The Little Red Chimney - Being the Love Story of a Candy Man by Mary Finley Leonard
page 80 of 122 (65%)
page 80 of 122 (65%)
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CHAPTER TEN
_In which the Little Red Chimney keeps Festival, and the Candy Man receives an unexpected Invitation._ The Candy Man, letting himself in at his lodging house, one gloomy Sunday afternoon, stumbled upon a deputation of pigeons, in a state of fluttering impatience. "She said to wait, and we thought you were never, never coming!" was their chorus. "Never is a long day," said the Candy Man. "What will you have?" It appeared they were the bearers of a missive which read briefly and to the point: "Her ladyship requests the pleasure of the Candy Man's presence at the Pigeons' Christmas Tree, at four o'clock this afternoon." It had seemed to the Candy Man that he was altogether outside the holiday world, that for him Christmas had ended with his visit to the hospital that afternoon. He had ventured to send a basket of fruit to his fellow lodgers, the invalid professor and his wife, and had played Santa Claus to two or three newsboys who frequented the Y.M.C.A. corner and to the small Malones, and the state of his exchequer scarcely warranted anything more. The social calendar in the morning paper overflowed with festivities for the week, and he had pleased his fancy by picturing Miss Bentley, radiant and lovely, in the midst of them. He, the lonely Candy Man, without the pale, could yet enjoy her pleasure in |
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