The Man in Lonely Land

by Kate Langley Bosher

  XII

  CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

  Five minutes later Laine and Claudia were caught in the crowd ofChristmas shoppers and valiantly made their way to a counter on whichwere objects gay and glittering. With a seriousness and persistencythat was comic to the girl watching him, Laine began with the bluescarf-pin and the bracelet, but not until he was giving an order didshe touch him on the arm and draw him aside.

  "We can't get those, Mr. Laine, indeed we can't." She nodded in thedirection of the counter. "There aren't but six dollars and sixteencents of the pig money, and a dozen things to buy yet."

  "Oh, blow the pig money! She won't know the difference. That pin isonly one dollar and ninety-eight cents and the bracelet two dollarsand forty-eight cents. Nothing could be worse than that, could it?"

  "It could. Johnnie is a lazy good-for-nothing, and twenty-five centsis all his pin is to cost. It will be big and blue, but not a pennyover twenty-five can be spent on it. I think we'd better get thedoll and the silk stockings and the sled first. I've already boughta doll for Rosy, but it's in white, and we'll have to get the pinkone."

  "And is the pig money going to do all that?" Laine's eyes weresearching Claudia's.

  "It is." She laughed and turned away as if to see some one who waspassing. "It doesn't matter whose pig."

  "Then I'll play the pig to-night! I've played it the wrong way oftenenough. Why can't we be sensible? I've got a spending jag on, andI've never been Christmas shopping before. Something is happening tomy backbone, something that used to happen in the days when I hung upmy stocking. Please be good and let me have a little Christmas!"

  Claudia's forehead wrinkled and for a moment she hesitated, thenagain her eyes sought his doubtfully. "I don't know whether I oughtto. You are very kind, but--"

  "But nothing. I'm merely very selfish. Those things are all right.Come on and let's go in the toy department. The doll is the mostimportant of all, and don't dolls have carriages or something? Here,this way to the elevator."

  To the joy of it, the surrender to inherent instinct, to the childthat is dormant in all, Claudia and Laine yielded, went in and outamong the sea of toys, and critically doll after doll was examined,compared, laid down and taken up, and finally decided upon; and asLaine gave the address he looked at Claudia for final confirmationand approval.

  "You're sure it's pink? Her mother said pink, you know."

  "Pink! It's the pinkest pink I ever saw. It is much too grand.But, oh, those patient little eyes! I didn't think she'd be herethis Christmas. You will make her so happy, Mr. Laine."

  "Not I." He shook his head. "It is you. What does a man know aboutthings like this? But what else does she want? I never had anyopinion of a one-piece Santa Claus. These things would make a monkwant children of his own. How about those youngsters that anythingwill please? and don't you have to have things for stockings?"

  With hurried decisions, as if afraid he might not be allowed to dowhat he chose, Laine went up and down and in and out among the manysections into which the department was divided, and made hisselections with entire disregard of appropriateness; and Claudia,keeping near, countermanded with equal firmness all that was unwise.So warm at times did their dissensions wax that the sales-girlfollowing would smile and point out something before unseen, hoping amutual surrender would accept the compromise, and presently shebrought up a cash register and held it toward Laine.

  "Most children like these," she said, "and as your wife doesn't carefor the mechanical toys--"

  Laine turned away. With pitiless reality the play of it all cameover him, and he walked off lest the sudden surging of his blood beheard.

  "But I'm not his wife." Claudia's voice was cool and even. "Hedoesn't know the children he is getting these things for, and I do.But Channing would like this register, Mr. Laine. And Dorothea toldme she wanted a drawing-table like that one over there. Have youbought Dorothea's present yet?"

  Laine came back. "Only books. Her mother gets the other things forme. If she'd like that, get it."

  Out of his voice had gone all spirit, and Claudia, noticing, lookedup. "You're tired, aren't you? I think we'd better stop."

  Laine laughed. "Tired? No, I'm not tired. I'm having a great time.Playing make-believe is a good game. I haven't played it lately, andI was doing it rather hard. I wonder what that bunch of people areover there for? A number of children seem to be among them."

  The girl waiting on them looked around. It was Santa Claus, sheexplained, who was taking the names and addresses, with a list of thepresents most wanted by the children, who were there to tell wherethey lived. "Some of them have been here all day. That little lamefellow was among the first to come, and Santa Claus hasn't seen himyet. The crowd pushes him out so, and there's no one to lift him uphigh enough to be seen. He's held that piece of paper in his handfor hours."

  Laine looked closer. On the outskirts of the crowd, his thin littleface still eagerly trying to peer between the shifting circles, hiscrutches held tightly by hands too thin to grasp them properly, hesaw the boy pointed out by the girl, and, without a word, he walkedtoward him. As he drew nearer, the head of Santa Claus could be seenover those of the crowd, but to the child he was still invisible; andas Laine saw the pinched face he swore softly under his breath.

  For half a minute he stood by the boy's side, then touched him on theshoulder. "What is it, son? Can't you make the old fellow see you?"

  The child shook his head. "Somebody always gets in ahead. I ain'ttall enough."

  "Here, hold your crutches." With a swift movement Laine swung theboy on his shoulders. "There, can you see him all right?"

  "Yes, sir. And he can see me!" The thin little hand was held up,and Laine felt the quiver that ran over the frail body. "He sees me!"

  "Well, my man"--Santa Claus was noticing at last--"what is it thatyou want?"

  "A coat for mother. Black, please." Soft and eager the words camequickly. "And a worsted skirt, and some shoes for Dick, and a mufffor Katie."

  "Oh, I'm not bringing anything but toys this time. Only toys.Quick, what are they?"

  On his shoulders again Laine felt a quiver, this time of suddenrelaxation, and heard a sob that was quickly smothered. "Oh, I don'tneed toys, and mother hasn't got a piece of coat."

  Laine coughed and caught the eye of Santa Claus, and by telepathymade the latter understand his questions must continue. Two minutesand they were over, the child's name and address taken, his desiresmade known, and as he put him down on the floor Laine took from thetrembling fingers the piece of paper which for hours had been tightlyheld and put it in his pocket.

  "All right, son." He slipped some money in his hand. "Rundown-stairs and get something to eat before you go home, and don'tworry about the things--they'll be there Christmas. Scoot!" Andwith a pat Laine sent him off.

  Coming back he turned to Claudia. "Are you through up here? Theyellow pipe and the socks for the man who gets locked in the garretare down-stairs, I suppose."

  For answer Claudia looked in his face as if not hearing. "Mercifulgoodness!" she said. "I had forgotten all about this being Tuesday!I ought to be home this minute. A friend from Washington is comingto dinner to-night. What time is it?"

  Laine looked at his watch. "A friend from Washington" was what heread. He turned the face toward her. "What is it? I can't see itin this light."

  "Seven-twenty-five!" Claudia sat down dejectedly. "You don'tsuppose they could be waiting, do you?"

  "I don't." Laine smiled a twisted little smile. "Channing by natureis a train-despatcher. Dinner on the dot and served swiftly is hisone household demand. They will be half through before we can getthere."

  "And I'm starving." She got up. "Well, I can't help it. I had nobusiness forgetting, but I'm always doing things I oughtn't."

  "We'll go up to Sherry's. Dinner isn't limited to Hope's house.I'll telephone and explain."

  "Oh, I mustn't! It is
n't just dinner. I have an engagement. Do youthink we could get there very quickly? I can't understand how Iforgot!"