CUPID IN -A RESTAURANT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1940, 24 December 1913, Page 10

CUPID IN -A RESTAURANT.

j THE STORY OF A LONELY CHRISTMAS DINNER.

j: $'AIIMIGER BaHCLAY.] |

It was Cupid's busy seasou, He had had a hard day's work among tilt? holly and the mistletoe, making young hearts glad and old mic-s young. But misfoitiiHo—that sometimes dogs even the footsteps of tho gads—had befallen him. lie had tried to arrange matters for a young couple who, perversely, had preferred to manage things lor themselves. Ultimately, of course, they regretted it. But that has nothing to do with this story. Cupid, iii a temper, left them, went"' out into tho snow and the wet, and.then lost himself. H.e was, bitterly c01d.;,. Tho lights of a small restaurant attracted him.-'. - It looked cosy and inviting, and it was full of people. Cupid went, in./'-'.

"Tho little French restaurant-, like a stray. fragment of the Quartier Latin, dumped bodily into tho mjdst of unllohemian Loudon, stirred Nugent to vague memories while li,o looked along tho yi-sla of tables for an unoccupied seat.

Mora Christ-mas Days than be cared to remember had passed sinco last ho had eaten among conventional surmiudiiigs. Years of wanderings, the Bush, the diggings, had interrupted an old custom; ana now, a stttmget hi tho city, he had once known so well, chance and a vagabond habit had brought him to this unpretentious place of refreshment. "J3ut one seat only, sare," ho was informed by a waiter, who enroe bustling »P- .

"One is as much as I can manage," smiled Nugent. He threaded his way through the cosmopolitan throng to tho table indicated, seated himself, and after a brief glance sit tho menu, ordered his dinner. It was of the, usual French bourgeois typo, and lift could not help wondering why his vis-si-vis, a pretty girl of anything but foreign appearance, should choose such a restaurant on tho one (lay of tho year sacred to tho national faro of turkey and phun pudding.

From that tie began to speculate on the reasons that caused her to be dining alone on Christmas Day. Was she relationloss, friendless, lonely? A ftl* low-feeling stirred his sympathy. Now that ho looked at her again he thought lift detected a suggestion of sadness ill her attractive face, and ho found himself studying her with an interest that ultimately indnccd tlio belief that bq must know her.

Her soup was brought at tho same time as his own. Each attacked it in appropriately stolid English silence and reserve. Willi the next course Nugent felt the situation was becoming strained. His eyes were under less control than bis tongue. In one of tho upward glances of honest admiration which her bewitehiugly pretty faco evoked, their looks met. Nugoiit's conscience pricked him into a farm of verbal oxctise.

"Christmas in a rcstaurnnt hardly fulfils one's ideals of tho festive season," ho ventured, with disarming ■friendliness.

"It is rather like mako-behWe," concurred the girl. "But--!—" The little pathetic quiver of her lip expressed her unspoken thought better than words. To Nugent tho old haunting desire for. homo and kindred was woilrniglirmeaninglessp but n'Oiio the less he could understand yearning for both.

usual feud between our families to keep us apart." Her eyes were soft with tender Memories. She ivas so taken up with them that sho did not. notice the newly awakening expression on jtfwgent'g face.

"lie went abroad somewhere," - sho Cffifitmiiod presently. "I heard nothing of him iintil a week or two ago, when, to my astonishment, there came a hitter from him, dated from a AVest lind club, to my employer, concerning the gold mine—r- 1 '

■Sue bit her lip in annoyance ii ; t having, unthinkingly, allowed the hint to escape her. It was a breach of eonlidfflice.

"I ought riot to have told you," sho faltered, "Y-ou'H think me "

"No, no," he hurriedly interposed. "Itwas a slip anyone might have made. Don't let it distress you." His reassuring tone, meant to ease her conscience, had the desired elect.

"If it's disloyalty, I can't help it," sho declared. "My mind was so full of tho in justice of it- al.l, ami'irf—himi" -*-this with an enchanting flush that sat Nugeut's pulses dancing. "Somebody had recommended him to join the syndic-ate, and he wrote asking for particulars Before, -putting r, .la-rg« sum o.f mouey into it. And*l had to -typo and. send letters cpuiaiiiing false figures' and reports that will deceive him. Doji't you sea the horrible position. I -am.in? It's through me he'll tm robbed, and I'm bound to secrecy—paid for itl" Her eyes wore, swimming so that she could not, see haw moved ho was. Jo' Nugent tho situation appealed as a moment far lib expression of feelings long deferred. _ Yet he hesitated; something held him bad:. "Otrght you to warn him?" he asked. "How do you knmv that 1m d<n sorves. consideration? You don't say so, but it seems clear that he has iiot written to you all these years. How do yau know that ho hasn't forgotten you?" ' The girl looked at him with calm serenity. "Ha wouldn't forgot," sho answered softly. "And if he hasn't written, it's because of same good and sufficient reason."

"To it to very loyal," ho said fervently. "I/tit ns give liira orqclst for being ignorant of your whereabouts. us assume, teo> that, until quite lately, lie may have !.iwm too poof to think of aslving any woman t-p sli-are his life —too fond of tho woman Jie loved to bind her dovn (o a promise hp might never have been a bio to claim "How' stowage!" sb© , mlaimcd.. "That is exact!}' hew I think of. liiiii. Awl somctow I tow it's truol"

<f Aiul if you met liinMiny him-— would if, shock you greatly not to recognise him?"

Titers was a happy confident sniilo on liar face as she looked st li.ini across tho tah'e.

"Yes," he said, "it's the old scenes and tho familiar faces olio, misses that make occasions like this so cheerless "

"Don't!" sho broke in pitoously. "I was trying to forgot, and now you've brought it all bask," Nugent looked pmiitcnt. "Now, that's unjust of mc," she continued. "I daresay you feel it all as keenly as I do."

"To be quite honest, I'm ashamed to esy I don't," confessed Nugent. "You see, I've-been so long away from home that I hardly know the meaning of the word."

"Ah, you're a man! A woman can*t forget those sorts of even when, like a man, she has to work for her living."

Nugent looked at her with increased interest. Ho was one of those wlio'hold that women ©f eulttiro are unfitted for the stern realities of life. And this girl evidently provided a pitiful example of a system ho coiiMe-mned. Tho worst of it was he could hardlv condole with her. He compromised with a platitude.

" 'If we suiter we_ shall also reign,' " he qaoted encouragingly. ' She made a little enchanting mouo of disagreement. "I'd willingly forge the reigning for a little present peace," she observed.

"Is it as bad as that?" ho asked with feeling. "It's unpleasant for any girl t-e bo cooned up in an offieo. Especially if she's always longing for sunshine and the fields."

"You look as if you belonged to the fields "

"And the purple heather and the smell of tho poat'i" -she supplemented eagerly. ■ "Ireland! You're Irish?" ho saw, wondering. She laughed musically. "I haven't lost my lirosuo then?"

"No, no," ho protested, "it's not. that,. But I know Ireland, and " He broke off abruptly. "Tell mo about your work. Is it very hard?" "Oh, there's nothing tragic about it," sho smiled. 'Tin only an ortlinar.V everyday secretary in a city financial Office. Not an edifying occupation to talk about on Christmas Day, is it?" "I'm rather interested in financial matters —just now." "Ara you? Mino's the shady side of it. I help weave the webs that catch the unwary investors 1"

"I don't believe you would hurt a fly," declaim! Nugent. "And so yoti'ro Irish P Does that"explain v.'hy yaw coma for .Vonr Christmas dinner to a French restaurantF" ho added whimsically. _ "I come hero sometimes because it's ehoap, Don't you think that, bliowh extraordinary strength of mind—for an Irishwoman?" "It shows cood sen-s.o ana philosophy, and a conspicuous absfflco of the nation,t! trait of recklessness," he smiled. "Oh, I was brought up in the national belief that the day of reckoning could alwavs be put off. To deny oneself nothing end owe tor everything, from hunters to grocery bills, was tho usiial thing. Everybody did it in our part of Clare I" "Clare? echoed Nugent. "Yes, Ivilgarrib." <( I know—Claro one<\ 1 hesitated. "So yon havo conscientious scruples aboat company promoting? Under tho circumstances, is that wise> ot you. ' "No," she admitted, "lint rt'« «wtu> ml. You wouldn't lsko to liavo to wnto fuisomely plausible lot-ters about wildcat' promotions! I mean to somebody vou knew. Just- think of it! Advising an old friend to put money mlo a pon;nanv that- vou knew to bo a swindle It was mi tho tip <rf His to.uguo to counsel her t-rt warn the potential investor —to take the honest course; but he remembered in time that such advice was tantamount to asking her to resign her livelihood. _ "Well,' 1 he tempomod, if it were onlv an acquaintance " .-'.a',,'But':it isn't," slui cried impeltieiisly% "It's someone I ttsed to know very She stopped in confusion. "Don't vou,- see how. hard it is? Ho s bo's ■ .well,-, wo wero sweethearts! Oh, it's ever s-3'many years ago," sho w«Bt on Jvi rosy excuse.. "1 was only fifteen, a "wild, I.'bli colleou, and there was the

"No. Fcrf if lie had changed outwardly, his heart would bo the same, I am' sure of it," Then sho grew grave once more. "Ailviso me," sho pl.ca.deii, "I. focrl I can trust yon, what ought 1 to do—about tho mine? Would it bo very wrong t<j tell him ?" Nugent's hftirt beat fast, 11 if A knows, dear," Jw said, stretching his hand across .slid taking hers. Sho dreiv it .Way sharply,. staring t ai. him -\vitli. ~£■+« rt-ic?!.. (Ojieaj, tliwi > stirring within h»r. "liiloen aianuaii'" ho sftid again, in a voice that trembled. "Ah., ■ don'ii you remember mc, sweetheart?"

Tho Christmas tree lias found a placo in most English homes. In the ninth month of tlio JewisJi year, corrc6jx>.nding nearly to our December, and on tho 25th day, the Jews colqfuatod their feast of Dedication of their Temple. It is not easy to fix tl-io exact date of the nativity, hut it fell most probably mi the last da,v of Kiskm, when every Jewish house in Bethlehem and Jerusalem was twinkling with lights. It is .worthy of notice that the German nivn-.e for GhHstmas is WoilmiVsli't, tiio night c|, Dedication. o.s though it fto.ro associated with the feast. 'Ao Greeks alto civil Christmas the Feast-of Lights; tiltd indeed this was also tv nam© given to tho Dedication Festival. Probably some of oar readers who are familiar with the expression -'Christmas box" way not know its origin and significance." An authority on such matters writes that in tlio early. days of Christianity teas were placed in tho. churches for pro.iuscuo.us chanties, and opened on Christmas Day. On the foK lowing morning (Boxing Day) the contents were listribntel Rmcme tho. poor of the parish hy the priest .u'wt called "the dele of the Christmas hex."

In France, ns well as in every conntry where Clmstiasuty has shod ite holy light-, tlio festival cf Christmas la a. squfco of g.rc'U-fc joy to all. the wlations who Ji&vc been absent from other perhaps during the wholu year are to moot 011 this evening, thoso who have bean tho greatest enemies pardon oaen. other; at "Christmas -marriages are fixed; tho shyest lover becomes eloquent, and the most coy fair oho. becomes kiiid; every hwt dilate with goodwill, love, and "tcudo.'Hess on Christinas. In Italy tho Befana brings good gifts at tho'holy season, oesupying the Ra:r.n place in tho nurseries as tl» giver of Christmas toys and goods winch Jst. Nicholas holds in Germany, and tlio "Infant Jesus" in France. Christmas is not, as has been su}* posed,- so exiled on account of tlio religious performances held on that day? but the word is compounded of the name of tho Saviour and tho Anglo-Saxon "mass," a feast or holiday. The festivities which characterised the day among our a.ncesti.re have passed away. Yule, the av,eie.nl name of Christmas, seems to lifl-ve been a festival anio.ng the llamans, Saxons, and Goths, m commemoration fif tho winter Bolstico and the lengthejimg days, and was' afterwards kept up by the. Christians. >n,o decking of churches and houses with laurel invl holly appears to have beeii copied by tlio Christians mm; t their pagan attftefttors. The yulo l«g jf stflt Imrned at Christmas, As Sir Walter Scott says; Heap on moro weed—the wind is cmJl, But let it whistle as.it will, We'll keep our Christmas merry still.