MR PARDOE'S CHRISTMAS PARTY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16744, 28 December 1914, Page 11

MR PARDOE'S CHRISTMAS PARTY.

(By THOMAS COBB.) Author of "The Transformation of Timothy," Etc. [All Rights Reserved.] Mr Pardoe was growing old. He <ras a little deaf and his eyesightwas not what it used to be. He still went to his office in Lombard Street every morning, and woe betide any ot tae SSTSio might be a few minutes )»te; atid he returned to his .great fay house at South Kensington everv evening only to long for the time to go to bed and forget Jus troubles. , . ... Some people might have imagined that Mr Ivrdoe need not have had any serious troubles; because he had a great deal more money than he knew what to do with, and certainly ho gave very little of it away. But he also had a, son, whose mother had been dead several years, and although he had not eeen Clifford or written to him or heard £rom him for nearly a quarter of a t»entury, old Mr Pardoe would sit and think of him for hours together, and his cheeks would flush and his eyes would shine and his.lips be pressed tightly together. What made him so vindictive against Clifford was that the boy (he always thought of his son as a boy, although he must by this time he quite fifty) had ■ succeeded in doing without him. Mr Pardoe felt certain, however that Clifford' was not doing very well, and this was almost worse than if he had been- exceedingly prosperous. Because it appeared that even misfortune could not induce him to eat humble pie, to say he was sorry for what he had done and ask for rn> father's forgiveness. But to tell the truth Clifford was bv no means sorry. He had been brought up without a regular profession, he had always had a lot of money and been encouraged to spend it, until one day nearly twenty-five, years ago, he announced his intention to marry — not his wish, subject to old Mr Pardoe's approval, you understand, but his intention. Weil, Mr Pardoe objected; he had different plans for his son; he threatened to cut off his • allowance unless he put an end to his engagement.

"Very well," said Clifford, "you must cut it off. lam going to marry Ethel." So he did, the sooner because of Mr Pardee's objection. It was no doubt a foolish experiment since they could not v -muster a hundred pounds between them \ and Clifford had never earned a penny in his life. Still, they were fond or each .other, he succeeded in obtaining a berth as a clerk, and so they settled down in one of the London suburbs, ■ and two sons and two daughters were born to them. Clifford and his father were so much alike that neither of them would stoop to make an overture of peace, and so the years went by without a meeting, the younger Pardoe living in a small house quite happily but very penuriously, and the older Pardoe in his mansion at South Kensington nursing his animosity all these years. If he could be said to have a friend in the world it was J ack Gregory, a good-looking young man of about twenty-live, much the same ago as Clifford had been at the time of the separation. Now, Jack had been one of the clerks at Mr Pardoe's office in Lombard and he had done his work.so well, that by and by he was offered the post of private secretary. Like most very rich men, Mr Pardoe had a large amount of correspondence. All manner of people wrote to him asking for various favours which were nearly always refused, but now and then, the old man's heart was touched, and then it became Jack Gregory's duty to make investigations with the object of affording relief. A year ago, as Mr Pardoe grew more infirm, more deaf and blind, Jack had come to live in his house; the two dined together, and during the evenings Jack spent hours in reading aloud. In fact, something faintly reembling a friendship grew up between the old'man and tho young one, who had noticed of late that Mr Pardoe showed signs of greater amiability as well as greater weakness. One evening he told Jack all about the quarrel with Clifford; this was.in the last week of November, and the secretary, being a generous, goodhearted fellow, at once began to wonder whether it might not be possible to bring the father and son together again before it was too late. "Don't you think," he suggested a few days later, " that we ought to do something to celebrate Christmas?" Without going into details, it may suffice to say that old Mr Pardoe did not bless Christmas, but still it was evident that the suggestion clung to his mind. ■<' •

".'What is the use of talking to me about Christinas?" < he demanded. " Qhristmas is the time when friends meet together, ' and where are my friends? 1 am a lonely old man. It may be to some extent my own fault, but there it is—l an* a lonely old roan!"-

"Yet it is probable you have some grandchildren, said Jack, half-afraid of his own temerity. " I don't know—and I don't care," answered Mr Pardoe.

"Suppose you were to make some inquiry," suggested Jack, but at this suggestion Mr Pardee quite lost his temper. "Make some inquiry!" he shouted. " I would sooner die. Haven't I been waiting all these years for my boy to come and say he is sorry. I ought to have his family round me—if he has a family; and instead of that, here I am alone without a soul but you to speak to." As-Mr Pardoe refused to move, Jack determined to do something on his own account. In the first place, he went to a public library, and looked in the Post Office Directory, where he succeeded in finding the name of Clifford Pardoe, whose address was Number 18, Angroering Gardens, Lee. There could scarcely be two Clifford Pardoes in London, it seemed, and so, early in December, Jack took a journey on a tramcar and found his way to the corner of the road. It consisted of small houses, with neat front gardens, which looked a little desolate at this time of year, but Number 16 was very nicely kept, and as he approached this Saturday afternoon, just as it was beginning to get dark, a remarkably pretty girl came out of the gate, with a bag purse in one hand and in the other a leash by which »h» was leading a black spaniel puppy, who tugged so hard that she found it difficult to hold him in.

Now the roads were muddy, and Nigger, had been scampering about the garden, whereas Jack wore/a rather lightcoloured rough tweed suit. The dog made a dash at him, drawing the leash through the girl's fingers, and jumped up excitedly at the stranger, leaving muddy marks on his trousers- He succeeded in catching ; the spaniel by the collar, however, and restored the leash to its owner, who did not look a day more than twenty-one. Her face had become rosy, and she began to apologise for Nigger's bad behaviour. ''lam so sorry!" she said. "Down, Nigger; down!'' for Nigger continued to add to the damage he had'already done. "Not at all," answered Jack; and then to her surprise he added, ''l wonder whether you would mind telling me whether by any chance you are Miss Pardoe?" "Well,' you are verv near the rose," she cried, with a delectable laugh. " Although 1 am not Miss Pardoe, lam (Cynthia"

"I hope you don't think me merely inquisitive," said Jack: "but- the factis, ( am old Mr Pardoe's private secretary.'

"Oh!" she exclaimed, excitedly. "You mean tho wicked grandfather?" " If yon wouldn't- mind my walking a little way wherever you are going, suggested Jack. " T should very much like to talk about- him. And ho isn t really wicked, you know, but just a cross'-grained, pig-headed fellow tvho finds his life very lonely now he ;s growing old." " Anyhow," said Cynthia, thinking there could not bo much harm in letting hi» iccompany her to the shops round the corner, "that is what we always call him when father can't hoar. Fr.ther never mentions his name, wit mother has told us -nil about him, and it does seem a shame! 1 ' "You see," answered Jack. ' what I should like to do is to bring you all together again." "That is quite impossible.' cried Cynthia. " unless my grandfather is prepared to make the first advance. Father is a very obstante man, and ho would never move an inch. When they reached the grocer's shop, Cynthia cariio to a standstill, and Jack felt that ho ought to say "Good-bye. ' Yet he was conscious of the most extraordinary desire to see Miss Cynthia Pardoeagain as soon as possible. " The fact is." he said, " that Christmas is coming, you know, and 1 thought 1 might stand a better chance then than at any other time. Tho most cantakerous people are less cantankerous at Christmas, and if you would help me perhaps we might accomplish something between us. "It would be lovely if we could,' answered Cynthia. "The worst of it is," said Jack, "that it is a rather long way from here to South Kensington, and Mr Pardoe likes to know how I spend my time." Now Cynthia hesitated, because although she felt equally desirous to discuss such a*n excellent project again, she did not much care for tho idea of faking an appointment- with ono who was after all a- stranger. Nor must she tell her mother or father she had met him. unless, indeed, either of them h.?.d seen her from one of the front windows. However, in the end she explained that she went to London every day in the week, and spent the hour's from half-past nine until six in the office of a publisher in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. Having heard this, Jack held out his hand, said " Good-bye," patted Nigger, and walked back to the tramcar terminus, more intent on accomplishing his purpose than ever. Nor did he let the grass grow under his feet. The next Monday he took caTe to reach the end of Henrietta Street at a few minutes before six. and punctually as the hour struck Cynthia came into the street. Jack noticed that she stood looking first to the right, then to the left, and as he advanced to meet her a smile lighted her face. It seemed, he thought, that she was even prettier than he had imagined. She told him that she had a third-class season ticket from Charing Cross, but she would not let him take her anywhere for tea. They did their best, however, to put each other in the possession of the exact state of the situation, and Jack learnt that, although the younger Pardoes never dreamed of complaining, still they always found it a struggle to make both ends meet. Mrs Clifford Pardoe was not very strong, and Viola, her elder daughter, took charge of the small house. Both her brothers were engaged to be married, only waiting for an increase in their salaries. Like their father they were clerks, with, little chance of rising to anything better, and how useful old Pardoe might prove to them if only he would, and on the other hand how pleased they would all be to try their hardest to grow fond of him and make his remaining years happier than the last twenty-five had been. The matter assumed such immense importance in the eyes of Jack and Cynthia that they continued to meet every day for nearlv a week, discussing all kinds of schemes, and finding the distance from Henrietta Street far too Bhort. Cvnthia now that 6he_ seemed to know Mr" Gregory quite intimately, allowed him to give her tea on the way, and Mrs Pardoe complained that it was extremely unreasonable of the publishers to make her work overtime nearly everv evening. Now, it was at a table in the corner of a tea. shop in the Strand that Jack propounded the plot which was ultimately approved by Cynthia. Some of his suggestions had been so far-fetched that she was not in the least surprised to hear that he wrote (and sold) quite a number of short stories, and that he had a novel at present passing through the Press. But the present soheme seemed comparatively commonplace, and at all events Jack Gregory had an attentive listener. "You see." he explained, "what we have to do is just to bring these two men together by way of a surprise. If oulv we could get them into the same room for a few hours without their knowing what was in store, the trick" might be done. I have a certain amount of influence over old Pardoe," Jack continued, " and it might be possible to induce him to give a sort of partv on Christmas Day." " Nothing would induce my father to go to it!" Baid Cynthia. " Wait till you've heard what I have in my mind," urged Jack, with his arms on the table, while Cynthia slowly ate an eclair. She was very fond of eclairs. "I should try to persuade Mr Pardoe to give this party to some friends of my own—l hope I may call you a friend, said Jack. "Why, of course," murmured Cynthia.

"It may be rather dufficult," Jack admitted, " but I fancy it might be managed. Well, my notion is that the visitors shall come in fancy dress——" "Fancy dress!" cried Cynthia. " Dominoes and masks, you know. Then, especially as Mr Pardoe's sight is bad, he would never imagine who you were until the moment cfupe to enlighten him. By that timtryou would all have made yourselves so agreeable that he would be most frightfully delightod to hear you belonged to him."' "I don't suppose we should make such a good impression in a few hours," Oynthia objeoted. "In a few minutes if it comes to that," said Jack. " Besides," she cried. " it is quit© out of the question. You could not expect my people to go out to dinner on Christmas Day of all days withwt knowing the name of their host." " You don't think they would!" said Jack. "Well," he added, fl I shall deal with Mr Pardoe, and you will have to manage your father. You might take the others into the secret, and surely amongst you it will be easy to make Mr Pardoe.give way." There the subject was left for that afternoon, for Jack was occupied in admiring the whiteness of Cynthia's hands as she began to put on her gloves, but as Christmas was drawing near,' he thought that the time had come to attack old Mr Pardoe.

They were sitting in the spacious dining-room at the house in South Kensington; the table had been cleared after dinner, and Mr Pardoe had been persuaded to light a cigar. He was not «i great smoker, but Jack attached considerable importance to the mollifying influence. " I wanted to ask whether you would roind excusing me on Christmas Day," he began, taking his pipe from hia lips. " Good gracious, why should I excuse you!" demanded Mr Pardoe. "The idea of leaving me to dine alono—a nice sort of Cliristmae."

" I fancied you liked to bo alone," suggested Jack, and' the answer was a grunt. "The fact is," Jack added, "T am arranging to give a sort ot parW

" A party 1 In heaven's name what said Jack. "itnW sound a, bit foolish. But it stobo a Paraoe. " Are you going to give a, baiir " A dinner party, you know, Jock replied. . -, „«,. „+ " What's the use of fancy dress at dinner,?" asked Mr Pardoe. „ .. "No particular use, perhaps, jwn Jack. "We thought it would rather be fun—ono should have a little run at Christnias." , „«r^wi "I'm glad your friends can aHoKi to make idiots of themselves, returned Mr Pardoe. ~ . , T ~ "That's just the point." medJacK. " Thev can't. I am going to provide tho dress*,. Just simple dominoes.and masks for the ladies, and white porrot dresses for the men. .They will put them on after their arrival. "How many" of them, for goodness 6ft "Eight is about the best number for.a dinner party.'' said Jack. l'aght besides myself." n i '•Humnb!" ejaculated Mr I'artloe. " You don't invite me. I suppose you think I should spoil the fun-as you "I should bo immensely. .Phased though if voti would come, • said Jack with unmistakeahle eagerness. n Thank you!" said Mr Pardoe. "Dress myself up like a jackass! Who are the people?' "Weir' returned Jack with a smile, " To tell you tho truth, they are the family of'the young lady I hope to marry." '•'The more fool you," said Mr Pardoe, and then for sonvs minutes he smoked his cigar in silence. Where did you think of giving this precious partv?" he demanded. •' I suppose I must engage « room at some hotel " "Better have it here," was the answer. " 1 shall keep clear of it, but you can have it here—everything in vour name, and send tho bilk to me. That," Mr Pardoo added. " is all the Christmas box you need expect."

Tho only difficulty now remaining wo* to deal with the other obstinate party to tho arrangement, but Jack had the utmost confidence in Cynthia, who caught the infectjou of his own excitement. The first person to be taken into confidence was Viola, who was inclined to welcome any kind of change in tho monotony of her stay-at-home life. Together the two girls attacked Mrs Clifford Pardee, who wanted to know precisely who Mr Gregorv might be, and where Cynthia had been introduced, also by whom. Nigger was held responsible, and for tho rest Cynthia was able to produce four or five* magazines containing short stories signed by Jack. Mrs Pardoe's conquest proved easier than might have been anticipated. She at once realised the possibility of securing a husband for Cynthia and facilitating the prospects of her sons.

"Still, my loves," sho said, "you know how very firm your dear father can be when he likes." They all, including the sons of the house" determined that Mr Clifford Pardoe must relax his firmness on the present occasion, and as it happened, the point thev at once seized upon was Cynthia's "clandestine" meetings with Jack Gregory, whom she was instructed to see once more only with the object of bringing him to receive a father's reproaches. Jack came with all the coolness in the world, and kept hia object in view from the timo he entered the house to the time he left it—with, to the general astonishment, Mr Clifford Pardoe's acceptance of the invitation. The truth was that Jack's account of old Mr Pardoe was extremely affecting as well as showing the possession of a vivid imagination, valuable for a young man who hoped ultimately to get his living as a writer of fiction. He dwelt upon Mr Pardoe's lonely condition, upon his greater amenability of late, upon his readiness to take the whole family to his bosom on the slightest excuse. Jack, in fact, succeeded in the somewhat difficult task of touching his hearer's heart. Clifford Pardoe experienced an extraordinary desire to look again on the face of the father whom he had not seen for nearly a quarter of a century. What in the end forced his determination was the aasertion that his identity would remain unknown to old Mr Pardoe unless ho wished to admit it. There was on the host's side no suspicion that he was'going to entertain angel» unawares, and thanks to the fancy dresses and the masks, and old Mr Pardoe's dim sight, there would be no dread of recognition.

One difficulty still remained. Mr Pardoe persisted that he would not be present'at the party and evening after evening Jack strove to remove his objection. He vowed that in the disguise of a masked pierrot Mr Pardoe would be as securely hidden as behind a brick wall; he need not speak unless he pleased, and although the old gentleman still persisted in nis refusal, Jack took the precaution to order a dress in addition to those for himself and bis guests. These were delivered late on Christmas Eve, and two small rooms were prepared ; one for the dominoes, one for the pierrots. All the Clifford Pardoes were coming and Eustace and Augustus were to bring their fiancees. Dinner ivas fixed for eight o'clock on Christmas Day, and when Mr Pardoe saw the holly being put up his heart misgave him. He felt more lonely and crossgrained than ever as Christmas Day wore on, and five o'clock declared that he should have liked to come to the party, but, of course, he couldn't, for the reason that he had no fancy dress. So Jack's last difficulty was got over and everything was in proper train. He had insisted on sending two motorcars to 18, Angmering Gardens, and at a quarter to eight the guests arrived at the house in South Kensington. Jack, already becomingly dressed as a pierrot in a white loose jacket and trousers with black spots and a conical felt hat, stood in the hall, and with a good deal of merriment on tho part of everybody but Mr and Mrs Clifford Pardoe, they quickly donned their disguises. In the large drawing-room, brilliantly illuminated, and with holly in every point of vantage, stood Mr Pardoe, looking pitifully incongruous in his fancy dress. Ho wore a mask over the upper part of his face and took no notice of anybody. Jack had warned his guests to pay no heed to their entertainer. He implored them to ignore Mr Pardoe entirely, and behave precisely as if he were not there. And so they did. A few minutes after eight thev were all seated round the sumptuous dining-tablo; they ate their turkey, they drank their champagne, they pulled crackers, and looked for trinkets in the pudding, and Jack sat next to Cvnthia, who was almost as silent as her father, while old Mr Pardoe at the head of the table looked like a ghost at the feast, rubbing his eyt;s through the mask at frequent intervals and wondering whether lie was asleep or awake. Curioua sensations seemed to hold him in thrall. He glanced round the table and saw that there was only one face as grave as his own, for even Mrs Clifford Pardoe was now talking and laughing with the rest. old Mr Pardoe seemed to be lifted out of himself and making a sign to the butler his glass was filed with eliampaane a wine he had not tasted for veSs He knew he should regret it Lrmrrnw but then he was beginning tocatch somo of the. humour of to-day —Christmas Dny. Mr Paddoe, however, did not mise Mi r-aaciu h fixed }ug his glass to bis up., o Shad J otn&& at.their silent it askant, seeing that he was about ■ to speak at last, all grew suddenly I

dumb. This made it so much the mo]"* embarrassing for Jack. ~ Gregory," said old Mr Pardoe, which of these young ladies is the one you are going to marry?" Jack felt thankful for his mask. Ho know that every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on his burning face, at least every pair with the exception of cne, for Cynthia could not raise her eyes from her plate. But after a momentary hesitation Jack rose bravely to tho occasion. "This," he exclaimed, taking Cynthia's hand, and certainly not meeting with the faintest resistance. " is the young lady I hope to marry." "I—l should like to propose your healths," snid old Mr Pardoe. "What is your name, my dear?" It waa a long timo since he had called anyone " my dear."

She glanced apprehensively at her father.

" Cynthia," sho answered. "Cynthia what?" demanded Mr Pardoe—but for a second or two nobody spoke; then Jack pressed her hand, and to tho general surprise Cynthia rose. SbeM-an along behind her father and mother to the host's chair, and to his consternation (lung her arms round his neck. "Cynthia Pardoe," she cried, and if her voice sounded louder than usual, that was simplv because she felt extremely nervous. Mr Clifford Pardoe was on his feet at once, and so was his father. They dragged off their masks and glared at one another lor nn instant, and then Cynthia led old Mr Pardoe round the table and Jack Gregory took Clifford's arm and brought him to meet them. Everyone was standing by this time, and Mrs Pardoe sobbed aloud. Cynthia seized her grandfather by the wrist; Jack pushed Clifford's elbow, and though it was fortunately impossible to say whose elbow went out the first, they met at last in a firm grip. No words passed between tho father and sen, but a cheer went up from the rest, and in ! the midst of it old Mr Pardoe returned to his place at the head of the table. Now he raised his glass; he tried to speak, but could only succeed in nodding his head and smiling, and so it happened that Cynthia's health was drunk in perfect silence.