e more Christmas touch!

And at eight o'clock, as she was putting her kitchen in order, a tired
driver appeared, clumsily engineering something through the narrow
hall; a great coaster, its brave red and gold showing through the
flimsy, snow-wet wrappings.

"Teddy from Dad," Martie, bewildered, read on the card. Not to the
excited child himself would it bring the joy it gave his mother. Poor
Wallace--always generous! He had gone straight from her plea for the
boy's Christmas to spend his money for this. She hoped he would come
home to-morrow; that they might spend the day together. Some of the
shops would be open for a few hours; if he brought home money, she
could manage a chicken, and one of the puddings from the French
confectioner's--

Another ring at the bell? Martie wiped her hands, and went again to the
door. A telegram--

She tore and crumpled the wet yellow paper. The wonderful words danced
before her eyes:

Pa says come at once told Lydia he would give you and children home as
long as he lives sends his love merry Christmas darling

SALLY.

Martie went back to the kitchen, and put her head down on the little
table and cried.

Wallace did not come home for Christmas Day, nor for many days. Teddy
rejoiced in his coaster while his mother went soberly and swiftly about
her plans. Perhaps Pa had realized that she did not actually have a
cent, and was sending a check by mail. The perfect telegram would have
been just a little more than perfect, if he had said so. But if he were
not sending money, she must go nevertheless. She must give up this
house on January tenth, landlord and grocer must trust her for the
overdue rent and bill. If they would not, well, then they must have her
arrested; that was all.

The fare to California would be less than two hundred dollars. She was
going to borrow that from John.

Martie herself was surprised at the calm with which she came to this
decision. It had all the force of finality to her. She cared for the
hurt to her pride as little as she cared for what Rose Parker would
think of her ignominious return, as little as she cared for what the
world thought of a wife who deliberately left the father of her
children to his fate.

Early in January she planned to take the children with her, and find
John in his office. That very day the tickets should be bought. If
Wallace cared enough for his family to come home in the meantime, she
would tell him what she was doing