The Shy Man's Christmas.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 13

The Shy Man's Christmas.

By TOM GALLON.

How a Burglar Guessed Aright.

Mr?. Canning was the mil e.iuse of all the mischief. llrs. Cunning kfjil a highly ic-pK'li'ljlc but ohcnp lxiardingliDUse; but she had Iter feelings. like other people, ami I his was Christinas time. The. Jii-.-t floor front was going to an aunt in the country, and .the M'coml floor possessed * married sister who yearned for lier socibtyj and the other apartments were to bo distributed ill various directions on that eventful day. Mrs. Canning herself possessed friends, who knew that on occasion the good old lady could sing a song onco beloved of her mother, and conid sparkle ic conversation when the boardinghouso was off her mind. Under these joyous circumstances it had been felt that the servants might take a holiday, and the house be allowed to look after itself, for at least a few hours. And here, at the last moment, one man in the house had not stated what he intended to do.

That mau was -Mr. Felix Garland. Tho quietest of all tho boarders, unci the shye- C; a young man who did not seem to have a friend in the world, and who worked hard all tho week, lonpr behind dingy windows in an office. The other boarders, speaking of the matter, declared openly that it was a shame, even if he had no friends to whom to turn, that he should put other people about by wanting to stay at home on Christmas Bay. ; • ... Mrs. Canning at last in despair interviewed the gentleman on'the' subject. "Jar be-it from lr.e, .Mr. Garland, sir, to.suggest that anvoiiu isn't weleomc to bo where they please on Christmas Day, or any other day, when they pay for it; but, you see, everybody seems to .be going out—and I was thinking of going out myself, ami shutting up the 'ousc for once in a way—giving it a rest; so to speak. But, of course, if you found it wusn t convenient " , "It will be . rj 11 ito convenient—thank you.*'* murmured Mr. Garland, blushing, "as he usually did. for no known .reason. "I—l shall be-going .out myself. Mrs. Canning beamed upon him. "Which I won't deny it takes a load oft niv mind,, sir," she said. "Its only about once a year that I"lets myseu go, and joins what you might call the giddy tlirong-ancl I was afraid I was going to miss it this year. In case you should want to be coming 'ome . early,, you ve got your latch key. and so you won t interfere with nobody." . Mrs- Canning went away to intorm those who had been waiting that it was all right, and that Mr. Garland was really going out after all. In consequence everyone else in the house, including the servants, beamed upon Mr. Felix Oarland, as though they felt that he had done something rather noble. . But poor Felix Garland, for his part, nat alone in his room', on the side ot tiis bed, with his chin propped 111 his hands, and his elbows on his . knees, staring moodily at the opposite wall, and calling himself hard names. If only .he had had the courage to do as other people did, he might' have, had a really merrj Christinas, in spite of his loneh conditionFor had not the Dixon-lariells-old friends of his mother-invited him down to their place; and were not the D'sonFarrells a .hearty sort ot people, who made ono wclcome in a matter of five minutes? But Felix had.remembered that there were two children—a romping boj and a tomboy of a girl-who were apt at the making of applo-pie beds and booby (raps; so Felix declined the invitation, and bitterly regretted having done so aflC NOT d be knew what his programme would be. He would watch 1-h.c other boarders going off one after the othereven that little, bright-eyed, shabby governess, who lives at the very top of the house, and could not afford any extras, he would watch them all going off to their various parties and gatherings, and would make a pretence of going mil nim--elf Then he would wander about the streets, in a forlorn fashion for an hour or two; and, finally, would drift into some cheap restaurant, and eat a lonely dinner. lie would spin out that lonely dinner as long as possible, for the sake of warmth and comfort, until even the very waiters would look at him iu pit}* ing contempt; thin he would ".drift, out into the streets a&aia—and so back to a house that was empty. And after that to bed 011 Christmas night in a chilly room. , , . , He was destined, however, not to carry but that programme. For, in a perverse sort of way, while he was still waiting in the hcusr, merely hilling time, a dreary drizzling sleet l>egan to tall; the sort of sleet that makes a man turn up his coat collar, and unconsciously increase his pace, and thank his sUr? that he had a warm fireside to go to. Felix, flattening his nosß against the window of the empty dining-room, whero the fife had been allowed to go out— liko tho servants— bi.cau.Mj it would not be wanted, looked at the sleet, and shivered, and decided that he would not go out yet a bit. . He was the last person in the house. As I have said, lie had seen his fellow boarders depart one after the other, and even the servants in bright and unaccustomed raiment, run up the area steps and disappear; he had the place to himselt. Merely with the idea of keeping himself warm, ho walked, out of the dining-room, and across th 6 little hall, and into th© drawing-room; that stiff apartment,.with a large circular ottoman in the middle, on which it was impossible to sit without bruising yourself against a wooden arm of it, or getting a crick in your neck when trying to talk to a neighbour. There was no fire here either; Felix shivered, and walked out again, and up to his room. After all. it was useless to postpone matters; the dreary prospect must be faced, and he must go out in search ot dinner. He came downstairs again, and paused in the hall before putting on his overcoat, and then for the first time realised that he had never seen the other rooms of tho house. The only rooms n© inew were those two into which he had just walked, and his own bedroom. He wondered, for instance, what the kitchen was like. , With the sole object of killing time he now went cautiously down the stairs into that mysterious basement, and looked about him. Thoro was a cosy air ot warmth here, and. after groping his way in the semi-darkness for a moment or two, he pushed open a door, and saw a prospect before him of .warmth and brightness that was positively dazzling after tho chilliness of tho rooms above stairs. The servants had evidently made themselves very comfortable up to the last moment of leavijjg the house, for a large fire still glowed in the grate. Felix advanced to it, with a. curious feeling that he was having quite a new.experience. and spread out his chilled fingers to thoblaro, and began to feel more comfortable. It was indewl a very cosy apartment, for Mrs. Canning had a reputation for looking after .her servants. There were two old wicker-work armchairs in the corners, and some framed photographs of impossible young men, with very stiff hair brushed up in a roll over their foreheads; there was a row of shining dish covers on the wall, and another row of dangling bels. Anti still Mr. Felix Garland lingered, with his back to the fire, in tho silent house; and still the ovening darkened until it was almost night. And then a sudden inspiration occurred to hiin. Why not stop and dine there? J' icro lvas surely a larder somewhere, and if he only got bread and cheese out of it that would be better than turning out on such a night and dining in a restaurant. Yes—he would do.it; he would forage tor something to cat, and would afterwards light a pipe, and sit down in one of those comfortable wicker-work chairs before tho fire; nor would he stir until tho hour when the revellers would probably be returning. , It was quite an oxcihng adventure. Jn the first place, he hunted about until he found a tablecloth; and that lie spread neatly at one end of the big kitcnen tabU'. Then knives and torks and a tumbler; hist of all. he went on an exploring expedition in search ot the Inrtier. And hero lie w:h more . I hail he had at lir.it anticipatedThere whs a piece nt cold roast bcel and same bread and cheese; in a collar,

aft or much hunting, lir discororcd somo |h boltler- of ale. Highly uith him- '» j'rtl'. he canift bark into 1 lio kitehon ;ind j n arrnnsotl ovrryfhing mafly, doUTinini'ijr j;i that he would wjiit until ho wjis really J hungry before commencing his ine<»l. "This is ever »o much bettor than <- turning out on .such a nitrhi. and boinß P attended to by a waiter- who sjcws to * 1 cienl the idoa of waiting upon anyone d on Christmas Day," ho murmured to <? himself. "No one will miss the littln r that .( shall cat and drink. Perhaps I c might manage to add up my bill wrongly on purpose, and pay an extra half-crown ( —just to ease my conscience/' He was advancing to the table, " mined at last to commence # his meaU £ when he stopped suddenly* listening. At i I first he. felt it must be imagination, or f that his ears had deceived him; then lie I wns certain that his first thought had f been right. , - . Someone wa« coming downstairs! • He turned out the pas, and made a .1 holt for door that ho had seenopened J it. and dorted through, closing it alter 1 him. He had gone into the scullery, and 1 the only sound he could lieav, other j than that stealthy step on the stair?, 1 was the drip, drip, of water somewhere J close to him. So "he waited, wondering what was to happen, until lie heard the scraping of a match and the lighting or Hie Then, half an inch at a ] time, ho opened the door and peered j "'wonder of wonders—it was (lie little shabby governess! Ho had seen her at any time these twelve months past raking lior place quietly at the tables. He ; had hoard. it whispered that the went out each day in all weathers to leaeli < such pupils as she could set by the hour. And here she was, standing in the Kitchen of. ill's. Canning's boarding-house eon- s teinplating Jlr. Felix Garland s untasted dinner. c She diil not contemplate it long. -She gave a little Rasp of delight, and ciapped her hands softly, and sat down in the chair Felix had already set tor himself. She carved vigorously at the beef, and she looked at the ale, and finally poured herself out about half a glass. "This is heavenly!" exclaimed the little shabby governess. Felix Garland made a movement, and knocked over something in the darkness. Instantly tho little governess sprang up, and backed away in a great hurry into a corner. Sho looked very much as if she contemplated screaming. Seeing there was nothing else for it, Felix opened tho door quickly, and came out. ' And so ths two faced each other over that hastilyprepared table. "Mr. Garland?" "Miss Avery!" "The—the night was too bad to turn out into," he stammered. "I was going out at first, of course. I'd arranged all that. Friends of mine—great personal friends, who were most anxious I should spend Christmas Day with them. Xou understand?" "Perfectly," she answered demurely. "I was going out, too—very rich people, who were most anxious that I should go and sec tbem. There was to be a dinner and a dance and private theatricals and all sorts of things." "Mine was to have been an awfully swell dinner, too," said Felix. "Tho people I was going to do the thing very well, I assure you; rather too stiff and formal, if anything. Waiters—footmen, I mpan, of courses-standing behind evcrj guest's chair—sort of champagne and turtle soup business. One can have too much of that sort of thing. So I thought for once I'd just stop here, and eat co!d beef in comfort—and really enjoy myself." Miss Avery advanced to tho table, and put her hands upon.it, and looked across ni. him; and suddenly Felix Garland understood, for perhaps the first time, howvery pretty she was, despite her thinness. Something, too, of .his shyness dropped away from him; lie found that he could smile quite easily across at her. "Mr. Garland," she said, "is it worth while for both of us to go on telling stories?" He laughed a little shamefacedly and looked down at the meal he had prepared. "Perhaps not," he replied. "If you'd like me to begin the truth-telling, I may say that I haven't anywhere in the whole world to go to this Christmas night, except a restaurant, where 1 should eat a solitary dinner, and walk ebout the streets afterwards. And so I thought it better to stay here, where there was a fire, and picnic in comfort." "Now it's my turn," she said softly. "I hadn't any money to waste on a dinner nt a restaurant; and a woman doesn't like to be seen dining alone on such a night as this. T pretended I was going away to friends—but you see"—she pleated up the coarse table cloth between her fingers, and looked down at the pleat—"you see, I haven't any friends." Felix was silent for a moment or two, while he looked at the girl; it seemed so hard to -find words for such a situation as this. His own loneliness paled into insignificance beside hers; it seemed pitiful that she should have waited at tho top of the house, and then have crept down, when she imagined herself to bo alone in it, in search of some poor apology for a Christmas dinner. And so ; it came about that Felix Garland had another brilliant idea. "It would be rather good fun if we had < our Christmas together—wouldn't it?" ho i hazarded. "There's plenty of beef—and , there's some more ale; and the fire is ■ beautiful. If you would do me the great i honour of dining with me " "That would be perfectly lovely," she . exclaimed. "And I shall feel that I hare ■ got a friend in the world, after all." i Now, a kitchen table of any dimensions is an awkward thing. It is 'so wide that >. if you sit at either side of it you cannot ; reach things properly; there 'is but one [ wi\y, and that is to sit at a corner of it. I Felix, forgetting all about his shyness, i sat so close to little Miss Avery that he ■ could have touched her;' not that he ' would have dared to do so, of course. He > ate his-beef with great contentment, and I presently found himself chattering away > to the little governess as he had never i chattered to anyone in all his life before. 1 "I've always been a little sorry for } you," said the girl, looking at him frankl ly, "The other people are horrid, and f priggish, and stuck-up; and I felt that if r only you would come out of your shell a " little you oould.be quite nice and friendi ly. I should have liked to talk to you— 1 just as I'm talking now; only, of coursc, ? that's so difficult. But after to-night we 0 shall know each other quite well—shan't 'we " "I shan't be afraid of anything or nnyf body—after to-night," he replied. ' They talked a gTeat deal about thern- • selves: it seemed that the girl had oer- • tain ambitions and .hopes not Usually told to ordinary people. Felix, for his • part, felt that if only he oould nnd some--3 one to whom he could talk about his ' work prosa.ic though it was—someone who - would be waiting for him when lie got • to a home, however small, at night—well - —Felix would be quite a different sort of 1 man. Perhaps the spirit of Christmas . had something to do with it; but by the 1 lime that strange dinner was ended the ' corner of the kitchen table had grown 1 smaller yet. and they sat with their 5 hands clasped, looking into each other's s eyes. 1 '"This won't, do at all." said the little s governess, jumping to her feet. "We must clear away, or we shall be found out." 0 Tint at that very moment there came e an interruption. The house had be«a t very silent, nnd only an occasional foot--1 fall in the street outside had been heard • at all; but now there was distinctly a r sound as of someone moving in the s house. The girl looked at Felix, and o there was a little frightened expression e in her eyes; Felix looked at the girl, and o wondered exactly how he was going to v account for that strange meal, in the kitchen Jlrs. Canning's boardingn house, consumed by two people who were e supposed io be a long way off. Once d again he heard footsteps—clum.«.v this ii time—descending the stair-; and it seema ed quite a natural thing fur liim Ifl gra<p (he hand of the girl, and to •- i whisper to her hurriedlv, with his lace il i vitv e!os-> to hers. "We iiiuili.-'f be found hen-: I'll mil. if | out the lijbt, and we mutt wait till they 'i ' B°-"

lie put out the light so suddenly that p (lio «ii-l gave u little c:ry. of dismay; ( nevertheless, she submitted to an arm about her , nud to finding herself bustlral unceremoniously through a door into the darkness. I'erlinps it was i-jjni-t'orling, in a way, to feel that Felix Garland was hi closc tu her; perhaps she felt that the awkward position in which they found themselves was one to Iks shared by them both. Be that as it may, sho kept (|iiitc fctill, and watched and listened. Someone camo into the kitchen cautiously; someone softly swore as ho fell over something in the dark. Then a. miilrh was struck, and the fra.-i was light- ) cd; for there was nu four of di.'.coiory, LV.nifc the shutters of the kitchen win- ' ow were cio-ely fa>t"n:'d. The door • f the scullery was opened an inch or i-o, 1 ml two rwi Ird faces looked out. ' 'J'h n r:> was a bis:, rough-lciukins: man, landing in the very middle of the kithen, staring at the remains of the sup- ' or. He picked up the bottle, and turn- I d it upside down over a glass; snift'ed isgustedlv when l-.e discovered it to lie I mpty. Then lie cut-himself a huge . licoe of bread and some cheese, and proeeded to make an impromptu meal. ■ "There ain't no need for mo to ' urry." they heard him say to himself. 'Lucky I got wind of it that tliey was II goiii' out to-night; a poor bloke don't :et a charnco like this 'ere every day. 1 an "ave a run through the bedrooms, ,n' clean the '010 place out before anviody comes 'ome. But as I say, there lin't no 'urry." Ho semietl troubled about the empty Kittle; lie looked at it again and again, ■"inally, in quite a leisurely fashion, ho ighted a candle, and went off, evidently n search of another bottle; and in an nstant two heads were closer together ■veil than before, and Felix and the iltio governess were whimpering excitedy. "He's a burglar!" whispered the girl. "A desperate one, I expect," said Felix, 'lie's evidently starving, or ho wouldn't lave attacked the food at once like that; Hid he'll probably get drunk if only ho inds (lie ale. You're not afraid?" "N'ot in the least," she answered. 'AVhat are you going to do?" "Overpower him, of cotirsu," said Felix, raliantly. "I- don't want you to get mrt, and of course you must keep out if the way. If I tako him by surpriso L may be able to manage him." "You're very brave, Mr.- Garland,'' ;aid the little governess; and Felix felt n thrill go through him as a. hand was slipped into his own. ■ The stranger eamc back, carrying two Ixittlcs of ale, and beaming with satisfaction. Fortunately for their plan, he -eated himself at the table,in.the chair that had been occupied by. the littlo E;overness, so that his bailc. was turned to the door behind which,they .were hiding; and tlint was Felix Garland's opportunity. He stole out. very quietly, and with a courage he could never have displayed under other circumstances, literally hurled himself upon (ho astonished intruder. Only it has to be recorded that Felix did not do everything. In fact, it is more than probable that ho would havo been overpowered in the first bout, but for the little governess. It was Miss Avery who seemed to wind herself about Iho man's legs, and to drag him down to tho floor; it was Miss Avery who calmly directed Felix to sit upon the man while she sccured a piece of rope and bound it about his arms. And it was Hiss Avery who finally directed operations when the strange.- was commanded to get to his feet, and to seat himself in a chair, and to hear judgment passed upon him. "It's a good 010 cop," said the man. " 'Ow was I to know anybody was in tho place; 'ow was I to know I should 1)0 pushed down oh me face and stamped on, and treated like I 'ave bin?" "I suppose you're a.professional thief?" said the girl. "We want you to tell tho truth, yon know." "Never bin in the game before," said tho man, earnestly. "I've gorn honest all me life; but when you've got a missis at 'ome an' three kids wot, wants to .know wot they calls it Christmas Day for if there ain't nuffink to eat—wot's a poor chap to do?" ( "What's your name?" demanded Miss Avery. "George Nutt," replied the man. ' I on'y 'card by ,accident there wasn't goin' to be nobody in tho 'ouse; so in I popped. You'd better git it over, Miss; 1 won't mind wot ye do to me. It wasn't my fault that' there was two yonng. people wot was sweet oil each nvver left be'ind in tho 'ouso all on their lonesome, was it?" It was Miss Avery's turn to blush, and she blushed accordingly. Felix had stolon a glance at her, and perhaps lie blushed a little, too. Mr. George Nutt, sitting pinioned in a chair, saw his advantage, and pushed it home. "On Christmas Day, of all days, you an' the young, lady wouldn't be 'ard on a pore chap, sir. If I could slip away now I'd swear blind I'd never do anyfink of this sort again—s'welp me, .1 would!" "it sounds almost like compounding a felony," said-Felix, as sternly as he could. "And there's a broken chair to account for," lie added, ruefully, as he thought of Mrs. Canning. "It won't do you no 'arm, sir, to say that someone broke in—someone desprit ail' 'ungry on Christmas night, an' you 'ad a sort of up-aiul-downor wiv 'ini, an' 'e managed to slip away," suggested tho man. "You won't bo sorry for it; ask the young lydy." "If ho really means to turn over a new leaf, perhaps we could let him go," said Miss Avery. "And we have to remember that it's Christmas night, haven't we?" "You'ro wot I might call a angel, Miss —that's wot you are," said George Nutt, gratefully. "An' I think the gent may count 'isself lucky in being loved by anybody like you." Little Miss Avery blushed again. For some reason or other she suggested that perhaps the poor man might have something moro to cat, and even something to drink, before ho went away. So that anyone coming into tho kitchen of Mrs. Canning's boardinghouse that Christmas night might havo beheld the strange spectacle of two young people waiting upon an individual with the appearance of a tramp, who was eating and drinking voraciously. They got hiru out secretly, and they closed tho window by which he had entered. Then they went back into that wonderful kitchen, and stood there looking at each other, and at the mere remnants of the feast. Felix.; was tho first to speak. "It will be rather a good way to account for what has been eaten," ho said. "Don't you think, Gracc"—(and how in the world he had managed to get hold of her name like that it is impossible to say)—"don't you think that we might say that we got back early to the house, and found the man here, and that I overpowered him, but, unfortunately, let him get away?" "It would certainly sound feasible," said the girl, demurely. "Of course, I shall offer to pay for what he has eaten—l mean for what we've all eaten," he went on. "It was rather curious." he added, with a glance at the girl, "that he should have said that about—about our being lovers." "It was a very great liberty on his part.," said Miss ATery, yet without any real stiffness. "I rather liked him for saying it," murmured Felix. Two questions have always agitated the mind of Mrs. Canning since that Christmas Day. Tho first—that the mysterious burglar should have had so large an appetite as to bo able to eat enough for three ordinary people; tho second—that it should havo been immediately after that that the shyest of the boarders, Mr. Felix Garland, snddenly made up his mind to marry that shabby little governess who lived at the top of the house, and to set up a tiny house for himself and for her in a remote but picturesque suburb. But perhaps those - matters could bo more easily explained by .Mr. and Mrs. Felix Garland if they cared to talk about them.