Little Miss Christmas

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 147, 19 December 1927, Page 35

Little Miss Christmas

A MASKED CAVALIER

"Now, which, shall it be, Dinah. Christmas at Mallows Dene, or would you prefer to go up to town, stay at an hotel, and do theatres and things?" "Theatres and things!" There was a trace of scorn in Dinah. Herridge 'a fresh young voice, as she echoed her guardian's last words. "When, for the first time in my life, I can spend Christmas in a real old country house, with red-berried holly in every, room, like I've read about, yet never seen— oh, I ask you, which shall I bo likely to choose?"

Hugh Madderley's serious face relaxed in a smile. Dinah, his dead friend's only childi and his ward, had arrived at Mallows Dene just sis months before, with her old nurse, Becky, and a letter from Jack Herridge, her father, placing her in his charge. "Then you'll say," he said, looking at her pretty, oval face, with the blue eyes that sparkled so mischievously, "and of course, you'll want some guests—the Travers, I suppose, and any one else you like to ask." Dinah, perclied on tho edge of the leather-topped table, surveyed the man before her with an almost maternal expression. In her eyes, it was Hugh Mcdderley who needed taking care of, and in a hundred little ways, during the last six months, she had brought sunshine into his life;

"You doa't like a lot of pooplo about," she said frankly, "so we won't ask any one—not even the Travers." The Travers—Bobbie and Betty— were near neighbours, and when they weren't at Mallows Dene, Dinah was usually up at the Croft. "I shan't be here," Madderley had no idea his voice sounded so gruff. "I want you to enjoy your first Christmas in England, Dinah—and you will, if you are left to do exactly as you like. I always go up to town." Dinah glanced away. She didn't want him to see the disappointment in her eyes. Besides, she was certain, he looked upon her advent into his secluded life as rather a nuisance, though he did his best not to let her see it.

"Then I'll ask tho Travers," she said, making her voico sound gay. "Bobbie's a dear, and ..." Hugh stiffened. He liked young Travers—at least, he had done so until he had made the discovery that the boy was set on Dinah.

"You won't want an old fogey like me, putting the damper on all your fun, and there's always plenty to do in town."

What Dinah wanted to do was to dash, round to his chair, and, her own soft cheek pressed against his, tell him that it couldn't be a perfect Christmas without him. But pride restrained her. In his eyes, she was only a mischievous child, and he obviously didn't mean to risk being bored at Christmas by her and her friends.

"When do you go?" she asked stiff-

"To-morrow—Christmas. Eve.'!

At that moment, Bobbio Travers's motor-cycle spurted up the drive, and Hugh Medderley, successful barrister, turned back to the papers he had been studying before Dinah's interruption. Oda how he longed to stay on at Mallows Dene for Christmas this year! It was odd, too, how implicitly ho obeyed all- Dinah's instructions that evening with regard ro the decorations, doing his best to hang out the time, •without letting her suspect that he was cherishing every minute spent with her.

He pictured, too, the scene on Christmas Eve, when they turned the lengthy dining-room into a temporary dance room. Bobbie Travers would be sure to speak then—he had watched tho signs for weeks past. Christmas would certainly see Bobbie and Dinah engaged.

"Now, don't you wish you were going to stay?" Dinah insisted, as she stood back to survey tho holly-hung pictures in the hall, giving her bobbed head a little' shake, to free it of the truant berries that had sought refuge in its curly masses.

And it was Dinah's words that put the idea into Hugh's head. "Why don't you niako it a sort of fancy-dress affair to-morrow night?" he said, answering her question with another. "The Travers know heaps of young folks to ask, aud you'd all have a very merry time." "Rather!" said Dinah. "And we'll do the thing in style. Masks and all." She could talk of nothing else, even when, ignoring Hugh's protests, she insisted upon seeing him off from the station the next day. "You'll think about us, tripping round the dining room to-night," sho said, as the car drew to a stop outside the station, "and I'll let you into a secret as you won't be there. . I'm dressing as 'Miss Christmas,", holly berries, mistletoe, and all!"

He felt his heart miss a beat. Sho looked so adorable, a roguish twinkle in her eyes, a few flakes of freshly fallen snow clinging to the fluffy hair that escaped from the small fur hat she wore.

"It's going to be really seasonable," he said. "Here's the train. Good-bye, little Miss Christmas," ho smiled,»his serious face almost boyish for once. "Have a very happy time." She didn't answer. Stupid tears stung' her eyes and throat. Ho was glad to be off. He didn't care!

The Travels were already at Mallows Dene when she returned, highly delighted, at the prospect of a "white" Christmas, and the knowledge that Hugh's absence left them free to do just as they liked.

"Old Hugh's one of the best," Bobbie said patronisingly, "but he's a bit too sober. Jingo, Di, what a time we'll have. Betty's just crazy because the Crowthers are coming for the dance to-night."

It was impossible not to share their enthusiasm, yet Dinah fqund herself wishing a hundred times that she had been spending this first English Christmas alone with old Becky and Hugh. She was sad, too, at thought of the Christmas present she had been making in. secret for Hugh, since early October —a gaily coloured pull-over, into every stitch of which she had knitted her love.

It would lie on the table in his "den" now till his return, and would not seem like a Christmas present after all. Even while she dressed for the dance, Dis thoughts were with Hugh, in his London hotel, and there was a trace of sadness in her' usually merry eyes as they surveyed tho reflection tho long pier glass threw back. "Little Miss Christmas," ho had called her, when she had lot him into the secret of her fancy dress, and- by now he had probably forgotten all about it, glad as he was to get away. When she went down, most of the guests had arrived, a buzz of chatter greeting her in the hall as the cloaked and masked figures laughingly declared their recognition of each other —all save a. tall; masked man, dressed as a cavalier.

Ho gravely shook hands with Dinah, his husky voice giving her no clue as to his identity, and later, as they danced together, ho spoke but little, though Dinah felt that she could go on forever dancing with a partner whose steps matched hers so perfectly.' Vaguely, she was aware of missing her unknown partner when,. a break for refreshments being made, she took the opportunity to slip from tho dance room, remembering that she had left her Christinas gift for Hugh in the hail, meaning to place it in his "den." But Bobbie Travers saw her disappear, and, in a flash was after her, just as she made the discovery that the door of the "den" was locked. There was another room divided from the "don" by heavy curtains though, and not wanting Bobbie to question her as to the contents of her precious parcel, she slipped inside. He saw her enter the other door, howover, and swiftly followed. "Di!" His boyish voico was tense. "You've been so elusive all the evening, and I ... I want to ask you something. Do I stand a dog's chance —I mean, oh, dash it all, I'm in love with you, and I want you to ... er .".'to' marry me. Will you, Di?" "Poor old Bobbie!" Dis voice was kind. "But I wish you hadn't asked.

I couldn't possibly. You see, I . . well, there Vsome one else."

It came to him in a flash: how, he didn't know.

"Di—is it old Hugh?" His voice was almost reverent, awed. She nodded.

Swear you'll never tell, Bobbie. Di pleaded. "I'd die of shame if he knew. There's no one else I could ever love—not even you. But you'll iall_ m love a dozen times before next Christmas, Bobbie, while I wo ll I ingoing to die an old maid, because of Hugh.

fc>he laughed lest she should cry, and the soft sound drowned the slight noise made by the closing of tho "den" door, as the masked cavalier stepped silently out of the inner room, disappearing down the hall.

No one, seeing Dinah's sparkling eyes through the slits in her mark, would have dreamed that sho had just laid her hoart bare, as, the interval over, dancing recommenced.

It was a pretty scone. The soft glow from the gaily coloured Chinese lanterns casting flickering shadows on the panelled walls, and giving the dancers an almost fantastic appearance as they glided over the floor.

Only one of the company was not dancing, and no one seemed aware of the fact, since, partly hidden by a tall screen, lie stood watching 0110 figure in particular—Di's dainty form, in the short frock of frosted wool, sprinkled with holly berries and cleverly contrived icicles of silver paper. How sweet and dainty she looked— certainly he had not been prepared for the tense emotion in her voice when not ten minutes before, she had confided the fact to Bobbie Travers that she lo'/od him—Hugh Madderley. He wondered, too, what she would say when she learned that for her sake he had changed his plans at the last moment, and determined to make one of the party that night. Soon, when he claimed her for the next dance, he would induce her to slip away, and he, too would make confession—that he had loved her since that day she first arrived, though it had been beyond his wildest dreams to hope that she, too, might care. Impatiently, he waited for the last bars of the one-step to die away, preferring the old-fashioned.waltz for his next dance with Di.

But it was as the music stopped, that the disaster happened. One of the lanterns suspended from the cross-beam of oak, suddenly flamed up, dropping small pieces of flaring paper, one of which alighted on the skirt of Dis cot ton wool dress, unseen by any one, until a flame leapt up, seeming to encirclo her.

She was the first to realise what had happened, and, with a brave smile, motioned' her would-be rescuer aside, aware of the danger if their flimsy costumes caught fire from hers. "Keep away! Keep away! I'll bo all right!" She was making for the heavy -curtains by the windows, her intention being to wrap them round her now blazing frock, but before she could reach them the masked cavalier, forcing his way through the horrified crowd of dancers, seized her bodily, beating out the flames with one hand, while he wrapped his heavy cloak around her.

A second, and she sagged limply against him, but the danger was over, the charred masses of her pretty dress falling in blackened fragments on the floor.

"She's fainted,' Hugh Maddcrlcy spoke to Bobbie Travers, as he came anxiously 'forward, too far down the room to witness what had so nearly been a tragedy. "Get rid of the guests as best you can, Bob, there's a good fellow. She'll need taking care of for a bit, I'm sure.'

His anxiety, for Di overcame his surprise at recognition of Hugh, as Bobbie Travers nodded.

''"All right, old chap. I understand." -■In sileuee, Hugh carried Dis limp form froari the room and up the stairs to her bedroom, where he placed her on her bed, and rang for Becky. lL'or sakes, sir, what's happened? And does Miss Di know you haven't been away after all?" ''No. But that's of no consequence now, Becky. Her dress caught fire, and she may be burned. I'll ring for Dr. Grey, and I'm sending the guests away. She won't bo fit to entertain them now."

Like a mother, Becky fussed over Di, who, after a while, opened her eyes and stared round dazedly, then winced at the pain in her arms.

"I'm all right, Becky. Silly of me to faint like that. Some one—l don't

know who he was—saved me. Will you say how grateful I am. He was dressed as a cavalier, that's all I know." Becky nodded. She had been let into Hugh's secret plan to return to Mallows Dene when Di thought he was off to London, and it was Becky who had stealthily taken his meals to his "den" that day. "You'll maybe be able to thank him yourself, Miss Di, later on. We'll see what doctor says." When Dr. Grey arrived Di was more herself, though when- he had bandaged her arms he had some advice to give. "You've had a nasty shock, Miss Di. I advise perfect quiet for a day or so, and I'll look in again to-morrow to jeo how your arms are." Perfect quiet! Di made a little move of disgust, yet, all the same, she did not feel up to further gaiety. "Thoy'vo all gone, Miss Di," Becky told hor later. "Mr. Travers and his sister, too, but they'll be looking over to-morrow to see how you are after a night's rest."

Di slept at intervals that night, waking to a snowclad world next day, and a little depressed at the idea of spending Christmas Day alone. "If I'd boon just a little worse, we could have sent for Hugh, and he would have been forced to spend Christmas Day with me, then," she told herself, rcbelliously, as, with Becky's help, she dressed, quite herself again except for tho pain the burns on her arms occasioned.

Becky watched her go down the hall and open the dining-room door, a queer smile on her wrinkled old face. "He wouldn't have stayed if he wasn't just mad about her! Old fogey, indeed! Why, they're an ideal pair.'" Which shows that Becky had kept her eyes and her ears open, especially when, the previous night, distracted with anxiety for Di, Hugh had unknowingly betrayed his lovo for her, at the same time declaring ho had never meant to speak becausG he was an "old fogey" compared with Di. Di entered the dining-room, making for the breakfast table, then drew up, with a cry of genuine surprise. Opposite her, stood Hugh Madderley, wearing the pullover she had knitted, and in his eyes an expression she had never seen before.

"You! But how did you get here?" she gasped. "How did you know I . . . I was going to be alone?" "For the simple reason, that I didn't go away, after all, Di dear," he was standing on a level with her now, looking down into her wondering eyes. '| As a mattor of fact, I somehow fancied Christmas at Mallows Dene more than I had ever done before, so I came back, and I ..."

Understanding came to her. Hugh had been tho masked cavalier!

• "Then it was you—you who saved mo?" A wave of hot colour swept into her cheeks. "You who danced so divinely? But I haven't thanked you yet for what you did ..." She seemed confused, her words tumbling out one after another. "I'm glad it happened though. . . . I mean that we're going to spend Chistmas here without a crowd."

Then, mindful of her injured arms, ho swept her up in a close embrace.

"Di, I'm going to tell you that I love you, though I never dreamed until last night that you cared. I fell in love with you right from the stsrt, but I tried to crush it down, because I thought somo one liko Bobbie Travers would bo more suitable—more your style. Then last night, I was in my 'don.' "

'You heard? Oh, Hugh!" She hid her flaming face a moment.

Ho nodded

"I thanked Heaven then that I had made up my inimi to spend Christmas here, after all, little girl, ana I was going to throw myself on your mercy* af tor our next dance, when the accident happened, upsetting everything." She still looked at him wondcringly, but there was no doubting tho adoration in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm grateful to it,", she said cheerily, "because we had to ssnd all those people away, and now we'll have Christmas together, as I longed to do before you said you were going to London. And, Hugh ... I think it's going to bo the happiest Christmas I've ever spent, because of you." He bent and kissed her lips, holding her close, just as the Christmas bells rang out.

"Soon they'll ring for us, " he whisered happily, "my little Christmas bride."