggested her father mildly \Well that's putting it very gently, which is more than Jim did, but thai gives ymi t>ie gen- eral idea . He \y '•- VPIV Ul- digTi.uit, let us saw < 'I' 1 lui'-l I had been ti i\.in< <• 'th his af- fccti'.ns. T was a ( h> 't >;tn<l a coquettp and a lot of other not too nice words.\ answered Ohloe and added with an effort, \Let's not talk about him to- night. Dad, let's be very Christ- masy!\ \Agreed said Howell promptly and put his arm about her. \And maybe you would be excited a bit to know that when I came in just now it was snowing!\ ••Grand' The kiddies will adore that! It wax the final touch needed to mnke Chi 1st - mas perfect,\ said Chloe, and went to the window to look at the fat, silently drifting, white flakes that were rapidly cover- ing lift 1 ground with a thin, frost-like film Snow came sel- dom to thin sheltered, gentle climaU 1 and Chl(»o knew that the children wr>'il'l ho beside themselves with delight.- IMnner was ser\e<1 enilv and immediately a f t e i w .11 d s t he. closed car v as brought around. Melissa, swathed in a fur wrap, a warm scurf al>orrt her head, wns bundlei!* Into it, the otheis following. When they reached the Community House, a crowd had already gathered though the party was scheduled for seven-thirty But because of the rold nn<1 the snow, the doors were opened immediately and the crowd swarmed in filling the big room, trie children's ex- cited treble voices rifing shove the murmurs and exclnmations of the older people. It was a happy group. Long tiofore seven-thirty ev- ery seat in the hall was filled. There wns excitement in the air. and the crowd buzzed with little exclamation* of pleasiue am! suipnse :is a tall young nui'po, a <i.-irk blue red- lmi'd cape .iboul her shoulders pnvdrrrd vith s n • >\\ fla ke.s, hing a who! i hair in the \\ heel K\h in pale, eyes, hi.s il ilk fame in, p )>• 1 ot e her \ ml .- hair s.it S ' oi t but wild '-.hiri'M;; l • •! hi ill l>-i re .
