CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas was near. The Hollisters wrote and invited Mr. Casey to spend
the Christmas holidays with them. They also wrote Tom Harper to see if it
were possible to bring Aunt Susan to be with them during the holidays.
Tom replied he would make it possible. So they were to have a house full.
Nora and Ethel vied in dressing up the rooms tastefully with holly and
mistletoe. Every chandelier and door had a piece of mistletoe fastened
above it.
"What a grand kissing time there'll be," said Archibald. "When do we
begin--on Christmas morning?"
"Now, Papa, don't you get gay," laughed Ethel. "You've led an exemplary
life for fifty years. Please keep on and don't let this mistletoe make of
you a different man."
Well--first came Mr. Casey. Every day he and Nora boarded a taxi and went
shopping, returning with huge boxes and parcels which gradually filled
Nora's closets as well as under her bed.
Then came Tom and Aunt Susan, even looking younger than before.
"Really it's ridiculous, Aunt Susan," said Ethel, "for you to keep
growing so much younger and more stylish. You've got to stop."
And the bell rang so often that Mrs. Hollister was obliged to hire an
extra maid for Christmas week. Everyone was so perfectly happy that it
was a joy to enter the house. Harvey was there as often as his hospital
practice would admit of, and he was the first to kiss Aunt Susan under
the mistletoe; and Aunt Susan, if you please, now appeared in the
daintiest of gowns--up-to-date and rather youthful. Ethel and Grandmother
laughed over it.
"Why, Grandmother, how old is Aunt Susan?"
"She's about sixty-one," said her sister--"why?"
"Nothing, but I've been thinking wouldn't it be funny if she should marry
again? She's mighty attractive in her up-to-date gowns."
"I don't see whom she could marry," said Grandmother with some asperity,
"unless Mr. Casey or Dr. Bigelow." Ethel laughed.
Christmas eve arrived. They had a large tree and distributed the gifts.
Everyone received exactly what he or she desired. Mr. Casey's generosity
was boundless. He gave Mrs. Hollister a small limousine with the
understanding that all bills should be sent to him.
"Madam," he said, "you and Nora have a great deal of shopping and social
duties to perform. Nora tells me that you go by the cars and rarely in a
taxi, and that you seldom allow her to pay her fare. Now this will set
everything right, and Grandmother--God bless her--must have her ride
daily. It is money well invested, for you and Nora can take comfort. I
have engaged a good chauffeur and have made arrangements with a garage
near by. All bills are to be sent to me. Nora will attend to the sending
of them."
Mrs. Hollister couldn't speak. They stood under the mistletoe. She just
raised herself up and gave Mr. Casey two hearty smacks, at which there
arose a shout.
"I shan't try to thank you," she said, "for I can not."
Then another surprise came in shape of a wonderful diamond la valliere or
pendant, and poor Mrs. Hollister was most embarrassed.
"Mr. Casey," she said, "you are going to get me in wrong. People may
criticise me."
Then Tom's present came--a lovely grey silk evening wrap trimmed with
chinchilla, and verily Mrs. Hollister was nearly off her head.
Grandmother received a long silk coat lined with fur and trimmed with a
large lynx collar and cuffs--from Mr. Casey also.
"Don't think that I bought out a furrier," he said, "but I know people
always need them."
Ethel received a lovely pendant from Mr. Casey and one from Tom, while
Nora presented her with a beautiful diamond ring.
Everyone was happy this Christmas eve and strange to say Mr. Casey took
Aunt Susan right under the mistletoe and kissed her, which made
Grandmother laugh immoderately.
During one of the moments when people were rather quiet, Harvey Bigelow
took Nora by the hand and walked up to Mr. Casey who was standing under
the mistletoe; in fact, he had stood nowhere else during the evening.
"Mr. Casey," he said, "I ask of you the most valuable gift that a father
can give. I ask the hand of this dear girl," and he kissed Nora gently.
Mr. Casey, who had imbibed somewhat plentifully of punch, and who was
quite warm, looked at the two for a moment.
"An' is it this that ye two have been up to?" he said. "Nora, me child,
do ye wish it to be?"
"Yes, Papa," faltered the girl, "I love Harvey."
"An' suppose I withhold my consent--what then?"
"Then I shall still love him, but I shall never marry without it."
"Hear that now. Nora, my good girl," and taking her hand he placed it in
Harvey's, "I give her to ye. All I ask is that ye shall make her happy.
Let her niver regret this day--that's all," and he wiped his eyes.
Nora flung her arms around him while Harvey wrung his hand.
"You'll never have cause to regret, nor shall she," he said. "I'll love
and cherish her until death parts us, and I'll work for her so that
she'll be proud of me."
Ethel kissed them both; in fact, so did everyone. Aunt Susan and Tom were
delighted.
"I always liked him," she said. "Anyone who looks me square in the eye,
Mr. Casey, I'll bank on every time."
It was long after midnight when the Xmas party broke up. The young man
who had always played at Mrs. Hollister's teas for the sum of three
dollars played the Virginia Reel, and everyone danced,--even Grandmother.
Mr. Casey took so many funny fancy steps that it was hard to get him
through with the figures, after which Nora and Ethel showed the elderly
people how to dance the turkey trot, which of course was shocking. When
the young musician left he was richer by fifty dollars--gifts of Mr.
Casey, Tom Harper, and Mrs. Hollister, for she told of how lovely his
mother was and how she had been her bridesmaid.
"And here's a gift for her," said Mr. Casey. "Take it and buy her a
fur-lined coat," at which everyone shouted, for poor Mr. Casey's gifts
had all been so comfortable and warm.
"Niver mind," he laughed, "I bet she'll like one. And give her me
compliments and a Merry Christmas. And let me have your address, sir."