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Santa Claus's Partner-Thomas Nelson Page · Foundation to Happiness and Success

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: ought to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. According by
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Eddie Winter, Santa Claus's Partner, by Thomas Nelson, page to
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  Speaker 1: my father, who, among all the men the writer knew
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: in his youth, was the most familiar with books? And
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  Speaker 1: who of all the men the writer was ever known
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  Speaker 1: as exemplified best the virtue of open handedness. This little
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  Speaker 1: book is affectionately inscribed by his son the author. Chapter one.
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  Speaker 1: Berryman Livingstone was a successful man, a very successful man.
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  Speaker 1: And as he sat in his cushioned chair in his
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  Speaker 1: inner private office in the best office building in the city,
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  Speaker 1: on a particularly snow every evening in December, he looked
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  Speaker 1: it every inch it spoke, in every line of his
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  Speaker 1: clean cut, self contained face, with its straight, thin nose,
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  Speaker 1: closely drawn mouth, strong gin and clear gray eyes, in
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  Speaker 1: every movement of his erect, trim, well groomed figure, in
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  Speaker 1: every detail of his faultless attire, in every tone of
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  Speaker 1: his assured, assertive, incisive speech. As someone said of him,
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  Speaker 1: he always looked as if he had just been ironed.
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  Speaker 1: He used to be spoken of as a man of parts.
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  Speaker 1: Now he was spoken of as a man of wealth,
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  Speaker 1: a capitalist. Not that he was as successful as he
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  Speaker 1: intended to be, but the way he was all clear
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  Speaker 1: and shining before him. Now it was now simply a
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  Speaker 1: matter of time. He could no more help going on
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  Speaker 1: to further heights of success than his guilted securities, stored
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  Speaker 1: in thick parcels in his safety deposit boxes, could help
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  Speaker 1: bearing interest. He contemplated the situation this snowy evening with
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  Speaker 1: a deep serenity that called a transient gleam of light
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  Speaker 1: to his somewhat cold face. He knew he was successful
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  Speaker 1: by the silent envy with which his acquaintances regarded him,
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  Speaker 1: by the respect with which he was treated, and his
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  Speaker 1: opinion was received at the different boards of which he
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  Speaker 1: was now an influential member, by men who fifteen years
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  Speaker 1: ago hardly knew of his existence. He knew it by
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  Speaker 1: the numbers of invitations to the most fashionable houses which
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  Speaker 1: crowded his library table, By the familiar and jovial aire
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  Speaker 1: with which presidents and magnates of big corporations, who could,
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  Speaker 1: on a moment's notice change from warmth temporate warmth to
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  Speaker 1: ice greeted him, and by the controlling speeches with which
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  Speaker 1: fashionable mummers with the unmarried daughters of a certain or
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  Speaker 1: uncertain age, rolled him about his big empty house on
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  Speaker 1: a fashionable street, and his handsome dinners, where only one
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  Speaker 1: thing was wanting, the thing they had in mind. Boehman
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Livingstone had, however, much better proof of success than the
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  Speaker 1: mere applaudits of the world. Many men had these who
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  Speaker 1: had no real foundation for their display. For instance, Meteor Broom,
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  Speaker 1: the broker, had just taken the big house on the
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  Speaker 1: corner above him, and had filled his table with high stebbing,
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  Speaker 1: high priced horses, much talked of in the public. Prince
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  Speaker 1: and his wife wore jewles as handsome as Missus Parker Rhodes,
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  Speaker 1: who owned the house, and twenty more like it. Colonel
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  Speaker 1: Keatley was one of the largest dealers on change the year,
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  Speaker 1: and was advertised in all the papers as having made
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  Speaker 1: a call million and a half in a single venture
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: out west Van Diver was always spoken of as the
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  Speaker 1: grain King, mining King, or summer kind of royalty because
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  Speaker 1: of his infallible success and midern touch. But though these
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  Speaker 1: and many more like them were said to have made
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  Speaker 1: in a year or two more than Livingstone, with all
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  Speaker 1: his pains, had been able to accumulate in a score
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  Speaker 1: of years of earnest toil and assiduous devotion to business.
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  Speaker 1: Were now invited to the same big houses that Livingstone visited,
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  Speaker 1: and were greeted by almost as flashing speeches as Livingstone received.
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  Speaker 1: Livingstone knew of discussions as to these men at boards
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  Speaker 1: other than the festal board, and of stiffer notes that
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  Speaker 1: had been sent them than those stiff, unsealed missives which
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  Speaker 1: were left at their front doors by liveried footmen. Livingstone, however,
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  Speaker 1: though he kept out of the papers, having a rooted
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  Speaker 1: and growing prejudice against this form of vulgarity, could at
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  Speaker 1: any time, on five minutes notice, establish the solidity of
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  Speaker 1: his foundation by simply unlocking his safety po boxes. His
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  Speaker 1: foundation was as solid as gold. On the mahogany table
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  Speaker 1: desk before him lay now a couple of books, one
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  Speaker 1: a long ledger like folio in the russet covering sacred
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  Speaker 1: to the binding of that particular kind of work which
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  Speaker 1: a summer hearted writer of books years ago inscribed as
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  Speaker 1: a book of great interest the other a smaller volume,
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  Speaker 1: a memorandum book, more richly attired than its sober companion
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  Speaker 1: in Russia leather. For an hour or two, mister Livingstone,
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  Speaker 1: with closely drawn, thin lips and eager eyes, had sat
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  Speaker 1: in his seat, silent, immersed, absorbed, and compared the two
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  Speaker 1: volumes from time to time, making memoranda in the smaller book,
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  Speaker 1: whilst his clerks had sat on their high stools in
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  Speaker 1: the large office outside, looking impatiently at the white faced
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  Speaker 1: clock on the wall as it slowly marked the passing time,
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  Speaker 1: or gazing enviously and grumblingly out the windows at the dark,
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  Speaker 1: hurrying clouds below making their way homeward through the falling snow.
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  Speaker 1: Young men could not have stood it but for the
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  Speaker 1: imperturbable patience and sweet temper of the oldest man in
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  Speaker 1: the office, a quiet faced, middle aged man, who, in
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  Speaker 1: a low, cheery, pleasant voice, restrained their impatience and soothed
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  Speaker 1: the ruffled spirits. Even this, however, was only partially successful.
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  Speaker 1: Go in there, mister Clark, and tell him we want
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  Speaker 1: to go home, urged fretfully. One youth, a tentative dandy
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  Speaker 1: with a sharp nose and blunchin who had been diligently
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  Speaker 1: arranging his vivid necktie for more than a half hour
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  Speaker 1: out a little mirror on the wall. Oh he'll be
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  Speaker 1: out directly now, replied the older man, looking up from
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  Speaker 1: the account book before him. You've been saying that for
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  Speaker 1: three hours, complained the other. Well, see if it doesn't
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  Speaker 1: come true this time, said the older clerk, kindly, he'll
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  Speaker 1: make it up to you. This view of the case
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  Speaker 1: did not seem to appeal very strongly to the younger man.
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  Speaker 1: He simply grunted. I'm going to give him notice. I'll
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  Speaker 1: not be put upon this way, phistled a yet younger clerk,
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  Speaker 1: stepping down from his high stool in a corner and
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  Speaker 1: squaring his shoulders with martial manifestations. This unexpected interposition appeared
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  Speaker 1: to be the outlet the older grumbler wanted. Yes, you will,
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  Speaker 1: he sneered with disdain, turning his eyes on his junior derisively.
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  Speaker 1: He could at least bully Sipkins. For response. The youngster
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  Speaker 1: walked with a firm tread straight up to the door
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  Speaker 1: of the private office, put out his hand so quickly
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  Speaker 1: that the other's eyes opened wide, then turned so suddenly
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  Speaker 1: as to catch his derider's look of wonder, stuck out
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  Speaker 1: his tongue in triumph at the success of his ruse,
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  Speaker 1: and walked on to the window. He'll be through directly,
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  Speaker 1: Seefa's not reassreted the senior clerk with kindly intonation. Don't
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  Speaker 1: make a noise. There's a good fellow. And once more
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  Speaker 1: John Clark, the dean of the office, golefully buried himself
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  Speaker 1: in his columns. He must be writing his love letters.
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  Speaker 1: Go in there, hartly and help him out. You're an
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  Speaker 1: adept At that hazarded the youngster at the window to
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  Speaker 1: the dapper youth at the mirror. There was a subdued
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  Speaker 1: explosion from all the others but Clark, after which, as
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  Speaker 1: if relieved by this escape of steam, the young men
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  Speaker 1: quieted down and once more applied themselves to looking moodily
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  Speaker 1: out of the windows, whilst the older clerk gave a
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  Speaker 1: secret peep at his watch, and then, after another glance
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  Speaker 1: at the closed door of the private office, went back
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  Speaker 1: once more to his work. Meantime, within his closed sanctum,
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  Speaker 1: Livingstone still sat with intent, gaze pouring over the page
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  Speaker 1: of figures before him. The expression on his face was
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  Speaker 1: one of profound satisfaction. He had at last reached the
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  Speaker 1: acme of his ambition, that is, of his later ambition.
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  Speaker 1: He had once had other aims. He had arrived at
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  Speaker 1: the point towards which he had been straining for the
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  Speaker 1: last eight, ten, fifteen years. He did not try to
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  Speaker 1: remember just how long it had been a good while.
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  Speaker 1: He had at length accumulated on the most conservative estimate.
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  Speaker 1: He framed the phrase in his mind, following the habits
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  Speaker 1: of his boards. He had no need to look now
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  Speaker 1: at the page before him. The seven figures that formed
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  Speaker 1: the balance, as he thought of them, suddenly appeared before him,
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  Speaker 1: in fact simile. He had been gazing at them so
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  Speaker 1: steadily that now, even when he shut his eyes he
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  Speaker 1: could see them clearly. He gave him a little glow
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  Speaker 1: about his heart. It was quite convenient he could always
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  Speaker 1: see them. It was a great sum. He had attained
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  Speaker 1: his ambition. Last year, when he balanced his books at
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  Speaker 1: the close of the year, he had been worth only
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  Speaker 1: a sum expressed in six figures, even when he put
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  Speaker 1: his securities at their full value. Now it could only
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  Speaker 1: be written in seven figures on the most conservative estimate. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: he had reached the top. He could walk up the
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  Speaker 1: street now and look at any man in the face,
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  Speaker 1: or turn his back on him, just as he chose.
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  Speaker 1: The thought pleased him. Years ago, a friend, an old
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  Speaker 1: friend of his youth, Harry Trelaine, had asked him to
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  Speaker 1: come down to the country to visit him and meet
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  Speaker 1: his children and see the peach trees bloom. He had
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  Speaker 1: pleaded business, and his friend had asked him gravely why
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  Speaker 1: he kept on working so hard when he was already
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  Speaker 1: so well off. He wanted to be rich, he had replied,
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  Speaker 1: But you are already rich. He must be worth half
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  Speaker 1: a million, and you are a single man with no
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  Speaker 1: children to leave it to. Yes, but I mean to
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  Speaker 1: be worth double that. Why, Oh, so that I can
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  Speaker 1: tell any man I choose to go to the devil,
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  Speaker 1: he had said, half jestingly, being rather put to it
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  Speaker 1: by his friend's earnestness. His friend had laughed too, he remembered,
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  Speaker 1: but not heartily. Well, that is not much of a satisfaction,
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  Speaker 1: after all, he had said. The real satisfaction is in
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  Speaker 1: helping him the other way. And this Livingstone remembered, he
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  Speaker 1: had said very earnestly. Livingstone now had reached this point
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  Speaker 1: of his aspiration. He could tell any man he chose
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  Speaker 1: to go to the devil. His content over this reflection
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  Speaker 1: was shadowed only by a momentary recollection that Harry Trelaine
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  Speaker 1: was since dead. He regretted that his friend could not
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  Speaker 1: know of his success. Another friend suddenly floated into his memory.
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  Speaker 1: Catherine Trelaine was his college mate's sister. Once she had
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  Speaker 1: been all the world to Livingstone, and he had found
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  Speaker 1: out afterwards that she had cared for him too, and
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  Speaker 1: would have married him had he spoken at one time.
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  Speaker 1: But he had not known this at first, and when
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  Speaker 1: he began to grow he could not bring himself to it.
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  Speaker 1: He could not afford to burden himself with a family
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  Speaker 1: that might interfere with his success. Then, later, when he
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  Speaker 1: had succeeded and was well off and had asked Catherine
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  Speaker 1: Trelaine to be his wife, she had declined. She said
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  Speaker 1: Livingstone had not offered her himself but his fortune. It
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  Speaker 1: had stung Livingstone deeply, and he had awakened, but too
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  Speaker 1: late to find for a while that he had really
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  Speaker 1: loved her. She was well off too, having been left
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  Speaker 1: a comfortable sum by a relative. However, Livingstone was glad
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  Speaker 1: now as he reflected on it. That it had turned out,
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  Speaker 1: so Catherine Trelaine's refusal had really been the incentive which
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  Speaker 1: had spurred him on to greater success. It was to
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  Speaker 1: revenge himself that he had plunged deeper into business than ever,
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  Speaker 1: and he had brought his fine house to show that
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  Speaker 1: he could afford to live in style. It intended then
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  Speaker 1: to marry, but he had not had time to do so.
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  Speaker 1: He had always been too busy. Catherine Trelaine, at least
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  Speaker 1: was not dead. He had not heard of her in
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  Speaker 1: a long time. She had married. He knew a man
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  Speaker 1: named Shepherd, he believed, and he had heard that her
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  Speaker 1: husband was dead. He would see that she knew he
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  Speaker 1: was worth The page of figures suddenly flashed in before
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  Speaker 1: his eyes like a magic lantern slide. Yes, he was
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  Speaker 1: worth all that, and he could now marry whom and
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  Speaker 1: when he pleased. End of chapter one, Chapter two of
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  Speaker 1: Santa Claus's Partner. This is a libery Rox recording. All
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: libery vox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit liveryvox dot org. Recording
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: by Eddie Winter. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, Page
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  Speaker 1: chapter two, Livingstone closed his books. He had put everything
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  Speaker 1: in such shape that Clark, his confidential clerk, would not
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  Speaker 1: have the least trouble this year in transferring everything and
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  Speaker 1: starting the new books that would now be necessary. Last year,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Clarke had been at his house a good many nights
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: writing up these private books. But that was because Clark
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: had been in a sort of muddle last winter. His
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: wife was sick, or one of his dozen children had
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: met with an accident or something, Livingstone vaguely remembered. This year,
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  Speaker 1: there would be no such trouble. Livingstone was pleased at
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  Speaker 1: the thought, for Clark was a good fellow and a
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  Speaker 1: capable bookkeeper, even though he was a trifle slow. Livingstone
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  Speaker 1: felt that he had had, in a way a high
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: regard for Clark. He was attentive to his duties. Beyond words,
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  Speaker 1: he was a gentleman too, of a first rate family,
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: a man of principle. How he could ever have been
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: content to remain a simple clerk all these years, Livingstone
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: could not understand. He gave him a certain contempt for
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  Speaker 1: him that came he reflected of a man's marrion indiscreetly
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: and having a houseful of children, on his back. Clark
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: would be pleased at the showing on the books. He
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: was always delighted when the balances showed a marked increase.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: Livingstone was glad now that he had not only paid
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: the old clerk extra for his night work last year,
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  Speaker 1: but had given him fifty dollars additional, partly because of
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: the trouble in his family and partly because Livingstone had
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: been unusually irritated when Clark got the two accounts confused.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Livingstone prided himself on his manner to his employees. He
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: prodded himself on being a gentleman, and it was a
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  Speaker 1: mark of a gentleman always to treat subordinates with civility.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: He knew men in the city who were absolute bears
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: to their employees, but they were blaggards. He perhaps ought
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  Speaker 1: to have discharged Clark without a word. That would have
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: been business, but really he ought not to have spoken
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: to him as he did. Clark undoubtedly acted with dignity.
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  Speaker 1: Livingstone had had to apologize to him and ask him
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  Speaker 1: to remain, and had made the amend to himself by
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: giving him fifty dollars extra for the ten nights work.
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  Speaker 1: He could only justify the act now by reflecting that
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: Clark had more than once suggested investments which had turned
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  Speaker 1: out most fortunately, Livingstone determined to give Clark this year
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: a hundred dollars, no fifty. You must not spoil him,
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: and it really was not business. The thought of his
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: liberality brought to Livingstone's mind the donations that he always
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: made at the clerk of the year. He might as
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: well send off the checks now. He took from the
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: lock drawer his private check book and turned the stubs thoughtfully.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: He had had that check book for a good many years.
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: He used to give away a tenth of his income.
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: His father before him used to do that. He remembered
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: with a smile how large the sums used to seem
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  Speaker 1: to him. He turned back the stubs only to see
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  Speaker 1: how small a tenth used to be. He no longer
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: gave a tenth, or twentieth, or even a He had
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: no difficulty in deciding the exact percentage he gave for
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: whenever he thought now the sum he was worth. The
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: figures themselves, in clean cut lines, popped before his eyes.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: It was very curious he could actually see them in
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: his own handwriting. He rubbed his eyes, and the figures disappeared. Well,
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: he gave a good deal, anyhow, a good deal more
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: than most men, he reflected. He looked at the later
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: stubbs and was gratified to find how large the amounts were.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: They showed how rich he was, and what a diversified
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: list of charities he contributed to. Hospitals, seminaries, asylums, churches,
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: soup kitchens, training schools of one kind or another. The
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: stubs all bore the names of those through whom he contributed.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: There were mostly fashionable women of his acquaintance, who, either
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: for diversion or from real charity, were interested in these institutions.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: Missus Wright's name appeared oftenest. Missus Wright was a woman
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: of fortune and very prominent, he reflected, But she was
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: really kind. She was just a crank, and somehow she
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: appeared really to believe in him. Her husband, Livingstone did
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: not like a cold, selfish man who cared for nothing
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: but money making and his own family. There was one
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: name down on the book for a small amount which
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: Livingstone could not recall. Yes, he was an assistant preacher
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: at Livingstone's church. The donation was for a Christmas tree
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: in a children's hospital or something of the kind. This
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: was one of missus Wright's charities too. Livingstone remembered the
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: note the preacher had written him afterwards. It had rather
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: jarred on him. It was so grateful. He hated gush.
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: He said to himself, he did not want to be
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: bothered with details of yarn, gloves, flannel, petticoats, and toys.
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  Speaker 1: He took out his pencil and wrote missus Wright's name
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  Speaker 1: on the stub that also should be charged to missus Wright.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: He carried in his mind the total amount of the contributions,
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: and as he came to the end, a half frown
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: rested on his brow as he thought of having to
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: give to all these objects. Again, that was the trouble
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  Speaker 1: with charities. They were as regular as coupons. Confound missus Wright.
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: Why did she not let him alone? However, she was
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: an important woman leader in the best set in the city.
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: Livingstone sat forward and began to fill out his checks,
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: certain checks he always filled out himself. He could not
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: bear to let even Clark know what he gave to
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: certain objects. The thought of how commendable this was crossed
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: his face and lit it up like a glint of
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: transient sunshine. It vanished Suddenly, as he began to calculate,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: leaving the space where it had rested colder than before,
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: he really could not spend as much a year as last.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: Why there was for pictures, so much charities, so much
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. It would quite cut into the amount he
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: had already decided to lay by. He must draw in
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: somewhere he was worth. Only the line of figures slipped
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: in before his eyes with its lantern slide coldness. He
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: reflected he must cut down on his charities. He could
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: not reduce the sum for the General Hospital Fund he
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: had been giving to that number of years, nor that
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: for the asylum. Missus Wright was the president of that
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: board and had told him she counted on him. Hang
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: missus Wright, it was positive blackmail. Nor the pew rent
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: that was respectable, nor the associated charities every one gave
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: to that. He must cut out the smaller charities. So
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: he left off the Children's Hospital, Christmas Tree Fund, and
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the soup kitchen, and a few insignificant things like them
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: into which he had been worried by Missus Wright and
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: other troublesome women. The only regret he had was that,
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: taken together, these sons did not amount to a great
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: deal to bring the saving up. He came near cutting
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: out the hospital. However, he decided not to do so.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: Missus Wright believed in him. He would leave out one
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: of the pictures he had intended to buy. He would
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: deny himself and not cut out the big charity. This
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: would save him the trouble of refusing missus Right, and
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: would also save him a good deal more money. Once more,
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: at the thought of his self denial, that ray of
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: wintry sunshine passed across Livingstone's cold face and gave it
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: a look of distinction, almost like that of a marble statue.
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: Again he relapsed into reflection. His eyes were resting on
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: the pane, outside of which the fine snow was filling
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: the chilly afternoon air in flurries and scurries that rose
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: and fell, and seemed to be blowing every way at once.
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: But Livingstone's eyes were not on the snow. It had
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: been so long since Livingstone had given a thought to
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: the weather, except as it might affect the net ownings
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: of railways in which he was interested, that he never
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: knew what the weather was, and so far as he
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: was concerned, there need not have been any weather spring
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: was to him but the season when certain work could
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: be done, which in time would yield a crop of dividends.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: And autumn was but the time when crops would be
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: moved and stock sent up or down. So though Livingstone's
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: eyes rested on the pane outside of which the flowing
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: snow was driving, that meant so much to so many people,
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: And his face was thoughtful, very thoughtful. He was not
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: thinking of the snow. He was calculating prophets. End of
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: chapter two, Chapter three of Santa Claus's Partner. This is
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All libriuvox recordings are in the public domain.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit liberyvox dot org.
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: Recording by Eddie Winter. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson,
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: page chapter three. A noise in the outer office recalled
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: Livingstone from his reverie. He aroused himself almost with a start,
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: and glanced at the gilt clock just above the stock indicator.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: He had been so absorbed that he had quite forgotten
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: that he had told the clerks to wait for him.
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: He had had no idea that he had been at
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: work so long, he reflected, however, that he had been
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: writing charity checks. The clerk sought to appreciate the fact
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: he touched a button, and the next second there was
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: a gentle tap on the door, and Clark appeared. He
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: was just the person to give just such a tap.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: A refined looking, middle aged, middle sized man with a
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: face rather pale and a little worn, a high calm
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: forehead above which the grizzled hair was almost gone, mild
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: blue eyes which beamed through black rimmed glasses, a pleasant
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: mouth which a drooping, colorless mustache only partly concealed, and
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: a well formed but slightly retreating chin. His figure was
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: inclined to be stout, and his shoulders were slightly bent.
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: He walked softly, and as he spoke, his voice was
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: gentle and pleasing. There was no assertion in it, but
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: it was perfectly self respecting. The eyes and voice redeemed
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: the face from being commonplace. Oh, mister Clark, I did
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: not know I should have been so long about my work.
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: I was so engaged getting my book straight for you
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: and writing a few checks for my annual contributions to hospitals,
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: et cetera, that the time slipped by the tone was
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: unusually conciliatory for Livingstone, but he still retained it in
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: addressing clerk. It was partly remnant of his old time
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: relation to mister Clark, when he, yet a young man,
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: first knew him, and partly a recognition of Clark's position
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: as a man of good birth who had been unfortunate
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: and had a large family to support. Oh that's all right,
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: mister Livingstone, said the clerk pleasantly. He gathered up the
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: letters on the desk and was unconsciously pressing them into
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: exact order. Shall I have these meld or sent by
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: a messenger maw them? Of course, said Livingstone. And Clark,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: I want you to I thought possibly that as to
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: morrow is, began the clerk in explanation, but stopped as
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: Livingstone continued speaking without noticing the interruption. I have been
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: going over my matters, pursued Livingstone, and they are in
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: excellent shape, better this year than ever before. The Clerk's
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: face brightened. That's very good, said he heartily. I knew
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: they were. Yes, very good, indeed, said Livingstone, condescendingly, pausing
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: to dwell for a second on the side of the
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: line of pallid figures, which suddenly flashed before his eyes.
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: And I have got everything straight for you this year,
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: and I want you to come up to my house
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: this evening and go over the books with me quietly,
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: so I can show you this evening. The clerk's countenance fell,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: and the words were as near an exclamation as he
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: ever indulged in. Yes, this evening, I should be at
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: home this evening and tomorrow evening. Why not this evening,
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: demanded Livingstone, almost sharply. Why only that it's however, the
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: speaker per cough. I'll be there, sir, about eight thirty.
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: I suppose, yes, said Livingstone curtly. He was miffed, offended, aggrieved.
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: He had intended to do a kind thing by this man,
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: and he had met with Rebuff. I expect to pay you,
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: he said coldly. The next second he knew he had
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: made an error. A shocked expression came involuntarily over the
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: other's face. Oh it was not that, it was, he paused,
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: reflected half a second. I'll be there, he added, and
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: turning quickly with drew, leaving Livingstone feeling very blank and
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: then somewhat angry. He was angry with himself for making
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: such a blunder, and then angrier with the clerk for
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: leading him into it. That is the away with such people,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: He reflected, What is the use of being considerate and generous?
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: No one appreciates it. The more he thought of it,
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: the warmer he became. Had he not taken Clark up
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: ten fifteen years ago, when he had not a cent
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: in the world, and now he was getting fifteen hundred
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: dollars a year, yes, sixteen hundred, and almost owned his house,
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: and he had made every cent for him. At length,
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: Livingstone's sense of injury became so strong he could stand
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: it no longer. He determined to have a talk with Clark.
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: He opened the door and walked into the outer office.
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: One of the younger clerks was just buttoning up his overcoat.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: Livingstone detected a scowl on his face. The sight did
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: not improve Livingstone's temper. He would have liked to discharge
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: the boy on the spot. How often had he ever
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: called on them to wait? He knew men who required
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: their clerks to wait always until they themselves left the office,
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: no matter what the hour was. He himself would not
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: do this. He regarded it as selfish. But now, when
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: it had happened by accident, this was a return he received,
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: He contented himself with asking somewhat sharply where mister Clark was.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: Believe he's gone to the telephone, said the clerk sulkily.
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: He picked up his hat and said good night hurriedly.
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: He was evidently glad to get off. Livingstone returned to
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: his own room, but left the door ajar so that
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: he could see Clark when he returned. When, however, a
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: few moments afterwards Clarke appeared, Livingstone had cooled down. Why
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: should he expect gratitude. He did not pay Clark for gratitude,
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: but for work, and this the clerk did faithfully. It
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: was an ungrateful world anyhow. At that moment, there was
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: a light knock at the outer door, and on Clark's bidding,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: someone entered. Livingstone, from where he sat could see the
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: door reflected in a mirror that hung in his office.
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: The visitor was a little girl. She was clad in
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: a red jacket, and on her head was a red cap,
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: from under which her hair pushed in a profusion of
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: ring lips. Her cheeks were like apple's, and her whole
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: face was glowing from the frosty air. It was just
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: her head that Livingstone saw first as she poked it
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: in and peeped around. Then, as mister Clark sat with
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: his back to the door and she saw that no
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: one else was present, the visitor inserted her whole body,
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: and closing the door softly, With her eyes dancing and
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: her little mouth pucket up in a mischievous way, she
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: came on tiptoe across the floor, stealing towards Clerk until
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: she was within a few feet of him, when, with
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: a sudden little rush, she threw her arms about his
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: head and clapped her hands quickly over his eyes. Guess
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: who it is, she cried Livingston could hear them through
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: the open door. Blue Beard hazarded Miss Clark. No, Queen Victoria,
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: No Mary, Queen of scott I know it's a queen. No,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: now you're not guessing it isn't any queen at all. Yes,
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: I am oh, I know Santa Claus. No, but somebody
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: yet knows about him. Mister Livingstone was not sure that
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: he caught the name. No. In a very emphatic voice,
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: and with a sudden stiffening and a vehement shake of
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: the head, Livingstone knew now whose name it was? Now,
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: if you guess right, this time, you'll get a reward.
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: What reward?
• 31:53
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus will bring you a whole lot of nice
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: I don't believe that he will be too busy with
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: some other folk I know who know who, won't I
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: know he's going to bring you.
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: She suddenly took one hand from Clark's eyes and clapped
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: it over her mouth, but next second replaced it. And besides,
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: I'll give you a whole lot of kisses. Oh yes,
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: I know. The princess with the golden locks san to
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: clause his partner, the sweetest little kitten in the world,
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: and her name is Kitty Clark, m m. And on
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: a sudden, the arms were transferred from about the forehead
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: to the neck, and the little girl, with her sunny
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: head canted to one side, was making good her promise
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: of reward. The Vingstone could hear the kisses. The next
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: second they moved out of the line of reflection in
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: Livingstone's mirror, but he could still catch fragments of what
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: they said. Clark spoke too low to be heard, but
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: now and then Livingstone could catch the little girl's words. Indeed,
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: he could not help hearing her. Oh, Papa, she exclaimed
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: in a tone of disappointment, replying to something her father
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: had told her. But Papa, you must come, you promised again.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: Her father talked to her low and soothingly. But Papa,
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: I'm so disappointed. I've saved all my money just to
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: have you go with me and Mamma, I'll go and
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: ask him to let you come. Her father evidently did
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: not approve of this, and the next moment he led
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: the child to the door, still talking to her soothingly,
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: and Livingstone heard him kiss her and tell her to
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: wait for him below. Livingstone let himself out of his
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: side door. He did not want to meet Clark just then.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: He was not in a comfortable frame of mind. He
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: had a little headache. As he turned into the street,
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: he passed the little girl he had seen upstairs. She
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: was wiping her little smeared face with her handkerchief and
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: had evidently been crying. Livingstone as he passed eye and
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: she gave him such a look of hate that it
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: stung him to the quick. The little serpent thought he
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: here he was supporting her family, and she looking as
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: if she could tear him to pieces. It showed how
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: ungrateful this sort of people were. End of chapter three,
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: Chapter four of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit liberyvox dot org. Recording
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: by Eddie Winter. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, Page
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: chapter four. Livingstone walked up town Edward, who felt do
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: his head good. He needed exercise. He'd been work and
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: rather too hard of late. However, he was worth m
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: yes all that out in the snow, the sun was
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: before him in cold facsimile. He had not gone far before,
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: he wished he had ridden. The street was thronged with people,
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: some streaming along, others stopping in front of the big
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: shop windows, blocking the way and forcing such as were
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: in a hurry to get off the sidewalk. The shop
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: windows were all brilliantly dressed and lighted. Every conception of
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: fertile brains was there to arrest the attention and delight
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: the imagination and the interest of the throngs outside and
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: in testified the shopkeeper's success. Here Santa Claus, the last
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: survivor of the old benefactors, who has outlasted whole hierarchies
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: of out worn myths, and yet firming the devotion of
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: the heart of childhood. Snapped his fingers alike at arid
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: science and black stupidity. Was driving his reindeer, his teeming slave,
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: filled with wonders from every region, Dolls that walked and
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: talked and sang fit for princesses, sledge fine enough for princes,
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: drums and trumpets and swords for young heroes. Horses that
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: looked as though they were alive and would spring next
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: moment from their rockers, bats and balls that almost started
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: of themselves from their places, little uniforms and frocks, skates,
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: tennis rackets, baby caps and muttles, tiny engines and coaches,
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: railway trains, animals that ran about, steamships, books, pictures, everything
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: to delight the soul of childhood and gratify the affection
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: of age. There Chris Kringle, Santa Claus's other self, with
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: snowy beard and fur coat hoary with the frost of
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: Arctic travel from the land of unfailing snow and unfailing toys,
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: stood beside his tree, glittering with crystal and shining with
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: the fruits of every industry and every climb. These were
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: but a part of the dazzling display that was ever
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: repeated over and over, and filled the windows for squares
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: and squares. Silence and art appeared to have combined to
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: pay tribute to childhood. The very street seemed to have
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: blossomed with Christmas, but Livingstone saw nothing of it. He
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: was filled with anger that his way should be blocked.
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: The crowds were gay and cheery, strangers in sheer good
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: will clapped each other on the shoulder and exchanged views, confidences,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: and good wishes. The truck drivers, usually so surly, drew
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: out of each other's way and shouted words of cheer
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: after their smiling fellows. The soul of Christmas was abroad
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: on the air. Livingstone did not even recall what day
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: it was. All he saw or was a crowd of
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: fools that impeded his progress. Who tried the middle of
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: the street, But the carriages and delivery dragons were so
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: thick that he turned off, growling and took a less
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: frequented thoroughfare, a back street of mean houses and small shops,
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: where a poorer class of people dwelt and dealt. Here, However,
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: he was perhaps even more incommoded than he had been before.
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: This street was, if anything, more crowded than the other,
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: and with a more noisy and hilarious throng. Here, instead
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: of fine shops, there were small ones, but their windows
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: were every bit as attractive to the crowds on the
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: street as those Livingstone had left. People of a much
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: poorer class surged in and out of the doors, small gamins,
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: some in rugged overcoats, more in none, gabbled with and
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: shouldered each other boisterously at the windows, and pressed their
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: red noses to the frosty paneans to see through the
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: blurred patches made by their warm breath, their wondrous marbles. Within.
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: The little pastry shops and corner groceries vied with the
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: toy shops and confectioneries, and were packed with a population
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: that hummed like bees, the busy murmur broken every now
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: and then by jests and calls and laughter, as the
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: customers squeezed in empty handed, while slipped out with carefully
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: wrapped parcels, hugged close to their cheery bosoms, or carried
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: in their arms with careful pride. Livingstone finally was compelled
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: to get off the sidewalk again and take to the street. Here,
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: at least there were no fine carriages to block his way.
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: As he began to approach a hill, he was aware
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: of yells of warning ahead of him, and with shouts
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: of merriment. A swarm of sledge began to shoot by him,
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: some with dark objects, lying flat on their little stomachs,
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: kicking with their heels high in the air. Others with
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: small single or double or triple headed monsters, seated upright,
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: and all screaming at the top of their merry voices.
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: All were unmindful of the falling snow and nipping air.
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: Their blood hot with the ineffable fire of youth that
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: flames in the warm heart of childhood, glows in that
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: of youth, and calls only with the cooling brain and
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: chilling pulse. Before a livingstone could press back into the
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: almost solid mass on the sidewalk, he had come near
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: being run down a score of times. He felt that
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: it was an outrage. He fairly flamed with indignation. He
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: a large taxpayer, a generous contributor to asylums and police funds,
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: a supporter of hospitals, that he should be almost killed.
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: He looked around for a policeman, whoop, look out, get
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: out the way fresh thrish thresh. They shot by. Livingstone
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: had to dodge for his life. Of course, no policeman
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: was in sight. Livingstone pushed his way on to the
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: top of the ascent, and a square further on he
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: found an officer inspecting silently a group of noisy urchins
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: squabbling over the division of two sticks of painted candy.
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: His back was towards the hill from which were coming
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: the shouts of the sliding miscreants. Livingstone accosted him that
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: sliding back there must be stopped. It is a nuisance,
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: he asserted, It was dangerous. He declared, he himself had
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: almost been shock by one or more of those sleds,
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: and if it had run him down, it might have
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: killed him. The officer, after a long look at him,
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: turned silently and walked slowly in the direction of the hill.
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: He moved so deliberately and with such evident reluctance that
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: Livingstone's blood boiled. He hurried after him. Here, he said,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: as he overtook him, to see that you stopped that
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: sliding and enforced the law, or I shall report you
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: for failure to perform your duty. I see your number
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: two six eight. All right, sir, you can do as
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: you please about that, said the officer, rather surlily but politely.
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: Livingstone walked close after him to the hilltop. The officer
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: spoke a few words in a quiet tone to the
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: boys who were at the summit, and instantly every sledge stopped.
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: Not so the tongues babel broke loose. Some went off
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: in silence. Others crowded about the officer, expostulating, cajoling, grumbling.
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: It was the first snow they had always slid on
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: that hill. It did not hurt anybody, Nobody cared, et cetera.
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: This gentleman has complained, and you must stop, said the officer.
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: The old turned on Livingstone with sudden hate. Oh, they
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: snarled in concert. We ain't a hurt in him? What's
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: he got to do with us? Anyhow, One more apt
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: arger than the rest shouted, he ain't no gentleman, A gentleman,
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: don't ever interfere with poor little boys. What ain't had
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: done him no harm. But they stopped, and the more
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: timidar impatience stole off to find new and less inconveniently
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: guarded inclines. Livingstone passed on. He did not know that.
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: The moment he left and the officer turned his back,
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: the whole hillside swarmed again into life and fun and joy.
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: He did not know this, but he bore off with
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: him a new thorn which even his feeling of civic
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: virtue could not keep from rankling. His head ached, and
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: he grew crosser and crosser with every step. He had
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: never seen so many beggars. It was insufferable. For this evening,
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: at least every one was giving except Livingstone. Want was
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: stretching out its withered hand even to poverty, and found
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: it filled. But Livingstone took no part in it. The
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: chilly and threadbare street vendors of shoe strings, pencils, and
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: cheap flowers, who to night whirlfering in their place tin toys,
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: mistletoe and holly boughs, he pushed roughly out of his way.
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: He snapped angrily at beggars who had the temerity to
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: accost him, confound them felt to be run in by
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: the police. A red faced, collarless man fell into the
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: same gate with him, and in a cajoling tone, began
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: to mutter something of his distress. Be off go to
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: the associated charities sniled Livingstone, conscious of the biting sarcasm
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: of his speech, Go where sir, go to the devil?
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: The man stopped in his tracks. A ragged and meager
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: boy slid into the crowd just ahead of Livingstone to
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: a woman who was twirling along with a large bundle.
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: Holding out a pinched hand, he offered to carry the
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: parcel for her. The woman and hesitated for five cents.
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: He pleaded. She was about to yield, for the bundle
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: was heavy, but the boy was just in front of Livingstone,
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: and in his eagerness, brushed against him. The Livingstone gave
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: him a shove which sent him spinning away across the sidewalk.
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: The stream of passers by swept in between them, and
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: the boy lost his job and the woman his service.
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: The man of Success passed on end of chapter four,
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: Chapter five of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a libery
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: Rocks recording. All Liberyrox recordings are in the public domain.
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: For more information, Audi Volunteer, please visit liberyrox dot org.
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: Recording by Eddie Winter. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson,
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: page chapter five. If Livingstone had been in a huff,
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: when he left his office. By the time he reached
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: his home, he was in a rage as he let
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: himself in with his latch key. His expression, for a
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: moment softened. The scene before him was one which might
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: well have mellowed a man just out of the snowy street.
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: A spacious and handsome house, both richly and artistically furnished,
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: lay before him. Rich furniture, costly rugs, fine pictures, and
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: rare books gave evidence not only of his wealth, but
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: of his taste. He was not a mere business machine,
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: a mere money maker. He knew men who were. He
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: despised them. He was a man of taste and culture,
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: a gentleman of refinement. He spent his money like a gentleman,
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: to surround himself with objects of art, and to give
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: himself and his friend's pleasure. Connoisseurs came to look at
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: his fine collection and to revel in his rare editions.
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: Dealers had told him his collection was worth double what
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: it had cost him. He had frowned at the suggestion,
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: but it was satisfactory to know it. As Livingstone entered
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: his library and found a bright fire burning, his favorite
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: arm chair drawn up to his especial table, his favorite
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: books lying within easy reach. He felt a momentary glow.
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: He stretched himself out before the fire in his deep
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: lounging chair with a feeling of relief. The next moment, however,
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: he was sensible of his fatigue and was conscious that
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: he had quite a headache. What a fool he had
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: been to walk up through the snow, and those people
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: had worried him. His heads robbed. He had been working
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: too hard of late. He would go and see his
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: doctor next day and talk it over with him. He
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: could now take his advice and stop working for a while.
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: He was worth confound those figures? Why could not he
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: think of them? Without their popping in before his eyes?
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: That way, there was a footfall on the heavily carpeted
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: floor behind him, so soft that it could scarcely be
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: said to have made a sound, But Livingstone caught it.
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: He spoke without turning his head, James, Yes, sir, have
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: you dined? Sir? Dined? No? Of course, not where was
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: I to dine? I thought perhaps you had dined at
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: the club, or will have dinner directly, sir, said the
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: butler quietly. Dine at the club. Why should I dine
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: at the club. Haven't I my own house to dine in,
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: demanded Livingstone. Yes, sir, we had dinner ready. Only as
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: you were so late, we thought perhaps you were dining
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: at the club. You had not said anything about dining out.
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: Livingstone glanced at the clock. It was half past eight.
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: He had had no idea. It was so late. He'd
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: forgotten how late it was when he left his office,
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: and the walk through the snow had been slow. He
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: was hopelessly in the wrong. Just then there was a
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: scurry in the hall outside, and the squeak of childish voices.
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: James coughed and turned quickly towards the door. Livingstone wanted
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: an outlet. What is that? He asked sharply. James cleared
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: his shoat nervously. The screak came again, this time almost
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: a squeal. Whose children are those, demanded Livingstone. Ahem. I
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: think they's the lawn dresses, sir. They just came around
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: this evening. Livingstone cut him short. Were ie it? He
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: was never nearer an outbreak, but he controlled himself. Go
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: down and send them and her off immediately. And you,
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: he paused, closed his lips firmly, and changed his speech.
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: I wish some dinner, he said coldly, Yes, sir. James
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: had reached the door when he turned. Shall you be
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: dining at home to morrow, sir? He asked quietly, Yes,
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: of course, said Levingstone shortly. And I don't want to
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: see any one to night, no matter who comes. I
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: am tired. He had forgotten Clark. Yes, sir. The butler
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: withdrew noiselessly, and Livingstone sank back in his chair. But
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: before the butler was out of hearing, Livingstone recalled him,
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: I don't want any dinner. Can have it for you directly, sir,
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: said James, persuasively. I say I don't want any. James
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: came a little closer and gave his master a quick glance.
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: Are you feeling bad, sir? He asked, No, I only
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: want to be let alone. I shall go out presently
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: to the club. This time James withdrew entirely. What happened
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: when James passed through the door which separated his domain
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: from his masters was not precisely what Livingstone had commanded.
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: What the tall butler did was to gather up in
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: his arms two very plump little tots, who, at sight
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: of him, came running to him with squeals of joy,
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: flinging themselves on him and choking him with their chubby
• 51:28
  Speaker 1: arms to the imminent imperiling of his immaculate linen. Taking
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: them both up together, James bore them off quietly to
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: some remote region, where he filled their little mouths full
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: of delightful candy, which kept their little jaws working tremendously
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: and their blue eyes opening and shutting in unison, whilst
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: he told them of the dreadful, unnamed things that would
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: before them if they eventually gained through that door. He
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: impressed on them the clamor it would be to lose
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: the privilege of holding the evergreens whilst they were being
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: put up in the hall, and the danger of Santa
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: Claus passing by that night without filling their stockings. The
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: picture he drew of two little stockings hanging limp and
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: empty at the fireplace, while Santa Claus went by with
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: bulging sleigh, was harrowing. At mention of it, the tots
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: both looked down at their stockings and were so overcome
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: that they almost stopped working their jaws, so that when
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: they began again they were harder to work than ever.
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: To this, James added the terror of their failing to
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: see next day the great plum puddings suddenly burst into
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: flame in his hands. At this he threw up both
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: hands and opened them so wide that the little ones
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: had to look first at one of his hands and
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: then at the other, to make sure that he was
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: not actually holding the dancing flames. Now when from his
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: faithfully and with deep poor crossing their little hearts with
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: smudgy fingers, the butler entrusted them to someone to see
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: to the due performance of their good intention, and he
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: himself sought the cook, who, next to himself, was Livingstone's
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: oldest servant. She was, at the moment, with plum palms
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: akimbo on her stout waist, laying down the law of
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: marriage to a group of merry servants as they salted
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: Christmas wreaths. Wait till you've known a man twenty years
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: before you marry him, and then you'll never marry him,
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: she said, the point of her advice being that she
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: was past forty and had never married. The butler beckoned
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: her out and confided to her his anxiety. He is
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: not well, he said, gloomily. I've not seen him this
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: away in ten years. He is not well. The cook's
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: cheery countenance changed. But you say he had had no dinner.
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: Her excessive grammar was a reassurance. She turned alertly towards
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: her range. But he won't have dinner. What The stiffness
• 54:08
  Speaker 1: went out of her form in visible detachments. Then he
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: here sick. She made one attempt to help matters. Can't
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: I make him something nice, very nice and light? She
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: brightened at the hope. No nothink he will not hear
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: to it. Then you must have the doctor. She spoke
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: decisively to this. The butler made no reply, at least
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: in words. He stood wrapped in deep abstraction, his face
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: filled with perplexity and gloom. And as the cook watched
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: him anxiously, her face too, took on gradually the same expression.
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: I has not seen him like this before, not in
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: ten year, not in twelve year, not since he got
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: that letter from that young lady. What. He stopped and
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: looked at the cook. He was actually harassable. He must
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: be got to bed, poor dear, said the cook sympathetically.
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: And you must get the doctor. And I'll make some
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: good rich broth to have it handy. And just when
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: we are going to dress the house and have it
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: so beautiful. She turned away, her round face full of woe.
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: Oh well, the butler tried to find some sentence that
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: might be comforting, but before he could secure one that suited,
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: the drawbell rang, and he went to answer it. End
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: of chapter five, Chapter.
• 55:42
  Speaker 3: Six of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 55:45
  Speaker 3: All LibriVox recordings are in the public doman. For more
• 55:48
  Speaker 3: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 55:52
  Speaker 3: by Christine Blashford. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page
• 55:56
  Speaker 3: chapter six. It was mister Clark who, as soon as
• 56:00
  Speaker 3: the door was opened, stepped within, and, taking off his hat,
• 56:02
  Speaker 3: began to shake the snow from it, even while he
• 56:05
  Speaker 3: greeted James and wished him a merry Christmas. James liked
• 56:08
  Speaker 3: mister Clark. He did not rate him very highly in
• 56:10
  Speaker 3: the matter of intelligence, but he recognized him as a
• 56:13
  Speaker 3: gentleman and appreciated his kindly courtesy to himself. He knew
• 56:17
  Speaker 3: it came from a good heart. Many a man who
• 56:19
  Speaker 3: drove up to the door in a carriage. James relieved
• 56:22
  Speaker 3: of his coat and showed into the drawing room in silence.
• 56:24
  Speaker 3: But the downcast eyes were averted to conceal inconvenient thoughts,
• 56:28
  Speaker 3: and the expressionless face was a mask to hide views
• 56:30
  Speaker 3: which the caller might not have cared to discover. Mister Clark, however,
• 56:34
  Speaker 3: always treated James with consideration, and James reciprocated the feeling
• 56:38
  Speaker 3: and returned the treatment. Mister Clark was giving James his
• 56:41
  Speaker 3: hat when the butler took in that he had come
• 56:42
  Speaker 3: to see mister Livingstone. Mister Livingstone begs to be excused
• 56:46
  Speaker 3: this evening, sir, He said, yes. Mister Clark laid a
• 56:49
  Speaker 3: package on a chair and proceeded to unbutton his overcoat.
• 56:52
  Speaker 3: He says he regrets he cannot see anyone, explained the servant. Yes,
• 56:56
  Speaker 3: that's all right, I know he caught the lapels of
• 56:58
  Speaker 3: the coat preparatory taking it off. No, sir, he cannot
• 57:02
  Speaker 3: see anybody at all this evening, insisted James, confident in
• 57:05
  Speaker 3: being within his authority. Why he told me to come
• 57:08
  Speaker 3: and bring his books? I suppose he meant, no, sir,
• 57:11
  Speaker 3: he is not very well this evening. Mister Clark's hands
• 57:14
  Speaker 3: dropped to his side. Not well. Why he left the
• 57:16
  Speaker 3: office only an hour or two ago, Yes, sir, but
• 57:19
  Speaker 3: he walked up and seemed very tired when he arrived.
• 57:22
  Speaker 3: He did not eat anything, and the doctor is coming
• 57:24
  Speaker 3: to see him. Mister Clark's face expressed the deepest concern.
• 57:28
  Speaker 3: He has been working too hard, he said, shaking his head.
• 57:31
  Speaker 3: He ought to have let me go over those accounts
• 57:33
  Speaker 3: with all he has to carry. Yes, sir, that's it,
• 57:35
  Speaker 3: said James heartily. Well don't you think i'd better go
• 57:38
  Speaker 3: up and see him, asked the old clerk solicitously. I
• 57:41
  Speaker 3: might be able to suggest something. No, sir, he said,
• 57:44
  Speaker 3: quite positive he would not see anybody. James looked at
• 57:47
  Speaker 3: the clerk full in the face. I was afraid something
• 57:49
  Speaker 3: might have happened down in the air. Mister Clark's face
• 57:52
  Speaker 3: lit up with a kindly light. No, indeed, it's nothing
• 57:55
  Speaker 3: like that, James. We never had so good a year.
• 57:57
  Speaker 3: You can make your mind easy about that. Thanks, thank you, sir,
• 58:00
  Speaker 3: said the servant. We'll have the doctor drop in to
• 58:02
  Speaker 3: see him, and I hope he'll be all right in
• 58:04
  Speaker 3: the morning. Snowy night, sir, I hope, so, said mister Clark,
• 58:07
  Speaker 3: not intending to convey his views as to the weather.
• 58:10
  Speaker 3: You'll let me know if I am wanted, if I
• 58:12
  Speaker 3: can do anything, I will come around first thing in
• 58:14
  Speaker 3: the morning to see how he is. I hope he'll
• 58:16
  Speaker 3: be all right. Good Night, A merry Christmas to you.
• 58:19
  Speaker 3: Good night, sir, Thank you, sir. The same to you, sir.
• 58:21
  Speaker 3: I'm going to wait up to see how he is.
• 58:23
  Speaker 3: Good night, sir, and James shut the door softly behind
• 58:26
  Speaker 3: the visitor. Feeling a sense of comfort not wholly accounted
• 58:29
  Speaker 3: for by the information as to the successful year, mister
• 58:32
  Speaker 3: Clark somehow always reassured him the butler could understand the
• 58:36
  Speaker 3: springs that moved that kindly spirit. What mister Clark thought
• 58:39
  Speaker 3: as he tramped back through the snow need not be
• 58:41
  Speaker 3: fully detailed, but at least one thing was certain. He
• 58:44
  Speaker 3: never thought of himself. If he recalled that a mortgage
• 58:47
  Speaker 3: would be due on his house just one week from
• 58:49
  Speaker 3: that day, and that the doctor's bills had been unusually
• 58:52
  Speaker 3: heavy that year. It was not on his own account
• 58:54
  Speaker 3: that he was anxious. Indeed, he never considered himself. There
• 58:57
  Speaker 3: were too many others to think of. One thought was
• 59:00
  Speaker 3: that he was glad his friend had such a good
• 59:01
  Speaker 3: servant as James to look after him. Another was pity
• 59:04
  Speaker 3: that Livingstone had never known the joy that was awaiting
• 59:06
  Speaker 3: himself when at the end of that mile of snow
• 59:08
  Speaker 3: he should peep into the little cozy back room, for
• 59:11
  Speaker 3: the front room was mysteriously closed this evening, where a
• 59:14
  Speaker 3: sweet faced, frail looking woman would be lying on a
• 59:16
  Speaker 3: lounge with a half dozen little curly heads bobbing about her.
• 59:20
  Speaker 3: He knew what a scream of delight would greet him.
• 59:22
  Speaker 3: As he poked his head in and out in the
• 59:24
  Speaker 3: darkness and cold. John Clarke smiled and smacked his lips
• 59:27
  Speaker 3: as he thought of the kisses and squeezes and renewed
• 59:29
  Speaker 3: kisses that would be his lot, as he told how
• 59:32
  Speaker 3: he would be with them all the evening. Yes, he
• 59:34
  Speaker 3: was undoubtedly sorry for Livingstone, a poor, lonely man in
• 59:37
  Speaker 3: that great house, and he determined that he would not
• 59:40
  Speaker 3: say much about his being ill. Women did not always
• 59:42
  Speaker 3: exactly understand some men, And when he left home, Missus
• 59:45
  Speaker 3: Clarke had expressed some very strong views as to Livingstone,
• 59:48
  Speaker 3: which had pained Clark. She had even spoken of him
• 59:50
  Speaker 3: as selfish and miserly. He would just say now that Livingstone,
• 59:54
  Speaker 3: on his arrival, had sent him straight back home. No,
• 59:57
  Speaker 3: mister Clark never thought of himself, and this made him
• 59:59
  Speaker 3: richer than mister Livingstone. When mister Clark reached home, his
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 3: expectation was more than realized. From the way in which
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 3: he noiselessly opened the front door and then stole along
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 3: the little passage to the back room, from which the
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 3: sound of many voices was coming, as though it were
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 3: a mimic babel. You might have thought he was a thief.
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 3: And when he opened the door softly and with dancing eyes,
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 3: poked his head into the room, you might have thought
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 3: he was Santa Claus himself. There was one second of
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 3: dead silence, as a half dozen pair of eyes stretched wide,
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 3: and a half dozen mouths opened with a gasp, and
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 3: then with a shout which would have put to the
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 3: blush a tribe of wild Indians. A half dozen young
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 3: bodies flung themselves upon him with screams and shrieks of delight.
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 3: John Clark's neck must have been of iron to withstand
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 3: such hugs and tugs, as it was given the next instant,
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 3: he was drawn bodily into the room and pushed down
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 3: forcibly into a chair, whilst the whole half dozen piled
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 3: upon him with demands to be told how he had
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 3: managed to get off and come back. No one but
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 3: Clark could have understood them or answered them. But somehow,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 3: as his arms seemed able to gather in the whole
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 3: lot of struggling, squeezing, wriggling, shoving bodies, so his ears
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 3: seemed to catch all the questions, and his mind to
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 3: answer each in turn and all together. How did I
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 3: come ran every step of the way, Why did I
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 3: come back? Well, that's a question for a man with
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 3: eight children who will sit up and keep Santa Claus
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 3: out of the house unless their father comes home and
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 3: puts them to bed and holds their eyelids down to
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 3: keep them from peeping and scaring Santa Claus away. What
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 3: did mister Livingstone say, Well, what do you suppose a
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 3: man would say, Christmas Eve to another man who has
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 3: eight wide awake children, who will sit up in front
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 3: of the biggest fireplace in the house until midnight Christmas Eve,
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 3: so that Santa Claus can't come down the only chimney
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 3: big enough to hold his presence. He would say, John Clark,
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 3: I have no children of my own, but you have eight,
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 3: And if you don't go home this minute, and see
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 3: that those children are in bed and fast asleep and snoring, yes, snoring,
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 3: mind by ten o'clock I'll never, and Santa Claus will never.
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 3: Did I see anything of Santa Claus? Well, if I
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 3: were to tell you what I saw this night, why
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 3: you'd never believe me. There's a sleigh so big coming
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 3: in a little while to this town and this street
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 3: and this house that it holds present enough for when
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 3: will it be here?
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: Well?
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 3: From the sleigh bells that I heard, I should say,
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 3: my goodness, gracious, if it isn't almost ten o'clock, and
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 3: if that slave should get here whilst there's a single
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 3: eye open in this house, I don't know what Santa
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 3: Claus might do. And with the strength that one might
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 3: have thought quite astonishing, John Clark rose somehow from under
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 3: the mass of little heads, and with his arms still
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 3: around them, still talking, still cajoling, still entertaining, and still caressing,
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 3: he managed to bear the whole curly, chattering flock to
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 3: the door, where, with renewed kisses and squeezes in questions,
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 3: they were all finally induced to release their hold and run,
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 3: squeaking and frisking, off upstairs to bed. Then, as he
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 3: closed the door, Clark turned and looked at the only
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 3: other occupant of the room, a lady whose pale face
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 3: would have told her story even had she not remained
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 3: outstretched on the lounge during the preceding scene. If, however,
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 3: Missus Clark's face was pale, her eyes were brilliant, and
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 3: the look that she and her husband exchange told that
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 3: even invalidism and narrow means have alleviations. So full was
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 3: the glance they gave of confidence and joy. Yet as
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 3: absolute as was their confidence, mister Clark did not now
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 3: tell his wife the truth. He gave her in a
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 3: few words the reason of his return. Mister Livingstone was
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 3: feeling unwell, he said. He had not remembered. It was
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 3: Christmas Eve, he added, and, turning quickly and opening the
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 3: door into the front room, he guilefully dived at once
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 3: into the matter of the Christmas tree, which was standing
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 3: there waiting to be dressed. Whether or not mister Clark
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 3: deceived Missus Clark might be a matter of question. Mister
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 3: Clark was not good at deception. Missus Clark was better
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 3: at it. But then tonight was a night of peace
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 3: and goodwill, and since her husband had returned. She was
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 3: willing to forgive even Livingstone end of chapter six, Chapter
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 3: seven of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 3: or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 3: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 3: by Christine Blashford. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 3: chapter seven. Livingstone at this moment was not feeling as
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 3: wealthy as the row of figures in clean cut lines
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 3: that were now beginning to be almost constantly before his
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 3: eyes might have seemed to warrant. He was sitting sunk
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 3: deep in his cushioned arm chair. The tweaks in his
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 3: forehead that had annoyed him earlier in the evening had
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 3: changed to twinges, and the twinges had now given place
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 3: to a dull, steady ache. And every thought of his
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 3: wealth brought that picture of seven staring figures before his eyes,
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 3: Whilst in place of the glow which they had brought
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 3: at first, he now, at every recollection of them, had
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 3: a cold thrill of apprehension lest they might appear. James's inquiry,
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 3: shall you be dining at home tomorrow? Had recurred to him,
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 3: and now disturbed him. It was a simple question, nothing
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 3: remarkable in it. It now came to him that tomorrow
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 3: was Christmas Day, and he had forgotten it. This was remarkable.
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 3: He had never forgotten it before, But this year he
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 3: had been working so hard and had been so engrossed
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 3: he had not thought of it. Even this reflection brought
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 3: the spectral figures back, sharply outlined before his eyes. They
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 3: stayed longer. Now he must think of something else. He
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 3: thought of Christmas. This was the first Christmas he had
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 3: ever been at home himself, a Christmas dinner alone. Who
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 3: had ever heard of such a thing. He must go
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 3: out to dinner, of course. He glanced over at his table,
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 3: where James always put his mail. Everything was in perfect order.
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 3: The book he had read the night before, the evening paper,
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 3: and the last financial quotation were all there, But not
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 3: a letter. James must have forgot them. He turned to
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 3: rise and ring the bell, and glanced across the room
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 3: towards it. What a dark room it was, What miserable gas.
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 3: He turned up the light at his hand. It did
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 3: not help perceptibly. He sank back. What selfish dogs people were?
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 3: He reflected. Of all the hosts of people he knew,
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 3: people who had entertained him and whom he had entertained,
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 3: not one had thought to invite him to the Christmas
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 3: dinner a dozen families at whose houses he had often
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 3: been entertained. Flashed across his mind. Why years ago he
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 3: used to have a half dozen invitations to Christmas dinner
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 3: and now he had not one. Even Missus Wright, to
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 3: whom he had just sent a contribution for hello that
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 3: lantern slide again, It would not do to think of figures.
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 3: Even she had not thought of him. There must be
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 3: some reason, he pondered. Yes, Christmas dinners were always family reunions.
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 3: That was the reason he was left out and forgotten, Yes, forgotten.
• 1:06:06
  Speaker 3: A list of the people whom he knew would have
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 3: such reunions came to him. Almost every one of his
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 3: acquaintances had a family. Even Clark had a family and
• 1:06:13
  Speaker 3: would have Christmas dinner. At the thought, a pang almost
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 3: of envy of Clark smote him. Suddenly his own house
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 3: seemed to grow vast and empty and lonely. He felt
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 3: perfectly desolate, abandoned alone. Ill he glanced around at his pictures.
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 3: They were cold, staring, stony dead. The reflection of the
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 3: cross lights made them look ghastly. As he gazed at them,
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 3: the figures they had cast shut before his eyes. My god,
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 3: he could not stand this. He sprang to his feet.
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 3: Even the pain of getting up was a relief. He
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 3: stared around him. Dead, silence, and stony faces were all
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 3: about him. The capacious room seemed a vast empty cavern,
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 3: and as he stood he saw stretching before him his
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 3: whole future life spent in this house as lonely, silent
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 3: and desolate as this. It was unbearable. He walked through
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 3: to his drawing room. The fun was sheeted, the room
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 3: colder and lonelier a thousandfold than the other. On into
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 3: the dining room. The bare table in the dim light
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 3: looked like ice. The sideboard, with its silver and glass
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 3: bow sheets of ice.
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 4: Pshah.
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 3: He turned up the lights. He would take a drink
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 3: of brandy and go to bed. He took a decanter,
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 3: poured out a drink, and drained it off. His hand trembled,
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 3: but the stimulant helped him a little. It enabled him
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 3: to collect his ideas and think, but his thoughts still ran.
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 3: On Christmas and his loneliness. Why should not he give
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 3: a Christmas dinner and invite his friends, Yes, that was
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 3: what he would do. Whom should he ask? His mind
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 3: began to run over the list. Everyone he knew had
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 3: his own house. And as to friends, why he didn't
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 3: have any friends? He had only acquaintances. He stopped, suddenly
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 3: appalled by the fact he had not a friend in
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 3: the world.
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 4: Why was it?
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 3: In answer to the thought, the seven figures flashed into sight.
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 3: He put his hand to his eyes to shut them out.
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 3: He knew now why he had been too busy to
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 3: make friends. He had given his youth and his middle
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 3: manhood to accumulate those seven figures again, and he had
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 3: given up his friendships. He was now almost aged. He
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 3: walked into his drawing room and turned up the light,
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 3: all the lights to look at himself in a big mirror.
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 3: He did look at himself, and he was confounded. He
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 3: was not only no longer young, he was prepared for this,
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 3: but he was old. He would not have dreamed he
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 3: could be so old. He was gray and wrinkled. As
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 3: he faced himself. His blood seemed suddenly to chill. He
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 3: was conscious of a sensible ebb as if the tide
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 3: about his heart had suddenly sunk lower. Perhaps it was
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 3: the cooling of the atmosphere as the fire in his
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 3: library died out, Or was it his blood. He went
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 3: back into his library, not ten minutes, but ten years
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 3: older than when he left. He sank into his chair
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 3: and insensibly began to scan his life. He had just
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 3: seen himself as he was. He now saw himself as
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 3: he had been long ago, and saw how he had
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 3: become what he was. The whole past lay before him
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 3: like a slanting pathway. He followed it back to where
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 3: it began, in an old home far off in the country.
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 3: He was a very little boy. All about was the
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 3: bustle and stir of preparation for Christmas. Cheer was in
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 3: every face, for it was in every heart. Boxes were
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 3: coming from the city by every conveyance. The storeroom and
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 3: closets were centers of unspeakable interest, shrouded in delightful mystery.
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 3: The kitchen was lighted by the roaring fire and steaming
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 3: from the numberless good things preparing for the next day's feast.
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 3: Friends were arriving from the distant railway and were greeted
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 3: with universal delight. The very rigor of the weather was
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 3: deemed a part of the Christmas joy, for it was
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 3: known that Santa Claus, with his jingling sleigh, came the
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 3: better through the deeper snow. Everything gave the little boy joy,
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 3: particularly going with his father and mother to bear good
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 3: things to poor people who lived in smaller houses. They
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 3: were always giving, but Christmas was the season for a
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 3: more general and generous distribution. He recalled across forty years,
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 3: his father and mother putting the presents into his hands
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 3: to bestow, and his father's words, my boy learned the
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 3: pleasure of giving The rest was all blaze and light
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 3: and glow, and his father and mother moving about like
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 3: shining spirits amid it all. Then he was a schoolboy,
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 3: measuring the lagging time by the coming Christmas, counting the weeks,
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 3: the day, the hours in an ecstasy of impatience, until
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 3: he should be free from the drudgery of books and
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 3: the slavery of classes, and should be able to start
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 3: for home with the friends who had leave to go
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 3: with him. How slowly the time crept by, and how
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 3: he told the other boys of the joys that would
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 3: await them, And when it had really gone, and they
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 3: were free. How delicious it used to be. As the
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 3: scene appeared before him, Livingstone could almost feel again the
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 3: thrill that set him quivering with delight, the boundless joy
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 3: that filled his veins as with an elixir. The arrival
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 3: at the station drifted before him, and the pride of
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 3: his introduction of the servants, whose faces shone with pleasure.
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 3: The drive home through the snow, which used somehow to
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 3: be warming, not chilling in those days, And then through
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 3: the growing dusk, the first sight of the home light
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 3: set he knew by the mother in her window as
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 3: a beacon shining from the home and mother's heart. Then
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 3: the last toilsome climb up the home hill, and the
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 3: outpouring of welcome amid cheers and shouts and laughter. Oh,
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 3: the joy of that time, and through all the festivity
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 3: was felt like a sort of pervading warmth. The fact
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 3: that that day Christ came into the world and brought
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 3: peace and goodwill and cheer to everyone. The boy Livingstone
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 3: saw was now installed regularly as the bearer of Christmas
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 3: presents and good things to the poor. And the pleasure
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 3: he took then in his office flashed across Livingstone's mind
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 3: like a sudden light. It lit up the faces of
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 3: many whom Livingstone had not thought of for years. They
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 3: were all beaming on him now with a kindliness to
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 3: which he had long been a stranger, that kindliness which
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 3: belongs only to our memory of our youth. Was it
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 3: possible that he could ever have had so many friends?
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 3: The man in the chair put his hand to his
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 3: eyes to try and hold the beautiful vision, but it
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 3: faded away, shut out from view by another end of
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 3: chapter seven.
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: Chapter eight of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: All libery vox recordings are in the public domain. For
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: more information or to volunteer, please visit libriyvox dot org.
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: Recording by Eddie Winter. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson,
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: page chapter eight. The vision that came next was of
• 1:12:11
  Speaker 1: a college student. The Christmas holidays were come again. They
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: were still as much of an event of the year
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: as when he was a schoolboy. Once More, he was
• 1:12:21
  Speaker 1: on his way home, accompanied by friends whom he had
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: brought to help him enjoy the holidays. His enjoyment doubled
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: by their enjoyment once more, as he touched the soil
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: of his own neighborhood from a companion, he became a
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: host once more with his friends. He reached his old
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: home and was received with that greeting which he never
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: met with elsewhere. He saw his father and mother standing
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: on the wide portico before the others, with outstretched arms,
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: affection and pride beaming in their faces. He witnessed their
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: cordial greeting of his friends. Our son's friend fans are
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: our friends, he heard them say. Henry Trelaine said afterwards, why, Livingstone,
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 1: you have told me of your home and your horses,
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: but never told me of your father and mother. Do
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 1: you know that they are the best in the world.
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: Somehow it had seemed to open his eyes, and the
• 1:13:17
  Speaker 1: manner in which his friends had hung on his father's
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 1: words had increased his own respect for him. One of
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: them had said, Livingstone, I like you, but I love
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: your father. The phrase he remembered had not altogether pleased him,
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: and yet it had not altogether displeased him either. But
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: Henry Trelaine was very near to him in those days.
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: Not only was he the soul of honor and high mindedness,
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: with a mind that reflected truth as an unruffled lake,
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: reflects the sky. But he was the brother of Catherine Treline,
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: who then stood to Livingstone for truth itself. It was
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: during a Christmas holiday visit to her brother that Livingstone
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: had first met Catherine Trelaine, as he now saw himself
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 1: meet her. He had come on her suddenly in a
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: long avenue. Her arms were full of holly boughs, her
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: face was rosy from a victorious tramp through the snow rosier.
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: At the hoped for unexpected chance meeting with her brother's guest,
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: a sprig of mistletoe was stuck daringly in her hood.
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: Guarded by her mischievous, laughing eyes. She looked like a
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: dryad fresh from the winter woods. For years after that,
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: Livingstone had never thought of Christmas without being conscious of
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: a certain radiance that visions shed upon the time the
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 1: next day in the holly dressed church, she seemed a
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: saint wrapped in divine adoration. Another shift of the scene,
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: another Christmas reverses had come. His father, through kindness and generosity,
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: had become involved beyond his means, and rather than enjoy
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 1: the least shadow of reproach, gave up everything he possessed
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: to save his name and shield a friend. Livingstone himself
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: had been called away from college. He remembered the sensation
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: of it all. He recalled the picture of his father
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: as he stood calm and unmoved amid the wreck of
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: his fortune, and faced unflinchingly the hard, dark future. It
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: was an inspiring picture, the picture of a gentleman, far
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: past the age when men can start afresh and achieve success,
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 1: despoiled by another and stripped of all he had in
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: the world, yet standing upright and tranquil, a just man
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: walking in his integrity, a brave man facing the world,
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: firm as an immovable rock, serene as an unblemished morning.
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: Livingstone had never taken him before, how fine it was.
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: He had at one time even fell to grieved by
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: his father's act. Now he was suddenly conscious of a
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: thrill of pride in him. If he were only living,
• 1:16:10
  Speaker 1: he himself was now worth. Suddenly that lantern slide shot
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: before his eyes and shut out the noble figure standing there.
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: Livingstone mind reverted to his own career. He was a
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: young man in business, living in a cupboard, his salary
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: a bare pittance, Yet he was rich. He had hope
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: and youth, family and friends, heavens, however she was then,
• 1:16:36
  Speaker 1: it made the man in the chair poor now to
• 1:16:39
  Speaker 1: feel however she had been then and had not known it.
• 1:16:43
  Speaker 1: He looked back at himself with a kind of envy
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: strange to him, which gave him a pain. He saw
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: himself again at Christmas. He was back at the little
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 1: home which his father had taken when he lost the
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: old place. He saw himself unpacking his old trunk, taken
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: out from it the little things he had brought as
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: presents with more pride than he had ever felt before,
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: for he had earned them himself. Each one represented sacrifice, thought, affection.
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: He could see again his father's face lit up with pride,
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: and his mother's radiant with delight in his achievement. His
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: mother was handing him her little presence, the gloves she
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 1: had knit for him herself with so much joy, the
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: shaving case she had herself embroidered, the cup and saucer
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: from the old tea service that had belonged to his
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: great grandfather and great grandmother, and which had been given
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: his mother and father when they were married. He glanced
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 1: up as she laid the delicate pieces of severa before him,
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: and caught her smile. That smile was there ever another
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 1: like it? It held in it everything. Suddenly Livingstone felt
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: something moving on his cheek. He put his hand up
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: to his face, and when he took it down, his
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: fingers were wet with his mother's face. Another face came
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: to him, ragant with the beauty of youth, Catherine Trelaine.
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 1: Since that meeting in the long Avenue had grown more
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: and more to him, until all other motives and aims
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: had been merged in one radiant hope. With his love,
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: he had grown timid. He scarcely dared look into her eyes.
• 1:18:31
  Speaker 1: Yet now he braved the world for her, bore for
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: her all the privations and hardships of life in its
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: first struggle. Indeed, for her, privation was no hardship. He
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: was poor in purse, but rich in hope. Love lit
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: up his life and touched the dull routine of his
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: work with the light of enchantment. If she made him
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: timid before her, she made him bold towards the rest
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: of the world. Twas for her that he had had
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 1: the courage to take that plunge into the boiling sea
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: of life in an unknown city. And it was for
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: her that he had had strength to keep above water
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: where so many had gone down. He had faced all
• 1:19:16
  Speaker 1: for her, and had conquered all for her. He recalled
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 1: the long struggle, the painful, patient waiting, the sterne self denial.
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: He had deliberately chosen between pleasure and success, between the
• 1:19:30
  Speaker 1: present and the future. He had denied himself to achieve
• 1:19:34
  Speaker 1: his fortune, and he had succeeded. At first it had
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: been for her. Then success had become dear to him,
• 1:19:43
  Speaker 1: for itself had ever grown larger and dearer as he advanced,
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: until now a thrill of pride ran through him, which
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: changed into a shiver as it brought those accursed, staring,
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: ghastly figures straight before his eyes. He had great trouble
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 1: to drive the figures away. It was only when he
• 1:20:03
  Speaker 1: thought fixedly of Katherine Trelaine as she used to be,
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: that they disappeared. She was a vision, then, to banish
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: all else. He had a picture of her somewhere among
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: his papers. He had not seen it for years, But
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: no picture could do her justice. As rich as was
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: her coloring, as beautiful as were her eyes, her mouth,
• 1:20:26
  Speaker 1: her riante face, her slim, willowy girlish figure, and fine carriage,
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: it was not these that came to him when he
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 1: thought of her. It was rather the spirit of which
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: these were, but the golden shell. It was the smile,
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: the music, the sunshine, the radiance which came to him
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: and warmed his blood and set his pulses throbbing. Across
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: all those years, he would get the picture and look
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: at it, But memory swept him on. He had got
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: in the tide of success, and the color one had
• 1:21:00
  Speaker 1: borne him away. First it had been the necessity to succeed,
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: Then ambition, then opportunity to do better and better, always
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: taking firmer hold of him and bearing him further and further,
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 1: until the pressure of business, change of ambition, and at
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: last of ideals swept him beyond sight of all he
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: had known or cared for. He could almost see the
• 1:21:24
  Speaker 1: process of the metamorphosis. Year after year he had waited
• 1:21:28
  Speaker 1: and worked, and Catherine Trelaine had waited. Then had come
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: a time when he did not wish her to wait longer.
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 1: His ideals had changed. Success had come to mean but
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: one thing for him gold. He no longer strove for
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: honors but for riches. He abandoned the thought of glory
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: and of power, of which he had once dreamed. Now
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 1: he wanted gold. Beauty would fade. Culture proved futile, but
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: gold was king, and all he saw bowed before it.
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: Why marry a poor girl when another had wealth? He
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 1: found a girl as handsome as Catherine Trelaine. It was
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: not a chapter in his history in which he took
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: much pride. Just when he thought he had succeeded, her
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: father had interposed, and she had yielded easily. She had
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: married a fool with ten times Livingstone's wealth. It was
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: a blow to Livingstone, but he had recovered, and after
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: that he had a new incentive in life. He would
• 1:22:34
  Speaker 1: be richer than her father or her husband. He had
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: become so, and had brought his house partly to testify
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: to the fact. Then he had gone back to Catherine Trelaine.
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: She had come unexpectedly into property. He had not dared
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: quite to face her, but had written to her asking
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: her to marry him. He had her replies somewhere. Now
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: It had cut deeper than she ever knew or no.
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 1: She wrote that the time had been when she might
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: have married him, even had he asked her by a letter,
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: But it was too late. Now the man she might
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: have loved was dead. He had gone to see her then,
• 1:23:14
  Speaker 1: but had found what she said was true. She was
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: more beautiful than when he had last seen her, so
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: beautiful that the charm of her maturity had almost eclipsed
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 1: in his mind the memory of her girlish loveliness. But
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 1: she was inexorable. He had not blamed her. He had
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: only cursed himself, and had plunged once more into the
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: boiling current of the struggle for wealth, and he had won.
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 1: Yes one With a shock, those figures slipped before his
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: eyes and would not go away. Even when he shut
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: his eyes and rubbed them. The ghastly line was there.
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 1: He turned and gazed down the long room. It was
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: as tea as a desert. He listened to see if
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: he could hear any sound, even hoping to hear some
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: sound from his servants. All was as silent as a tomb.
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: He rubbed his eyes with a groan that was almost
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: a curse. The figures were still there. He suddenly rose
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 1: to his feet and gave himself a shake. He determined
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: to go to his club. He would find company there,
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: perhaps not the best, but it would be better than
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 1: this awful loneliness and deadly silence. He went through the
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 1: hall softly, almost stealthily, put on his hat and coat,
• 1:24:38
  Speaker 1: let himself quietly out of the door, and stepped forth
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: into the night. It had stopped snowing, and the stars
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 1: looked down from a clearing sky. The moon, just above
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 1: the house tops, was sailing along a burnished track. The
• 1:24:53
  Speaker 1: vehicles went slowly by, with a muffled sound, broken only
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: by the creaking of the wheels in the frosty night.
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 1: From the cross streets sounded in the distance the jangle
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 1: of sleigh bells. End of chapter eight, Chapter nine of
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:25:25
  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: to volunteer, please visit libriyvox dot org. Recording by Eddie Winter,
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page chapter nine. Livingstone
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 1: plodded along through the snow, relieved to find that the
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: effort made him forget himself and banish those wretched figures.
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: He traversed the intervening streets, and before he was conscious
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: of it, was standing in the hall of the brilliantly
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 1: lighted club. The lights dazzled him and he was only
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: half sensible of the score of servants that surrounded him.
• 1:26:08
  Speaker 1: With vague half profits of ayed in removing his overcoat.
• 1:26:14
  Speaker 1: Without taking off his coat, Livingstone walked on into the
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: large assembly room to see who might be there. It
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 1: was as empty as a church. The lights were all
• 1:26:25
  Speaker 1: turned on full, and the fires burned brightly in the
• 1:26:29
  Speaker 1: big hearths, but there was not a soul in the room,
• 1:26:33
  Speaker 1: usually so crowded at this hour, Livingstone turned and crossed
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 1: the marble paved hall to another spacious suite of rooms.
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: Not a soul was there. The rooms were swept and garnished,
• 1:26:47
  Speaker 1: the silence and loneliness seeming only intensified by the brilliant
• 1:26:51
  Speaker 1: light and empty magnificence. Livingstone felt like a man in
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: a dream from which he could not awake. He turned
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: and made his way back to the outer door. As
• 1:27:03
  Speaker 1: he did so, he caught sight of a single figure
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: at the far end of one of the big rooms.
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: It looked like right, the husband of Missus Wright, to
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: whom Livingstone had sent his charity subscription a few hours before.
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: He had on his overcoat and must have just come in.
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 1: He was standing by the great fireplace, rubbing his hands
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: with satisfaction. As Livingstone turned away, he thought he heard
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 1: his name called, but he dashed out into the night.
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 1: He could not stand right.
• 1:27:35
  Speaker 5: Just then.
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: He plunged back through the snow and once more let
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: himself in At his own door. It was lonelier within
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 1: than before. The hall was ghastly. The big rooms, bigger
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 1: than they had ever seemed, were like a desert. It
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: was intolerable. He would go to bed. He slowly climbed
• 1:27:57
  Speaker 1: the stairs. The great clock on the landing stared at
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: him as he passed, and in deep tones told the
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: hour of ten. It was impossible. Livingstone knew it must
• 1:28:09
  Speaker 1: have been hours since he left his office. To him,
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 1: it seemed months years, but his own watch marked the
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: same hour. As he entered his bedroom, two pictures hanging
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 1: on the wall caught his eye. There were portraits of
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: a gentleman and a lady. Anyone would have known at
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 1: a glance that they were Livingstone's father and mother. They
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 1: had hung there since Livingstone built his house, but he
• 1:28:34
  Speaker 1: had not thought of them in years. Perhaps that was
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: why they were still there. There were early works of
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: one who had since become a master. Livingstone remembered the
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 1: day his father had given the order to the young artist.
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: Why do you do that, someone had asked, He perhaps
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 1: has parts, but he is a young man and wholly unknown.
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: That is a reason I'd do it, had said his father.
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 1: Those who unknown need no assistance, help young men, for
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: thereby some have helped angel's unawares. It had come true,
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: the unknown artist had become famous, and these early portraits
• 1:29:17
  Speaker 1: were now worth no, not those figures which suddenly gleamed
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 1: before Livingstone's eyes. Livingstone remembered the letter that the artist
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: had written his father, tendering he made when he learned
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 1: of his father's reverses. He had said he owed his
• 1:29:34
  Speaker 1: life to him, and his father's reply that he needed
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: no aid, and it was sufficient recompense to know that
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: one he had helped, remembered a friend. Livingstone walked up
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: and scanned the portrait nearest him. He had not really
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 1: looked at it in years. He had had no idea
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 1: how fine it was, how well it portrayed him. There
• 1:29:57
  Speaker 1: was the same calm forehead no in its breadth, the
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 1: same deep, serene blue eyes the artist had caught, their
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: kindly expression, the same gentle mouth with its pleasant humor
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 1: lurking at the corners the artist had almost put upon
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: the canvas the mobile play of the lips, the same
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: finely cut chin, with its well marked cleft. It was
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: the very man. Livingstone had had no idea how handsome
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 1: a man his father was. He remembered Henry Trelaine saying
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: he wished he were an artist to paint his father,
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 1: but that only Van Dyke could have made him as
• 1:30:36
  Speaker 1: distinguished as he was. He turned to the portrait of
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: his mother. It was a beautiful face, and the gracious.
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: He remembered that everyone except his father had said it
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: was a fine portrait, but his father had said it
• 1:30:52
  Speaker 1: was only a fine picture. No portraits of her could
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 1: be fine. Mooved by the recollection, Livingstone opened a drawer
• 1:31:03
  Speaker 1: and took from a box the de geratype of a boy.
• 1:31:07
  Speaker 1: He held it in his hand and looked first at
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: it and then at the portraits on the wall. Yes,
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: it was distinctly like both, he remembered. It used to
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: be said that he was like his father, but his
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: father had always said he was like his mother. He
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: could now see the resemblance. There were, even in the
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 1: round unformed boyish face, the same wide open eyes, the
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 1: same expression of the mouth, as though a smile were
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: close at hand, the same smooth, placid brow. His chin
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 1: was a little bolder than his father's. Livingstone was pleased
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 1: to note it. He determined to have his portrait painted
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: by the best painter he could find. He would not
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 1: consider the cost, why should he, he was worth at
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 1: the thought, the seven gleaming figures flashed out clear between
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: his eyes, eyes, and the portrait in his hand, Livingstone
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: turned suddenly and faced himself in the full length mirror
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: at his side. The light caught him exactly, and he
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 1: stood and looked at himself full in the face. What
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 1: he saw horrified him. He felt his heart sink, and
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: saw the pallor settle deeper over his face. His hair
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: was almost white, he was wrinkled. His eyes were small
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: and sharp and cold. His mouth was drawn and hard,
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: His cheeks were seamed and set like flint. He was
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 1: a hard, one, ugly old man. And as he gazed
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: unexpectedly in the mirror before his eyes flashed those cursed
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 1: figures with almost a cry, Livingstone toned and looked at
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: the portraits on the wall. He half feared the sharp
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: figures would appear branded across those faces. But no, thank God,
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 1: the figures disappeared. The two faces beamed down on him,
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 1: sweet and serene and comforting as heaven. Under an impulse
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: of relief, Livingstone flung himself face downward on the bed
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: and slipped to his knees. The position and the association
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 1: it brought fetched to his lips words which he used
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 1: to utter in that presence long years ago. It had
• 1:33:26
  Speaker 1: been long since Livingstone had prayed. He attended church, but
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: if he had any heart, it had not been there.
• 1:33:35
  Speaker 1: Now his prayer came instinctively. It was simple and childish enough,
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 1: the words that he had been taught at his mother's knee.
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: He hardly knew he had said them. Yet they soothed
• 1:33:47
  Speaker 1: him and gave him comfort. And from some far off
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: time came the saying, except ye become as little children,
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 1: ye shall not enter. And he went on repeating the words.
• 1:34:01
  Speaker 1: Another verse drifted into his mind, and he took a
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: child and set him in the midst of them, and said,
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 1: whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: is greatest. And whoso shall receive one such little child
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: in my name, receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: of these little ones which believe in me. It were
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: better for him that a millstone were hanging about his neck,
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: The events of the evening rose up before Livingstone. The
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: little girl in her red jacket, with her tear stained face,
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: darting a look of hate at him. The rosy cheeked
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: boys shouting with glee on the hill side, stopped in
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: the midst of their fun, and changing suddenly to yield
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 1: their cries of hate at him. The shivering beggar asking
• 1:34:53
  Speaker 1: for work four but five cents, which he had withheld
• 1:34:57
  Speaker 1: from him. Livingstones shuddered. Had he done these things? Could
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: it be possible? Into his memory came from somewhere afar off.
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: There flashed through his mind the thought might he not
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 1: retrieve himself? Was it too late? Could he not do
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: something for someone, perhaps for some little ones. It was
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: like a flash of light, and Livingstone was conscious of
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: a thrill of joy at the idea, But it faded out,
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: leaving him in blanker darkness than before. He did not
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: know a single child. He knew in a vague, impersonal way,
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: a number of children whom he had had a momentary
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: glimpse of occasionally at the fashionable houses which he visited.
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 1: But he knew them only as he would have known
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 1: handsomely dressed dolls in show windows. He had never thought
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: of them as children, but only as a part of
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: the personal belongings of his acquaintances, much as he thought
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: of their brick a brack or their poodles. They were
• 1:36:06
  Speaker 1: not like the children he had once known. He had
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: never seen them romp and play, or heard them laugh
• 1:36:13
  Speaker 1: or shout. He was sunk in deep darkness. In his gloom,
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 1: he glanced up. His father's serene face was beaming down
• 1:36:23
  Speaker 1: on him. A speech he had heard his father make
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 1: long long ago came back to him, Always be kind
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: to children. Grown people may forget kindness, but children will
• 1:36:35
  Speaker 1: remember it. They forgive, but never forget either a kindness
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: or an injury. Another speech of his father's came floating
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: to Livingstone across the years. If you have made an
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 1: enemy of a child, make him your friend. If it
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: takes a year. A child's enemity is never incurred except
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 1: by injustice. Or meanness. Livingstone could not but think of
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 1: Clark's little girl. Might she not help him? She would
• 1:37:05
  Speaker 1: no children, But would she help him if she were
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: like Clark, he reasoned, she would be kind hearted. Besides,
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: he remembered to have heard his father say that children
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: did not bear malice. That was a growth of older minds.
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 1: It was strange for Livingstone to find himself recurring to
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: his father for knowledge of human nature, his father, whom
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: he had always considered the most ignorant of men as
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: to knowledge of the world. He sprang to his feet
• 1:37:35
  Speaker 1: and looked at his watch. Perhaps it was not yet
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: too late to see the little girl to night if
• 1:37:40
  Speaker 1: he hurried. Clark lived not very far off in a
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 1: little side street, and they would sit up late Christmas Eve.
• 1:37:48
  Speaker 1: As he turned to the mirror, it was with trepidation
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: his last glance at it had been so dreadful, But
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: he was relieved to find a pleasanter expression on his face.
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: He almost saw a slight resemblance to his father. The
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: next moment, he hurried from the room, stole down the stair,
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 1: slipped on his overcoat, and hastily let himself out of
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 1: the door. End of Chapter nine chapter ten of Santa
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 1: Claus's Partner. This is a libriuvox recording. All libriuvox recordings
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: please visit liberyvox dot org. Recording by Eddy Winter, Santa
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page chapter ten. It was
• 1:38:47
  Speaker 1: quite clear out now, and the moon was riding high
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 1: in a cloudless heaven. The jingle of sleigh bells had increased,
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: and just as Livingstone turned the corner, a sleigh dashed
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: past him. He heard the merry voices of young people,
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 1: and amid the voices, the ringing laughter of a young girl,
• 1:39:07
  Speaker 1: clear as a silver bell. Livingstone stopped short in his
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: tracks and listened. He had not heard anything so musical
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 1: in years. He had not heard a young girl's laughter
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: in years. He had not had time to think of
• 1:39:22
  Speaker 1: such things. It brought back across the snow covered fields,
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 1: across the snow covered years, a Christmas of long ago,
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: when he had heard a young girl's musical laughter like
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 1: a silvery chime, And standing there in the snow covered
• 1:39:38
  Speaker 1: street for one moment, Livingstone was young again, no longer
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: a gray haired man in the city but a young
• 1:39:46
  Speaker 1: man in the country, somewhere under great arching boughs, face
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 1: to face with one who was also young, and looking
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 1: out from a hood that surrounded it like a halo.
• 1:39:57
  Speaker 1: A girlish face flashed on him, cheeks like roses, brilliant
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 1: with the frosty air, roguish eyes now dancing, now melting,
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: a laughing mouth, from which came such rippling music as
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 1: there was no similar for it in all the realm
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: of silvery sound, the enchanting music of the joy of youth.
• 1:40:19
  Speaker 1: With a cry, Livingstone sprang forward with outstretched eager hands
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 1: to catch the vision, but his arms enclosed only vacancy,
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 1: and he stood alone in the empty street. A large
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: sleigh came by, and Livingstone howled it. It was a
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 1: livery vehicle, and the driver, having just put down at
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: their homes a party of pleasure seekers, was on his
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: way back to his stable. He agreed with Livingstone to
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 1: take him to his destination and wait for him, and Livingstone,
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 1: giving him a number, sprang in and ordered him to
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: drive rapidly. The sleighs stopped in front of a little
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: house in a narrow street filled with little houses, and Livingstone,
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: getting out, mounted the small flight of steps inside. Pandemonium
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 1: seemed to have broken loose somewhere upstairs. Such running and
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 1: shouting and shrieks of joyous laughter Livingstone heard. Then, as
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 1: he could not find the bell, Livingstone knocked at the sound.
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: The noise suddenly ceased, but the next moment it burst
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: forth again, louder than before. This time, the shouts came
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 1: rolling down the stairs and towards the door, with a
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 1: scamper of little feet and shrieks of childish delight. They
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 1: were interrupted and restrained by a quiet, kindly voice, which
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 1: Livingstone recognized as Clark's. The father was trying to keep
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 1: the children back. It might be Santa Claus himself, Livingstone
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: heard emerge, And if they did not go back to
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: bed immediately or into the back room, or even if
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 1: they peeped, Santa Claus might jump into his sleigh and
• 1:42:00
  Speaker 1: drive away and leave nobody at the door but a
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: grocer's boy with a parcel. This direful threat had its effect.
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 1: The gleeful squills were hushed down into subdued and half
• 1:42:12
  Speaker 1: awed murmurs, and after a little a single footstep came
• 1:42:16
  Speaker 1: along the passage, and the front door was opened cautiously
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 1: at sight of Livingstone, Clark started, and by the light
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 1: of the lamp, the caller could see his face pale
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: a little. He asked Livingstone in with a voice that
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: almost faltered, leaving Livingstone in the little passage for a moment.
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: Clark entered the first room, the front room, and Livingstone
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 1: could hear him sending the occupants into a rear room.
• 1:42:44
  Speaker 1: He heard the communicating door close softly. Every sound was
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 1: suddenly hushed. It was like the sudden hush of birds
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 1: when a hawk appears. Livingstone thought of it, and a
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 1: pang shot through him. Then the door was opened and
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 1: clerks somewhat stiffly invited Livingstone in. The room was a
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: small front parlor. The furniture was old and worn, but
• 1:43:09
  Speaker 1: it was not mean. A few old pieces gave the
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 1: room small, as it was almost an air of distinction.
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 1: Several old prints hung on the walls, a couple of
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 1: portraits in pink crayon, such as Saint Memin used to paint,
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 1: and a few photographs in frames, most of them of children,
• 1:43:29
  Speaker 1: but among them one of Livingstone himself. All this Livingstone
• 1:43:35
  Speaker 1: took in as he entered the room was in a
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 1: state of confusion and a lounge on one side, with
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 1: its pillows still bearing the imprint of an occupant, showed
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: that the house held an invalid. In one corner, a
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 1: Christmas tree, half dressed, explained the litter. It was not
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 1: a very large tree. Certainly it was not very richly dressed.
• 1:43:56
  Speaker 1: The things that hung on it were very simple. Many
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 1: of them evidently were of home manufacture, not so ribbon
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: little garments, second hand books, even homemade toys. A small
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 1: pile of similar articles lay on the floor, where they
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 1: had been placed ready for service, and had been left
• 1:44:16
  Speaker 1: by the tree dressers on their hasty departure. Clerk's eye
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: followed instinctively that of the visitor. My wife has been
• 1:44:25
  Speaker 1: dressing a tree for the children, he said simply. He
• 1:44:28
  Speaker 1: faced Livingstone and offered him a chair. He stiffened as
• 1:44:32
  Speaker 1: he did so. He was evidently prepared for the worst.
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: Livingstone sat down. It was an awkward moment. Livingstone broke
• 1:44:42
  Speaker 1: the ice. Mister Clark. I've come to ask you a favor,
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 1: a great favor. Clark's eyes opened wide, and his lips
• 1:44:52
  Speaker 1: even parted slightly in his astonishment. I want you to
• 1:44:56
  Speaker 1: lend me your little girl, the little girl I saw
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: the office this afternoon. Clark's expression was so puzzled that
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 1: Livingstone thought he had not understood him. The princess with
• 1:45:09
  Speaker 1: the golden locks. He explained, mister Livingstone, I don't understand.
• 1:45:16
  Speaker 1: He looked dazed. Livingstone broke out suddenly, Clark, I have
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: been a brute, A closed brute. Oh, mister li with
• 1:45:26
  Speaker 1: a gestureus sharp descent, Livingstone cut him. Should it is
• 1:45:30
  Speaker 1: no use to deny it, Clark, I have. I have.
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 1: I've been a brute for years, and I've just awakened
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 1: to the fact. He spoke in bitter, impatient accusation. I've
• 1:45:42
  Speaker 1: been a brute for years, and I've just realized it.
• 1:45:47
  Speaker 1: The face of the other had softened. Oh no, mister Livingstone,
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 1: not that you've always been just and just, he protested, kindly,
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 1: You've always been a brute, insisted Livingstone, blind cursed, selfish, thoughtless.
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 1: You are not well, mister Livingstone, urged Clark, looking greatly disturbed.
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: Your servant, James, said you were not well this evening
• 1:46:10
  Speaker 1: when I called. I wanted to go in to see you,
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: but you would not permit me. He said that you
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 1: had given positive orders that you would not see I
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 1: was not well, assented Livingstone. I was suffering from blindness.
• 1:46:23
  Speaker 1: But I am better, Clark better. I can see now
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: a little. He controlled himself and spoke quietly. Want you
• 1:46:31
  Speaker 1: to lend me your little girl for he broke off suddenly.
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: How many children have you, Clark, he asked gently, eight,
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: said the old clerk. But I haven't one. I could spare,
• 1:46:43
  Speaker 1: mister Livingstone, only for a little while, Clark urged the other.
• 1:46:48
  Speaker 1: Only for a little while. Wait and let me tell
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 1: you what I want with her and why I want her,
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: and you will for a little while, he pleaded. He
• 1:46:58
  Speaker 1: started and told his story. When Clark sat and listened,
• 1:47:02
  Speaker 1: at first with a set face, then with a wondering face,
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: and then with a face deeply moved as Livingstone, under
• 1:47:10
  Speaker 1: his warming sympathy, opened his heart to him as a
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 1: dying man might to his last confessor. And now will
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: you lend her to me, Clark, Just for a little while,
• 1:47:21
  Speaker 1: tonight and tomorrow, he pleaded. In conclusion, Clark rose to
• 1:47:26
  Speaker 1: his feet. I will see what I can do with her,
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 1: mister Livingstone, he said, gravely. She is not very friendly
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 1: to you. I am sorry to say. I don't know why,
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: Livingstone thought he knew, of course, you would not want
• 1:47:40
  Speaker 1: me to compel her to go with you. Of course not,
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: said Livingstone. End of chapter ten.
• 1:47:54
  Speaker 5: Chapter eleven of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 5: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:48:04
  Speaker 5: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 1:48:10
  Speaker 5: by Diandan, Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page chapter eleven.
• 1:48:20
  Speaker 5: The father went out by the door that opened into
• 1:48:23
  Speaker 5: the passage, and the next moment Livingstone could hear him
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 5: in deep conference in the adjoining room, at first with
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 5: his wife and then with the little girl herself. The
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 5: door did not fit very closely, and the partition was thin,
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 5: so that Livingstone could not help hearing what was said,
• 1:48:41
  Speaker 5: and even when he could shed out the words, he
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 5: could not help knowing from the tones what was going on.
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 5: The mother was readily won over, but when the little
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 5: girl was consulted, she flatly refused. Her father undertook to
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 5: coax her, to Livingstone's surprise. The argument he used was
• 1:49:00
  Speaker 5: not that Livingstone was rich, but that he was so
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 5: poor and lonely, not well off and happy like him
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 5: with a house full of little children to love him
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 5: and make him happy and give him a merry Christmas.
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 5: The point of view was new to Livingstone, at least
• 1:49:17
  Speaker 5: it was recent, but he recognized its force and listened hopefully.
• 1:49:22
  Speaker 5: The child's reply dashed his hopes. But Papa, I hate him,
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 5: so I just hate him, she declared earnestly. I'm glad
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 5: he hasn't any little children to love him. When he
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 5: wouldn't let you come home to us this evening, I
• 1:49:39
  Speaker 5: just prayed so hard to God not to let him
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 5: have any home, and not to let him have any Christmas.
• 1:49:44
  Speaker 5: Not Ever, the eager little voice had risen in the
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 5: child's earnestness, and it pierced through the door and struck
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 5: Livingstone like an arrow. There came back to him that sentence,
• 1:49:56
  Speaker 5: whoso offendeth one of these little ones, it were better
• 1:49:59
  Speaker 5: for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck.
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 5: Livingstone fairly shivered, but he had able defenders, Oh Kitty,
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 5: exclaimed Both her father and mother, aghast at the child's bitterness.
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 5: They next tried the argument that Livingstone had been so
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 5: kind to the father. He had given him last year
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 5: fifty dollars besides his salary Livingstone was not surprised that
• 1:50:24
  Speaker 5: this argument did not prove as availing with the child,
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 5: as the parents appeared to expect fifty dollars. He hated
• 1:50:31
  Speaker 5: himself for it. He felt that he would give fifty
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 5: thousand to drop that millstone from his neck. They next
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 5: tried the argument that Livingstone wanted to have a Christmas
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 5: tree for poor children and needed her help. He wanted
• 1:50:46
  Speaker 5: her to go with him to a toy shop. He
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 5: did not know what to get and wished her to
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 5: tell him. He had his sleigh to take her. This
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 5: seemed to strike one of the other members of the family,
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 5: for suddenly, a boy's your voice burst in. I'll go
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 5: with him. I'll go with him in a sleigh. I'll
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 5: go to the toy shop. Maybe he'll give me a sledge. Papa, Mamma,
• 1:51:08
  Speaker 5: please let me go. This offer, however, did not appear
• 1:51:12
  Speaker 5: to meet all the requisites of the occasion, and Master
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 5: Tom was speedily suppressed by his parents. Perhaps, however, his
• 1:51:20
  Speaker 5: offer had some effect on Kitty, for she finally assented
• 1:51:24
  Speaker 5: and said she would go, and Livingstone could hear the
• 1:51:27
  Speaker 5: parents getting her ready, He felt like a reprieved prisoner.
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 5: After a few moments mister Clark brought the little girl in,
• 1:51:38
  Speaker 5: cloaked and hooded and ready to go. When Livingstone faced
• 1:51:43
  Speaker 5: the two blue eyes that were fastened on him in
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 5: calm and by no means wholly approving inspection, he felt
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 5: like a deep dyed culprit. Had he known of this
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 5: ordeal in advance, he could not effaced it. But as
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 5: it was, he must now carry it. What he did
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 5: was perhaps the best that any one could have done.
• 1:52:06
  Speaker 5: After the cool little hand shake she vouchsafed him, Livingstone,
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 5: finding that he could not stand the scrutiny of those quiet,
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 5: unblenching eyes, threw himself on the child's mercy kitty. He
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 5: said earnestly, I did you this evening a great wrong,
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 5: and your father a great wrong, and I have come
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 5: here to ask you to forgive me. I have been
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 5: working so hard that I did not know it was Christmas,
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 5: and I interfered with your father's Christmas and with your Christmas,
• 1:52:38
  Speaker 5: for I had no little girls to tell me how
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 5: near Christmas was. And now I want to get up
• 1:52:44
  Speaker 5: a Christmas for some poor children, and I don't know
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 5: how to do it. So I have come to ask
• 1:52:49
  Speaker 5: you to help me I want you to play Santa
• 1:52:52
  Speaker 5: Claus for me, and we will find the toys, and
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 5: then we will find the children. I have a great
• 1:52:58
  Speaker 5: big sleigh, and we go off to a toy shop,
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 5: and presently I will bring you back home again. He
• 1:53:06
  Speaker 5: made his speech much longer than he had intended, because
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 5: he saw that the child's mind was working. The cumulative
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 5: weight of the sleigh ride. The opportunity to play a
• 1:53:17
  Speaker 5: part and to act as Santa Claus for other children
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 5: was telling on her. When he ended, Kitty reflected a
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 5: moment and then said quietly, all right. Her tone was
• 1:53:32
  Speaker 5: not very enthusiastic, but it was a scent, and Livingstone
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 5: felt as though he had just been redeemed. The next moment,
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 5: the child turned to the door, Livingstone rose and followed her.
• 1:53:46
  Speaker 5: He was amused at his feeling of helplessness and dependence.
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 5: She was suddenly the leader, and without her he felt lost.
• 1:53:55
  Speaker 5: She stepped into the sleigh and he followed her. Where
• 1:53:59
  Speaker 5: shall we go first? She asked? This was a poser
• 1:54:03
  Speaker 5: for Livingstone. All the shops of which he knew anything
• 1:54:07
  Speaker 5: were closed long ago. Why I think I will let
• 1:54:11
  Speaker 5: you select the place. He began, simply seeking for time
• 1:54:16
  Speaker 5: what do you want to get, she asked, calmly, gazing
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 5: up at him. Livingstone had never thought for a second
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 5: that there would be any difficulty about this. He was
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 5: hopelessly in the dark. Stocks, common or preferred, bonds and
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 5: debentures floated through his mind. Even horses or pictures he
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 5: would have had a clear opinion on, But in this
• 1:54:39
  Speaker 5: field he was lost. He had never known, or cared
• 1:54:43
  Speaker 5: to know what children liked. Suddenly a whole new realm
• 1:54:48
  Speaker 5: seemed to open before him, but it was shrouded in darkness,
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 5: and that little figure at his side, with large, sober,
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 5: searching eyes fixed calmly on him, was quietly demanding his
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 5: knowledge and waiting for his answer. He had passed hundreds
• 1:55:06
  Speaker 5: of windows crowded with Christmas presents that very evening, and
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 5: had never looked at one. He had passed as between
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 5: blank walls. What would he not have given now for
• 1:55:18
  Speaker 5: but the least memory of one glance. But the eyes
• 1:55:24
  Speaker 5: were waiting, and he must answer, why, Uh? You know?
• 1:55:28
  Speaker 1: Uh?
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 2: Toys.
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 5: It was an inspiration, and Livingstone shook himself with self approval. Yes,
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 5: a toys, you know, he repeated. He glowed with satisfaction
• 1:55:41
  Speaker 5: over his escape The announcement, however, did not appear to
• 1:55:46
  Speaker 5: astonish his companion as much as he felt it should
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 5: have done. She did not even take her eyes from
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 5: his face. How many children are there? Why? Twenty? Livingstone
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 5: caught at a number as a sinking man catches at
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 5: a twig. She accepted this. Livingstone was conscious of elation.
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 5: He felt as though he were playing a game and
• 1:56:10
  Speaker 5: had escaped the ignominy of a wrong answer. He had
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 5: caught a bow and it had held him. How old
• 1:56:17
  Speaker 5: are they? Livingstone gasped the little ogress. Was she just
• 1:56:22
  Speaker 5: trifling with him? Could it be possible that she saw
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 5: through him? As he looked down at her, the eyes
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 5: fastened on him were as calm as a dove's eyes.
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 5: Why uh, how many brothers and sisters have you? He asked?
• 1:56:37
  Speaker 5: He wished to create a diversion in gain time. She
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 5: answered promptly, seven, four sisters and three brothers. John, he's
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 5: my oldest brother, Tom he's next, he's eight. Billy is
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 5: the baby. This contribution of family history was a relief,
• 1:56:53
  Speaker 5: and Livingstone was just trying to think of something else
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 5: to say when she demanded again, what are the ages
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 5: of your children? I have no children, said Livingstone, thinking
• 1:57:04
  Speaker 5: how clever he was to be so ready with an answer.
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 5: I know, but I mean the children you want the
• 1:57:10
  Speaker 5: toys for? Livingstone felt for his handkerchief. The perspiration was
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 5: beginning to come on his brow. Why uh the.
• 1:57:18
  Speaker 6: Same ages as your brothers and sisters about, he said, desperately,
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 6: feeling that he was at the end of his resources
• 1:57:26
  Speaker 6: and would be discovered by the next question. We will
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 6: go to Brown's, said the child quietly, and dropping her eyes,
• 1:57:33
  Speaker 6: she settled herself back in the furs, as though the
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 6: problem were definitely solved. End of chapter eleven. Recording by
• 1:57:43
  Speaker 6: Diane Dunn, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Chapter twelve of Santa Claus's Partner.
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 6: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 6: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:58:06
  Speaker 6: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Diane Dunn. Santa Claus's
• 1:58:14
  Speaker 6: Partner by Thomas Nelson, page chapter twelve. Livingstone glanced at
• 1:58:24
  Speaker 6: the little figure beside him, hoping she would indicate where
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 6: Brown's was, but she did not. Everyone must know Brown's.
• 1:58:34
  Speaker 6: The only Brown Livingstone knew was the great banker and
• 1:58:39
  Speaker 6: a grim smile flickered on his cheek at the thought
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 6: of the toys in which that Brown dealt. He shifted
• 1:58:47
  Speaker 6: the responsibility to the driver. Driver, go to Brown's. You
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 6: know where it is? Well, no, sir, I don't believe
• 1:58:56
  Speaker 6: I do. Which brown do you mean?
• 1:58:58
  Speaker 4: Sir?
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 2: Uh?
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 5: The toy man's, of course. The driver stopped his horses
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 5: and reflected, but he shook his head slowly. Livingstone, however,
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 5: was now equal to the emergency. Besides, there was nothing
• 1:59:16
  Speaker 5: else to do. He turned to his companion. Where is it?
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 5: He began boldly, But as he saw the look of
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 5: surprise in the little girl's face, he added, I mean
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 5: exactly why right across from the grocers with the parrot
• 1:59:33
  Speaker 5: and the little white wooly dog. She spoke with astonishment
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 5: that anyone should not know so important a personage, and
• 1:59:41
  Speaker 5: Livingstone too was suddenly conscious of the importance of this information.
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 5: Clearly he had neglected certain valuable branches of knowledge. Happily,
• 1:59:53
  Speaker 5: the driver came to his rescue. Where is that, miss,
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 5: he asked? You go to the right and keep going
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 5: to the right all the way. She said, definitely. Livingstone
• 2:00:04
  Speaker 5: was in despair, but the driver appeared to understand now
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 5: you tell me when I go wrong, he said, and
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 5: drove on. He must have children at home, thought Livingstone
• 2:00:16
  Speaker 5: to himself. As the sleigh, after a number of turns,
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 5: drew up in front of one of the very windows
• 2:00:23
  Speaker 5: Livingstone had passed that evening on the back street. He
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 5: felt as though he would like to reward the driver.
• 2:00:31
  Speaker 5: It was the first time Livingstone had thought of a
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 5: driver in many years. Just as they drove up, the
• 2:00:37
  Speaker 5: door of the shop was being closed, and the little
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 5: girl gave an exclamation of disappointment. Oh we're too late,
• 2:00:44
  Speaker 5: she cried. Livingstone felt his heart jump into his throat.
• 2:00:49
  Speaker 5: He sprang to the door and rapped. There was no answer.
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 5: The light was evidently being turned off inside. Livingstone rapped again,
• 2:00:58
  Speaker 5: more impatiently. Another light was turned down. Livingstone was desperate.
• 2:01:05
  Speaker 5: His loud knocking produced no impression, and he could have
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 5: bought out the whole square. Suddenly, a little figure pushed
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 5: against him, as Kitty slipped before him, and, putting her
• 2:01:16
  Speaker 5: mouth to the crack of the door, called oh, mister Brown,
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 5: please let me in. It's me Kitty Clark, mister Clark's
• 2:01:25
  Speaker 5: little girl. Instantly the light within was turned up a
• 2:01:30
  Speaker 5: step came towards the door, the bolts were drawn back,
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 5: and half the door was opened. Livingstone was prepared to
• 2:01:37
  Speaker 5: see the shopkeeper confounded when he should discover who his
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 5: caller was. On the contrary, the man was in no
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 5: wise embarrassed by his appearance. Indeed, he paid no attention
• 2:01:49
  Speaker 5: whatever to Livingstone. It was to Kitty that he addressed himself,
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 5: ignoring Livingstone's presence utterly. Why Kitty, what are you doing
• 2:02:00
  Speaker 5: out at this time of night? Aren't you afraid Santa
• 2:02:02
  Speaker 5: Claus will come while you're away and not bring you anything.
• 2:02:07
  Speaker 5: You know what they say he does if he don't
• 2:02:09
  Speaker 5: find everybody asleep in bed. Kitty nodded, and, leaning forward
• 2:02:14
  Speaker 5: on her toes, dropped her voice to a mysterious whisper.
• 2:02:19
  Speaker 5: I know who Santa Claus is. The whisper ended with
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 5: a little chuckle of delight at her astuteness. I found
• 2:02:26
  Speaker 5: it out last Christmas, Kitty, you didn't. You must have
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 5: been mistaken, said the shopkeeper, with a grin on his
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 5: kindly countenance. Who is he, mister Brown and mister and
• 2:02:43
  Speaker 5: missus Clark, said Kitty slowly and impressively, as though she
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 5: were adding up figures and the result would speak for itself.
• 2:02:54
  Speaker 5: She took in the shop with a wave of her
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 5: little hand and a sweep of her eyes. I'm playing
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 5: Santa Claus myself to night, she said, tossing her hooded head,
• 2:03:05
  Speaker 5: her eyes kindling in the thought. The next look around
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 5: was one of business. This is mister Livingstone, Papa's employer.
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 5: She indicated that gentleman mister Brown held out his plump
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 5: and not wholly immaculate hand. How d'ye do, sir? I
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 5: think I've heard of you. He turned back to Kitty,
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 5: who for he asked, fer him. Kitty nodded. He's got
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 5: a whole lot of little children, not his own children,
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 5: other people's children that he's going to give Christmas presents to,
• 2:03:41
  Speaker 5: and I've come to help him. What have you got left,
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 5: mister Santa Claus. She stood on tiptoe and peered over
• 2:03:49
  Speaker 5: the shelves. Well, not a great deal, Miss wide awake,
• 2:03:53
  Speaker 5: said the shopkeeper, dropping into her manner and mood. You see,
• 2:03:57
  Speaker 5: there's lots o children around this year, as don't keep
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 5: awake all night, and Santa Claus has had to look
• 2:04:02
  Speaker 5: after him quite considerable. I can't tell you how many
• 2:04:06
  Speaker 5: slaves full of things he's taken away from this here
• 2:04:09
  Speaker 5: very shop. He didn't leave nothin but them things you see,
• 2:04:12
  Speaker 5: and the very expensive things in the cases. He said
• 2:04:15
  Speaker 5: they were too high priced for him. He actually gave
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 5: Livingstone a wink, and Livingstone actually fell flattered by it.
• 2:04:24
  Speaker 5: The reply recalled Kitty to her business. She turned to
• 2:04:27
  Speaker 5: mister Livingstone. How much money have you got to spend?
• 2:04:31
  Speaker 5: She asked, Um, I don't know, said Livingstone. As much
• 2:04:36
  Speaker 5: as a dollar? Yes, more, yes, how much more? As
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 5: much as you want. Suppose you pick out the things
• 2:04:46
  Speaker 5: you like, and then we can see about the price.
• 2:04:48
  Speaker 5: He suggested. Some thing's cost a heap. She was looking
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 5: at a doll on whose skirt was pinned a little
• 2:04:56
  Speaker 5: scrap of cardboard marked twenty five cents. Yes they do,
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 5: assented Livingstone, but they are worth it, he thought. I'll
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 5: tell you what. Suppose you look around and see just
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 5: what you like, and I'll go off here and talk
• 2:05:13
  Speaker 5: with mister Brown so as not to disturb you. He
• 2:05:17
  Speaker 5: was learning, and the lesson was already bringing him pleasure.
• 2:05:23
  Speaker 5: He took the shopkeeper aside and had a little talk
• 2:05:25
  Speaker 5: with him, learning from him all he could of Clark's
• 2:05:28
  Speaker 5: family and circumstances. It was an amazement to him. He
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 5: had never known what a burden Clark had carried. The
• 2:05:37
  Speaker 5: shopkeeper spoke of him with great affection and with great respect.
• 2:05:43
  Speaker 5: He is the best man in the world, he said.
• 2:05:47
  Speaker 5: He treated Livingstone with familiarity, but he spoke of Clark
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 5: with respect. He ought to be on the avenue, he asserted,
• 2:05:56
  Speaker 5: And if everybody had their rights, some would be where
• 2:05:58
  Speaker 5: mister Clark is, and mister Clark would be in their place.
• 2:06:02
  Speaker 5: Livingstone was not prepared just then to gainsay this. He
• 2:06:08
  Speaker 5: explained to mister Brown his wishes. He wanted to get
• 2:06:12
  Speaker 5: many things, but did not know how to keep the
• 2:06:14
  Speaker 5: child from suspecting his plan. The shopkeeper gave him a suggestion.
• 2:06:20
  Speaker 5: Close association and sympathy with children had given Brown knowledge.
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 5: End of chapter twelve. Recording by Diane Dunn, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.
• 2:06:44
  Speaker 2: Chapter thirteen of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 2: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 2:06:55
  Speaker 2: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox recording by Caroline Francis.
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 2: Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, Page chapter thirteen, they
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 2: returned to Kitty. She was busy figuring on a little
• 2:07:18
  Speaker 2: piece of paper, moistening her little stub of a pencil
• 2:07:22
  Speaker 2: every other second with her tongue. Her little red mouth
• 2:07:26
  Speaker 2: showed streaks of black. She was evidently in some trouble.
• 2:07:31
  Speaker 2: Livingstone drew near. How are you coming on, he asked.
• 2:07:37
  Speaker 2: She looked up with a face full of perplexity. Oh,
• 2:07:41
  Speaker 2: I've spent nearly the whole dollar, and I haven't but
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 2: nine presents yet. We must get something cheaper. But they
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 2: were so pretty, she lamented, her eyes, glancing longingly towards
• 2:07:54
  Speaker 2: the articles she had selected. Let's see, maybe you have
• 2:07:59
  Speaker 2: made a mistake, said Livingstone. He took the bit of paper,
• 2:08:04
  Speaker 2: and she handed him the pencil. I'm not very good
• 2:08:08
  Speaker 2: at making figures, she observed. I'm not either, said Livingstone,
• 2:08:14
  Speaker 2: glancing at the paper. I'll tell you what let's do,
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 2: he said. Let's get mister Brown to open all his
• 2:08:23
  Speaker 2: cases and boxes, and let's look at everything and just
• 2:08:27
  Speaker 2: see what we would select if we could have our choice.
• 2:08:31
  Speaker 2: The little girl's eyes opened wide. You mean, let's make
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 2: pretense that we are real, sure enough, Santa Claus, and
• 2:08:41
  Speaker 2: just pick out everything we want to give everybody and
• 2:08:45
  Speaker 2: pretend that we could get it and give it to them.
• 2:08:49
  Speaker 2: Livingstone nodded, Yes, that was just what he ought to have.
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 2: Meant he knew the inquiry in Kitty's big eye became light.
• 2:09:02
  Speaker 2: She sprang to her feet, and with a little squeak
• 2:09:05
  Speaker 2: of delight, marched to the middle of the shop, and,
• 2:09:09
  Speaker 2: taking her stand, began to sweep the shelves with her
• 2:09:13
  Speaker 2: dancing eyes. Livingstone gave a nod to the shopkeeper, and
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 2: he drew back the curtains that protected the cases where
• 2:09:22
  Speaker 2: the finer and more expensive goods were kept, and began
• 2:09:26
  Speaker 2: to open the boxes. Kitty approached on tiptoe and watched
• 2:09:32
  Speaker 2: him with breathless silence, as though she were in a
• 2:09:35
  Speaker 2: dream which a word might break. Then, when she had
• 2:09:40
  Speaker 2: seen everything, she turned back to Livingstone. Well, she said, slowly, Well,
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 2: what do you say, he too, was beginning to fill
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 2: a spell. Well, if I were a real sure enough
• 2:09:58
  Speaker 2: Santa Claus, just get everything in those cases. The spread
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 2: of her little arms took it all in. And what
• 2:10:11
  Speaker 2: would you do with it? Asked Livingstone, in the same
• 2:10:15
  Speaker 2: low tone, fearful of breaking the reverie in which she stood,
• 2:10:19
  Speaker 2: Wrapped he had never before in all his life been
• 2:10:25
  Speaker 2: taken into partnership by a little girl. And deep down
• 2:10:29
  Speaker 2: beneath his breast pocket was a kindling glow which was
• 2:10:34
  Speaker 2: warming him through and through. I'd carry that doll to Jean,
• 2:10:42
  Speaker 2: and that to Sue, and that to Mollie, and that
• 2:10:47
  Speaker 2: to d and those skates to Johnny, and that sled
• 2:10:51
  Speaker 2: to Tom, and that wooly lamb to little Billy, cause
• 2:10:56
  Speaker 2: he loved squashy things.
• 2:10:58
  Speaker 1: And then.
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 2: I'd take all the rest in my sleigh and I'd
• 2:11:03
  Speaker 2: go to the hospital where the poor little children hadn't
• 2:11:06
  Speaker 2: got any good papas and mammas like me to give
• 2:11:09
  Speaker 2: them anything, and where Santa Claus can't ever go, and
• 2:11:14
  Speaker 2: I'd put something by the side of every bed of
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 2: every one, and maybe they'd think at first it was
• 2:11:22
  Speaker 2: only a dream, but when they waked up wide they'd
• 2:11:26
  Speaker 2: find Santa Claus had been there sure enough. In her energy,
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 2: she was gesticulating with earnest hands that seemed to take
• 2:11:36
  Speaker 2: each present and bear it to its destination. And she
• 2:11:41
  Speaker 2: concluded with a little nod to Livingstone that seemed to
• 2:11:44
  Speaker 2: recognize him as in sympathy with her, and to say
• 2:11:49
  Speaker 2: wouldn't we if we only could? It seemed to Livingstone
• 2:11:55
  Speaker 2: as though a casing of ice in which he had
• 2:11:58
  Speaker 2: been enclosed had suddenly broken, and he were bathed in warmth.
• 2:12:04
  Speaker 2: The millstone round his neck had suddenly dropped, and he
• 2:12:08
  Speaker 2: shot upward into the light. The child was leading him
• 2:12:13
  Speaker 2: into a new and vernal world. He wanted to take
• 2:12:17
  Speaker 2: her in his arms and press her to his heart.
• 2:12:20
  Speaker 2: The difference between the glance she now gave him and
• 2:12:24
  Speaker 2: that she had shot at him at the door of
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 2: his office that evening came to him and decided him
• 2:12:31
  Speaker 2: it was worth it all. Yes, is there anything else
• 2:12:38
  Speaker 2: you wish, he asked, hoping that there might be, for
• 2:12:43
  Speaker 2: she had not mentioned herself. Yes, but it's not anything
• 2:12:49
  Speaker 2: Santa Claus can give, she said, calmly. I have asked
• 2:12:54
  Speaker 2: God for it. What asked Livingstone? Something to make mamma well,
• 2:13:03
  Speaker 2: to help Papa pay for the house. He says, it's
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 2: that it keeps her ill, And she says if she
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 2: were well, he could pay for it. And I just
• 2:13:13
  Speaker 2: pray to God for it every day. Livingstone caught his
• 2:13:19
  Speaker 2: breath quickly, as if from a sudden pain. The long
• 2:13:23
  Speaker 2: years of Clark's faithful service flashed before him. He shivered
• 2:13:28
  Speaker 2: at the thought of his own meanness. He was afraid
• 2:13:31
  Speaker 2: those great eyes might see into his heart. He almost
• 2:13:36
  Speaker 2: shriveled at the thought. Well, let's take a sleigh ride
• 2:13:42
  Speaker 2: and see if any other shops are open, then we
• 2:13:45
  Speaker 2: can return. He spoke a few words aside to mister Brown.
• 2:13:51
  Speaker 2: The shopkeeper's eyes opened wide. But you say you haven't
• 2:13:56
  Speaker 2: money enough with you, and I don't know you, Livingstone smiled.
• 2:14:03
  Speaker 2: Why man, I am worth, He stopped short as a
• 2:14:08
  Speaker 2: faint trace of seven figures appeared vaguely before his eyes.
• 2:14:13
  Speaker 2: I am worth enough to buy all this square and
• 2:14:16
  Speaker 2: not feel it, he said, quickly, correcting himself. That may
• 2:14:23
  Speaker 2: be all so, but I don't know you, persisted the shopkeeper.
• 2:14:28
  Speaker 2: Do you know anybody in this part of the town. Well,
• 2:14:33
  Speaker 2: I know mister Clark. He would vouch for me. But
• 2:14:37
  Speaker 2: the shopkeeper turned to the child, Kitty. You know this gentleman.
• 2:14:42
  Speaker 2: You say yes, Oh, he's all right, said Kitty decisively.
• 2:14:49
  Speaker 2: He's my papa's employer, and he gave him fifty dollars
• 2:14:53
  Speaker 2: last christmas' cause my papa told me so. This munificent
• 2:14:59
  Speaker 2: gift did not appear to impress mister Brown very much,
• 2:15:03
  Speaker 2: any more than it did Livingstone, who felt himself flush.
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 2: Business is business, you know, said the shopkeeper, an aphorism
• 2:15:13
  Speaker 2: on which Livingstone had often acted but had never had
• 2:15:18
  Speaker 2: sighted against him. The shopkeeper was evidently considering. Livingstone was
• 2:15:25
  Speaker 2: half angry and half embarrassed. He felt as he had
• 2:15:29
  Speaker 2: not done in twenty years. The shopkeeper was weighing him
• 2:15:33
  Speaker 2: in his scales, as he might have done a pound
• 2:15:36
  Speaker 2: of merchandise, and Livingstone could not tell what he would decide.
• 2:15:42
  Speaker 2: There was Kitty, however, her eyes still filled with light,
• 2:15:47
  Speaker 2: he could not disappoint her. She too felt that he
• 2:15:52
  Speaker 2: was being weighed, and suddenly came to his rescue. He's
• 2:15:57
  Speaker 2: an awful kind man, she said, earnest. He hasn't got
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 2: any children of his own, and he's going to give
• 2:16:04
  Speaker 2: things to little poor children. He always does that, I guess,
• 2:16:09
  Speaker 2: She added. Well, no, I don't, said Livingstone, looking at
• 2:16:15
  Speaker 2: the shopkeeper frankly, but I wish I had. And I'll
• 2:16:20
  Speaker 2: pay you all right, she knows you, and that will do,
• 2:16:25
  Speaker 2: said mister Brown. Kitty, with the light of an explorer
• 2:16:31
  Speaker 2: in her eyes, was making new discoveries on the shelves
• 2:16:36
  Speaker 2: and The two men walked to the back of the shop,
• 2:16:39
  Speaker 2: where the shopkeeper wrote a list of names. Then Livingstone
• 2:16:43
  Speaker 2: and Kitty got into the sleigh and drove for a
• 2:16:46
  Speaker 2: half hour or so. On their return, mister Brown was ready.
• 2:16:52
  Speaker 2: His shop looked as though it had been struck by
• 2:16:55
  Speaker 2: a whirlwind. The floor and counters were covered with boxes
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 2: and bundles, and he and Livingstone packed the big sled
• 2:17:04
  Speaker 2: as full as it would hold, leaving only one seat
• 2:17:07
  Speaker 2: deep in the firs amid the heaped up parcels. Then suddenly,
• 2:17:13
  Speaker 2: from somewhere, mister Brown produced a great shaggy cape with
• 2:17:17
  Speaker 2: a hood, and Livingstone threw it around Kitty, and, getting in,
• 2:17:22
  Speaker 2: lifted her into the little nest between the firs. Kitty's
• 2:17:27
  Speaker 2: eyes were dancing, and her breath was coming quickly with excitement.
• 2:17:32
  Speaker 2: It was a supreme moment. Where are we going, mister Livingstone,
• 2:17:39
  Speaker 2: she whispered. She was afraid to speak aloud lest she
• 2:17:43
  Speaker 2: might break the spell and awake. Just where you like.
• 2:17:50
  Speaker 2: To the children's hospital, she panted. To the children's hospital
• 2:17:56
  Speaker 2: driver repeated Livingstone. Kitty gave another gasp. We'll play your
• 2:18:04
  Speaker 2: Santa Claus, she said, in a voice of low delight,
• 2:18:09
  Speaker 2: no play. You are Santa Claus's partner, said Livingstone, and
• 2:18:16
  Speaker 2: you you are not to say anything about me. End
• 2:18:23
  Speaker 2: of chapter thirteen. Chapter fourteen of Santa Claus's Partner. This
• 2:18:34
  Speaker 2: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 2:18:38
  Speaker 2: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 2:18:44
  Speaker 2: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Caroline Francis. Santa Claus's Partner
• 2:18:52
  Speaker 2: by Thomas Nelson, page chapter fourteen. Livingstone had not had
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 2: such a drive in years. The little form snuggled against him,
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 2: closer and closer, and the warm half sentences of childish
• 2:19:09
  Speaker 2: prattle as the little girl's imagination wove its fancies, came
• 2:19:14
  Speaker 2: to him from amid the firs and made him feel
• 2:19:17
  Speaker 2: as though he had left the earth and were driving
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 2: in a new world. It was like a dream. Had
• 2:19:25
  Speaker 2: youth come back? Was it possible? The sleigh stopped in
• 2:19:30
  Speaker 2: front of a great, long building. You have to ring
• 2:19:34
  Speaker 2: at the side door at night, said the driver. He
• 2:19:38
  Speaker 2: appeared to know a good deal about the hospital. Livingstone
• 2:19:43
  Speaker 2: sprang out and rang the bell, and then stepped back
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 2: when they opened the door. You are to do all
• 2:19:51
  Speaker 2: the talking, he said to Kitty as he lifted her down.
• 2:19:56
  Speaker 2: Who shall I say? Rang, she asked Santa Claus's partner.
• 2:20:03
  Speaker 2: But you no, you are not to mention my name. Remember.
• 2:20:10
  Speaker 2: Before the child could reply, the door opened a little way,
• 2:20:13
  Speaker 2: and a porter looked out. Who's there? He called to
• 2:20:18
  Speaker 2: the sleigh, rather overlooking the little figure in the snow.
• 2:20:24
  Speaker 2: Santa Claus's partner said, Kitty, what do you want? He
• 2:20:31
  Speaker 2: peered out at the sleigh. He was evidently sleepy and
• 2:20:34
  Speaker 2: a little puzzled. We don't take in anything at this
• 2:20:38
  Speaker 2: hour except patience. He looked as if he were about
• 2:20:42
  Speaker 2: to shut the door, when a woman's voice was heard
• 2:20:45
  Speaker 2: within speaking to him, and the next moment the door
• 2:20:49
  Speaker 2: was opened wide and he gave way as a matronly
• 2:20:52
  Speaker 2: figure came forward and stood in the archway. Who is it,
• 2:20:58
  Speaker 2: she asked in a very pleasant voice, looking down at
• 2:21:02
  Speaker 2: the little figure in the snow before her. Santa Claus's
• 2:21:07
  Speaker 2: partner said, Kitty, gazing up at her, what do you want, dear?
• 2:21:14
  Speaker 2: The voice was even pleasanter to leave some presents for
• 2:21:18
  Speaker 2: the children. We children, all the good children, all the
• 2:21:24
  Speaker 2: sick children, I mean all the children, said Kitty. The
• 2:21:31
  Speaker 2: matron turned and spoke to the porter, showing to Livingstone
• 2:21:35
  Speaker 2: as she did so a glimpse of a finely cut
• 2:21:38
  Speaker 2: profile and a comely figure silhouetted against the light within.
• 2:21:44
  Speaker 2: The bolts were drawn from the gate of the driveway
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 2: and the doors rolled back. Come in, said the matron,
• 2:21:52
  Speaker 2: and the little figure, enveloped in the shaggy cape and hood,
• 2:21:56
  Speaker 2: walked in under the big arch, followed by the sleigh,
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 2: whilst Livingstone withdrew a short distance into the shadow. It
• 2:22:06
  Speaker 2: was some time before the doors opened again and Kitty reappeared,
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 2: but Livingstone did not mind it. It was cold too,
• 2:22:15
  Speaker 2: but neither did he mind that he was warm. As
• 2:22:20
  Speaker 2: he walked up and down in the empty street before
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 2: the long building. His heart was warm with a glow
• 2:22:27
  Speaker 2: which had not been there for many and many a
• 2:22:30
  Speaker 2: long year. He was not alone once more. The memory
• 2:22:36
  Speaker 2: of other Christmases passed through his mind in long processional,
• 2:22:42
  Speaker 2: but now not stamped with irretrievable opportunity to mock him
• 2:22:47
  Speaker 2: with vain regret for lost happiness, only tinged with a
• 2:22:52
  Speaker 2: sadness for lost friends who came trooping about him, yet
• 2:22:57
  Speaker 2: lightened by his resolve to begin from now and strive
• 2:23:01
  Speaker 2: as best he might to retrieve his wasted life, and
• 2:23:05
  Speaker 2: whilst he bore his punishment, do what he could to
• 2:23:08
  Speaker 2: make atonement for his past. Just then, across the town,
• 2:23:14
  Speaker 2: the clocks began to sound the midnight hour, and as
• 2:23:18
  Speaker 2: they ceased, from somewhere far away, church bells, mellowed by
• 2:23:24
  Speaker 2: the distance, began to chime the old Christmas hymn. While
• 2:23:29
  Speaker 2: shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground,
• 2:23:35
  Speaker 2: the Angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around.
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 2: Livingstone stood still to listen in a half dream. Suddenly
• 2:23:48
  Speaker 2: before him, in the snow stood a little figure, muffled
• 2:23:52
  Speaker 2: in a shaggy cape, with hood half thrown back. The
• 2:23:56
  Speaker 2: childish face was uplifted in the moonlight, with lips half parted.
• 2:24:02
  Speaker 2: She too was listening, and for a moment Livingstone could
• 2:24:07
  Speaker 2: hardly take in that she was real. She seemed could
• 2:24:12
  Speaker 2: she be? The Angel of the Lord came down, chimed
• 2:24:19
  Speaker 2: the mellow bells. The chiming died out. Christ is born,
• 2:24:26
  Speaker 2: said the child. You heard the bells, yes, said Livingstone. Humbly,
• 2:24:33
  Speaker 2: It's all done, she said, And I prayed so hard
• 2:24:38
  Speaker 2: that not one of them stirred and now when they wake,
• 2:24:42
  Speaker 2: they'll think it was real Santa Claus. They say he
• 2:24:46
  Speaker 2: always comes at twelve, and I counted the clocks. I
• 2:24:51
  Speaker 2: wonder if he went home. She was speaking now to herself,
• 2:24:56
  Speaker 2: but Livingstone answered, I'm sure of it. He said, the
• 2:25:03
  Speaker 2: Angel of the Lord came down, still chimed in his ears.
• 2:25:09
  Speaker 2: Suddenly a little, warm hand was slipped into his confidingly,
• 2:25:15
  Speaker 2: I think we'd better go home now. The voice was
• 2:25:19
  Speaker 2: full of deep content. Livingstone's hand closed on hers, and
• 2:25:25
  Speaker 2: as he said yes, he was conscious of a pang
• 2:25:30
  Speaker 2: at the thought of giving her up. He lifted her
• 2:25:34
  Speaker 2: to put her in the sleigh. As he did so,
• 2:25:38
  Speaker 2: the little arms were put about his neck, and warm
• 2:25:41
  Speaker 2: little lips kissed him. Livingstone pressed her to his breast convulsively,
• 2:25:47
  Speaker 2: and climbed into the sleigh without putting her down. Neither spoke,
• 2:25:53
  Speaker 2: and when the sleigh stopped in front of mister Clark's door,
• 2:25:57
  Speaker 2: the child was still in Livingstone's arms, her head resting
• 2:26:01
  Speaker 2: on his shoulder, the golden curls falling over his sleeve.
• 2:26:07
  Speaker 2: Even when he transferred her to her father's arms, she
• 2:26:10
  Speaker 2: did not wake. She only sighed with sweet content, and
• 2:26:15
  Speaker 2: as Livingstone bent over and kissed her softly muttered a
• 2:26:19
  Speaker 2: few words about Santa Claus's partner. A half hour later, Livingstone,
• 2:26:27
  Speaker 2: after another interview with mister Brown, who was awaiting him patiently,
• 2:26:32
  Speaker 2: drove back again to mister Clark's door with another sleighful
• 2:26:36
  Speaker 2: of packages, which were all duly transferred to the small
• 2:26:41
  Speaker 2: room where stood the little Christmas tree. The handshake Livingstone
• 2:26:46
  Speaker 2: gave John Clark as he came down the steps of
• 2:26:50
  Speaker 2: the little house was the warmest he had given any
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 2: man in twenty years. It was so warm that it
• 2:26:58
  Speaker 2: seemed to send the block blood tingling through Livingstone's heart
• 2:27:02
  Speaker 2: and warm it anew end of chapter fourteen.
• 2:27:13
  Speaker 4: Chapter fifteen of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 2:27:18
  Speaker 4: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 2:27:22
  Speaker 4: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Santa
• 2:27:28
  Speaker 4: Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page chapter fifteen. Livingstone drove
• 2:27:35
  Speaker 4: home through silent streets, but they were not silent for him.
• 2:27:39
  Speaker 4: In his ears, a chime was still ringing, and it
• 2:27:42
  Speaker 4: bore him far across the snow filled streets and the
• 2:27:45
  Speaker 4: snow filled years to a land of warmth and light.
• 2:27:49
  Speaker 4: The glow was still about his heart, in the tingle
• 2:27:51
  Speaker 4: which the pressure of Kitty Clark's arms about his neck
• 2:27:55
  Speaker 4: and John Clark's clasp of his hand had started still
• 2:27:58
  Speaker 4: kept it warm. At his door, Livingstone dismissed his driver,
• 2:28:03
  Speaker 4: and as he cheerily wished him a merry Christmas. The
• 2:28:07
  Speaker 4: man's cheery reply showed that Livingstone had already found the
• 2:28:10
  Speaker 4: secret of good cheer. The same to you, your honor.
• 2:28:14
  Speaker 4: The same to you, sir, said the driver heartily, as
• 2:28:17
  Speaker 4: he buttoned up his pocket with a pad of satisfaction.
• 2:28:20
  Speaker 4: We've had a good time tonight, sir, haven't we? And
• 2:28:24
  Speaker 4: I wish you many more like it, sir. And when
• 2:28:26
  Speaker 4: Christmas comes along next time, I hope you'll remember me,
• 2:28:30
  Speaker 4: for I'll remember you. I've had a little child in
• 2:28:33
  Speaker 4: that air, same hospital. God took her to himself twelve
• 2:28:38
  Speaker 4: years ago. They're good to him there, rich and poor
• 2:28:41
  Speaker 4: all alike. And 'tisn't every night that I can drive
• 2:28:44
  Speaker 4: Santa Claus's partner. Livingstone stood and watched the sleigh till
• 2:28:49
  Speaker 4: it drove out of sight. Even after it had disappeared
• 2:28:52
  Speaker 4: around a corner, he still listened to the bells. It
• 2:28:56
  Speaker 4: seemed to him he had a friend in it. Livingstone
• 2:29:00
  Speaker 4: let himself in noiselessly at the door, but the softness
• 2:29:03
  Speaker 4: with which he turned the key this time was to
• 2:29:06
  Speaker 4: keep from disturbing his servants, not to keep them from
• 2:29:09
  Speaker 4: seeing him. He stood stock still on the threshold. The
• 2:29:15
  Speaker 4: whole house seemed transformed. The hall was a bower of
• 2:29:19
  Speaker 4: hawlly and mistletoe, and the library, as Livingston entered it,
• 2:29:23
  Speaker 4: with its bright fire roaring in the hearth, and its
• 2:29:26
  Speaker 4: festoons and wreaths, seemed once more a charming home, a
• 2:29:30
  Speaker 4: bower where cheer might yet make its abode as quietly. However,
• 2:29:36
  Speaker 4: as Livingstone had entered, his butler had heard him. As
• 2:29:40
  Speaker 4: Livingston turned to take in all the beauty of the room,
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 4: James was standing before him. His face showed some concern,
• 2:29:48
  Speaker 4: and his voice as he spoke, had a little tremor
• 2:29:51
  Speaker 4: in it. When we found you had gone out, sir,
• 2:29:54
  Speaker 4: we were afraid you might be sick, and the cook
• 2:29:57
  Speaker 4: has got something hot for you. Livingstone glanced about to
• 2:30:02
  Speaker 4: find a phrase with which to thank him for the
• 2:30:05
  Speaker 4: trouble they had taken, but the butler spared him. The
• 2:30:07
  Speaker 4: pains we thought we would try to make the house
• 2:30:11
  Speaker 4: look a little cheery. Sir, hope you don't mind, sir, mind,
• 2:30:16
  Speaker 4: said Livingston. I am delighted, and I thank you very much. Mind,
• 2:30:20
  Speaker 4: I should think not. The tone of his voice and
• 2:30:25
  Speaker 4: the light in his eyes showed that there was a
• 2:30:28
  Speaker 4: change in him, and it acted like a tonic on
• 2:30:31
  Speaker 4: the butler. The light came into his eyes too. He
• 2:30:35
  Speaker 4: drew a breath of deep relief, as though a mountain
• 2:30:37
  Speaker 4: of care had rolled off him, and he came a
• 2:30:40
  Speaker 4: step nearer his master, who had flung himself into a
• 2:30:43
  Speaker 4: chair and picked up a cigar. The next minute, Livingstone
• 2:30:47
  Speaker 4: plunged into the subject on his mind. It was a
• 2:30:50
  Speaker 4: plant which made the butler's eyes first open wide, then
• 2:30:54
  Speaker 4: sparkle with pleasure. The difficulty with Livingstone, however, was that
• 2:30:59
  Speaker 4: the next was a holiday, and he did not know
• 2:31:02
  Speaker 4: whether what he wanted could be got. The butler came
• 2:31:07
  Speaker 4: to his rescue. It was no difficulty to James. Such
• 2:31:11
  Speaker 4: an emergency only quickened his powers. He knew places where
• 2:31:15
  Speaker 4: whatever was wanted could be got, holiday or no holiday,
• 2:31:20
  Speaker 4: if mister Livingston would only allow him. Allow you, said Livingston,
• 2:31:26
  Speaker 4: I give you carte Blanche, only have everything ready by
• 2:31:30
  Speaker 4: five o'clock. Ask the cook to send up whatever she has.
• 2:31:34
  Speaker 4: I'm hungry and we'll talk it over whilst I'm taking supper. Yes, sir, Yes, sir, Yes, sir,
• 2:31:41
  Speaker 4: and James withdrew with a step as light as air.
• 2:31:44
  Speaker 4: Extraordinary servant, thought Livingston, wonder I never took it in before.
• 2:31:49
  Speaker 4: Ten minutes later, Livingstone was seated at the table with
• 2:31:52
  Speaker 4: an appetite like a schoolboy's. It was the happiest meal
• 2:31:56
  Speaker 4: Livingston had eaten in many a long day. For all
• 2:31:59
  Speaker 4: alone is he was? He was not alone, thought of others.
• 2:32:04
  Speaker 4: Sat at the board and a cheery companion. It is
• 2:32:08
  Speaker 4: tell the laundress to be sure and bring her children
• 2:32:10
  Speaker 4: around tomorrow, and be sure you make them have a
• 2:32:12
  Speaker 4: good time, he said to James as he rose from
• 2:32:15
  Speaker 4: the table. James bowed, yes, sir, and ascertain where Policeman
• 2:32:21
  Speaker 4: number two hundred sixty eight is to be found tomorrow.
• 2:32:25
  Speaker 4: I want to send a contribution to make a good
• 2:32:27
  Speaker 4: slide for some boys on his beat. James bowed again,
• 2:32:31
  Speaker 4: his eyes somewhat wider than before, as Livingstone mounted the stairs.
• 2:32:36
  Speaker 4: Though he was sensible of fatigue, it was the fatigue
• 2:32:40
  Speaker 4: of the body, so delicious to those who have known
• 2:32:43
  Speaker 4: that of the mind, and he felt pity as well
• 2:32:46
  Speaker 4: as loathing for the poor worn creature who had climbed
• 2:32:49
  Speaker 4: the same stair a few hours before. As he entered
• 2:32:53
  Speaker 4: his room, the warmth and home feeling had come back.
• 2:32:56
  Speaker 4: There also, the portraits of his father and mother first
• 2:32:59
  Speaker 4: caught it eye. Someone had put a wreath around each,
• 2:33:03
  Speaker 4: and they seemed to beam on him with a pleased
• 2:33:05
  Speaker 4: and tender smile. They opened afresh the floodgates of memory
• 2:33:10
  Speaker 4: for him, but the memories were sweet and tender. He
• 2:33:14
  Speaker 4: glanced at a mirror, almost with trembling. The last time
• 2:33:18
  Speaker 4: he had looked at himself, he had seen only that old,
• 2:33:21
  Speaker 4: haggard face with the ghostly figures branded across the brow.
• 2:33:27
  Speaker 4: Thank god they were gone now, and he could even
• 2:33:30
  Speaker 4: see in his face some faint resemblance to the portraits
• 2:33:33
  Speaker 4: on the wall. He went to bed and slept as
• 2:33:36
  Speaker 4: he had not slept for months, perhaps for years, not dreamlessly,
• 2:33:42
  Speaker 4: but the dreams were pleasant now. And then lines of
• 2:33:46
  Speaker 4: vague figures appeared to him, but a little girl with
• 2:33:49
  Speaker 4: a smiling face came and played bo peep with him
• 2:33:52
  Speaker 4: over them. And presently sprang up and threw her arms
• 2:33:55
  Speaker 4: about his neck, and made him take her in a
• 2:33:57
  Speaker 4: sleigh to a wonderful shop where they could get marvelous presents,
• 2:34:02
  Speaker 4: among them youth and friendship and happiness. The door was
• 2:34:07
  Speaker 4: just being shut as they arrived, but when he called
• 2:34:10
  Speaker 4: his father's name, it was opened wide, and his father
• 2:34:13
  Speaker 4: and mother greeted him and led him smiling into places
• 2:34:16
  Speaker 4: where he had played as a child, and Catherine Trelaine,
• 2:34:21
  Speaker 4: in a shaggy coat and hood, pulled the presents from
• 2:34:24
  Speaker 4: a forest of Christmas trees and gave them to Santa
• 2:34:27
  Speaker 4: Claus's partner to give to others. And suddenly his father,
• 2:34:31
  Speaker 4: with his old tender smile, picked the little girl up
• 2:34:34
  Speaker 4: in his arms, and she changed into a wonderful child
• 2:34:38
  Speaker 4: that shone so that it dazzled Livingston. And he walked
• 2:34:41
  Speaker 4: to find the bright sun shining in through the window
• 2:34:45
  Speaker 4: and falling on his face. He sprang from bed with
• 2:34:49
  Speaker 4: a cry almost of joy. So bright was the day,
• 2:34:52
  Speaker 4: and as he looked out of the window on the
• 2:34:54
  Speaker 4: sparkling snow outside, it seemed a new world. Chapter fifteen,
• 2:35:01
  Speaker 4: recording by Sean mcgahey Ductapegui dot Net. Chapter sixteen of
• 2:35:15
  Speaker 4: Santa Claus's Partner. This is the LibriVox recording. All libriyvox
• 2:35:20
  Speaker 4: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 2:35:23
  Speaker 4: to volunteer, please visit libyvox dot org. Santa Claus's Partner
• 2:35:29
  Speaker 4: by Thomas Nelson, page chapter sixteen. All the morning Livingstone
• 2:35:36
  Speaker 4: rushed as he had never rushed in the wildest excitement
• 2:35:39
  Speaker 4: of the street. He had to find a banker, and
• 2:35:43
  Speaker 4: a lawyer, and a policeman, but he found them all.
• 2:35:47
  Speaker 4: He had to get presents to Sickens and Hartley and
• 2:35:49
  Speaker 4: the other clerks, but he managed to do it. His servants, too,
• 2:35:54
  Speaker 4: had caught the contagion, and more than once big wagons
• 2:35:57
  Speaker 4: driven by smiling, cheery face men drove up to the
• 2:36:01
  Speaker 4: door and unloaded their contents. And when the evening fell,
• 2:36:05
  Speaker 4: and a great sleigh with six seats and four horses,
• 2:36:08
  Speaker 4: and every seat packed full, drove up and emptied its
• 2:36:12
  Speaker 4: shouting occupants out At Livingstone's door. Everything was ready. There
• 2:36:17
  Speaker 4: was Livingstone himself who met the guests at the door,
• 2:36:21
  Speaker 4: and the driver in his shaggy coat must have been
• 2:36:23
  Speaker 4: an old friend from the smiling way in which he
• 2:36:26
  Speaker 4: nodded and waved his fur gloved hands to him as
• 2:36:29
  Speaker 4: he helped Missus Clark out tenderly, and took Kitty into
• 2:36:33
  Speaker 4: his arms. When Kitty was informed that this was Santa
• 2:36:36
  Speaker 4: Claus's partner's party and that she was to be the hostess,
• 2:36:41
  Speaker 4: she was at first a little shy, partly perhaps on
• 2:36:45
  Speaker 4: account of the strangeness of being in such a big,
• 2:36:48
  Speaker 4: fine house, and partly on account of the solemn presence
• 2:36:52
  Speaker 4: of James, until the latter had relieved her in ways
• 2:36:55
  Speaker 4: of which that austere person seemed to have the secret
• 2:36:59
  Speaker 4: where children were concerned. Finally, she was induced to take
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 4: the children over the house, and the laughter which soon
• 2:37:06
  Speaker 4: came floating back from distant rooms, showed that the ice
• 2:37:09
  Speaker 4: was broken. Only two rooms, the library and the dining room,
• 2:37:13
  Speaker 4: were closed, and they were not closed very long. Just
• 2:37:17
  Speaker 4: as it grew dark, Kitty was told to marshal her
• 2:37:20
  Speaker 4: eager forces, and James, with sparkling eyes, rolled back the
• 2:37:24
  Speaker 4: folding doors. The children had never seen anything before in
• 2:37:29
  Speaker 4: all their lives like that which greeted their eyes. The
• 2:37:33
  Speaker 4: library was a bower of evergreen and radiance. In the
• 2:37:36
  Speaker 4: center was a great tree of crystaline stars, which reflected
• 2:37:40
  Speaker 4: the light of a myriad twinkling candles. It had undoubtedly
• 2:37:44
  Speaker 4: come from Fairyland, if the place was not Fairyland itself,
• 2:37:49
  Speaker 4: on the border of which they stood Amazed. Kitty was
• 2:37:54
  Speaker 4: asked by mister Livingstone to lead the other children in,
• 2:37:58
  Speaker 4: and as she approached the truth, she found facing her
• 2:38:01
  Speaker 4: a large envelope addressed to Santa Claus's partner, Miss Kitty Clark. This,
• 2:38:10
  Speaker 4: she was told to open and idiot, was a letter
• 2:38:12
  Speaker 4: from Santa Claus himself. It stated that the night before,
• 2:38:17
  Speaker 4: as the writer was engaged in looking after presents for
• 2:38:20
  Speaker 4: some poor children, he saw a little girl in his
• 2:38:23
  Speaker 4: shop engaged in the same work. And when he reached
• 2:38:26
  Speaker 4: a certain hospital, he found that she had been there
• 2:38:29
  Speaker 4: too before him. And now, as he had to go
• 2:38:33
  Speaker 4: to another part of the world to keep ahead of
• 2:38:35
  Speaker 4: the sun, he hoped that she would still act for
• 2:38:38
  Speaker 4: him and look after his business.
• 2:38:40
  Speaker 2: Here.
• 2:38:41
  Speaker 4: The letter was signed your partner, Santa Claus. The postscripts
• 2:38:46
  Speaker 4: suggested that a few of the articles he had left
• 2:38:49
  Speaker 4: on the tree for her were marked with names, but
• 2:38:51
  Speaker 4: that others were unmarked, so that her friends might choose
• 2:38:55
  Speaker 4: what they preferred, and he had left his pack at
• 2:38:57
  Speaker 4: the foot of the tree as a grab bag. This
• 2:39:00
  Speaker 4: letter broke the spell, and next moment everyone was shouting
• 2:39:04
  Speaker 4: and rollicking as though they lived there. In all the throng,
• 2:39:07
  Speaker 4: there was no one so delighted as mister Clark. Livingstone
• 2:39:11
  Speaker 4: had had no idea how clever he was. He was
• 2:39:15
  Speaker 4: the soul of the entertainment. It was he who discovered
• 2:39:19
  Speaker 4: first the packages for each little one, He who, without
• 2:39:22
  Speaker 4: appearing to do so, guided them in their march around
• 2:39:25
  Speaker 4: the tree, so that all might find just the presence
• 2:39:29
  Speaker 4: that suited them. He seemed to Livingstone's quick and die
• 2:39:33
  Speaker 4: to divine just what each child liked and wished. He
• 2:39:37
  Speaker 4: appeared to know all that Livingstone desired to know at length.
• 2:39:41
  Speaker 4: He alone, of all the guests, had received no present.
• 2:39:45
  Speaker 4: The others had their little arms packed so full that
• 2:39:48
  Speaker 4: Livingstone had to step forward to the tree to help
• 2:39:51
  Speaker 4: a small tot bear away his toppling load. The next moment,
• 2:39:56
  Speaker 4: Kitty discovered a large envelope lying at the foot of
• 2:39:59
  Speaker 4: the tree. It was addressed John Clark, Esquire, father of
• 2:40:03
  Speaker 4: Santa Claus's partner. It was strange that Kitty should have
• 2:40:07
  Speaker 4: overlooked it before. With a spring, she seized it and
• 2:40:11
  Speaker 4: handed it to her father with a little shout of joy,
• 2:40:14
  Speaker 4: for she had not been able to keep from showing
• 2:40:17
  Speaker 4: disappointment that he had received nothing. Clark smiled at her pleasure,
• 2:40:21
  Speaker 4: for he knew that the kisses which he had given
• 2:40:23
  Speaker 4: him from time to time had been to make amends
• 2:40:26
  Speaker 4: to him, and not as others thought, from joy over
• 2:40:30
  Speaker 4: her own presence. Clark knew well the handwriting, and even
• 2:40:34
  Speaker 4: as he opened the envelope, he glanced around to catch
• 2:40:37
  Speaker 4: Livingstone's eye and thank him. Livingstone, however, had suddenly disappeared,
• 2:40:42
  Speaker 4: so Clark read the letter. It was very brief. It
• 2:40:46
  Speaker 4: said that Livingstone had never known until the night before
• 2:40:49
  Speaker 4: how much he owed him. That he was not sure
• 2:40:51
  Speaker 4: even now that he knew the full extent of his indebtedness,
• 2:40:55
  Speaker 4: but at least he had come to recognize that he
• 2:40:58
  Speaker 4: owed much of his business scs to mister Clark's wisdom
• 2:41:01
  Speaker 4: and fidelity, and he asked, as a personal favor to him,
• 2:41:06
  Speaker 4: that Clark would accept the enclosed as a token of
• 2:41:09
  Speaker 4: his gratitude, and would consider favorably his proposal. Opening an
• 2:41:13
  Speaker 4: enclosed envelope, Clark found two papers. One was a full
• 2:41:18
  Speaker 4: release of the mortgage on Clark's house. Livingstone had spent
• 2:41:22
  Speaker 4: the morning in securing it. The other was a memorandum
• 2:41:26
  Speaker 4: of articles of partnership between Berryman Livingstone and John Clark,
• 2:41:31
  Speaker 4: beginning from that very day, indeed from the day before,
• 2:41:36
  Speaker 4: already signed by Livingstone and wanting only mister Clark's signature
• 2:41:41
  Speaker 4: to make it complete. Mister Clark, with his face quite
• 2:41:44
  Speaker 4: white and looking almost awed, turned and walked into the
• 2:41:48
  Speaker 4: next room, where he found Livingstone standing alone. The old
• 2:41:52
  Speaker 4: clerk was still holding the papers clutched in his hands,
• 2:41:55
  Speaker 4: and was walking as if in a dream. Mister Livingstone,
• 2:41:59
  Speaker 4: he began, I can never I am overwhelmed your letter,
• 2:42:04
  Speaker 4: your gifts, but Livingston interrupted him. His face was not
• 2:42:08
  Speaker 4: white but red. Nonsense, he said, as he turned and
• 2:42:13
  Speaker 4: put his hand on the other's shoulder. Clark, I am
• 2:42:16
  Speaker 4: not giving you anything. I am paying. I mean, I
• 2:42:20
  Speaker 4: owe you everything, and what I don't owe you I
• 2:42:23
  Speaker 4: owe Kitty. Last night you lent me. He stopped, caught
• 2:42:29
  Speaker 4: himself and began again. It was more than even you knew, Clark,
• 2:42:34
  Speaker 4: he said, looking the other kindly in the eyes, and
• 2:42:37
  Speaker 4: I'll owe you a debt of gratitude all my life.
• 2:42:41
  Speaker 4: All I ask is that you will forget to pass
• 2:42:44
  Speaker 4: and help me in the future, and sometimes lend me Kitty.
• 2:42:49
  Speaker 4: I never knew until now how good it was to
• 2:42:51
  Speaker 4: have a partner. Just then he became conscious that someone
• 2:42:57
  Speaker 4: else was near him. Kitty, with wide open hand, happy eyes,
• 2:43:01
  Speaker 4: was standing beside them, looking up inquiringly in their faces.
• 2:43:05
  Speaker 4: The child seemed to know that something important had happened,
• 2:43:09
  Speaker 4: for she put up her arms, and, pulling her father
• 2:43:11
  Speaker 4: down to her, kissed him, and then, turning quickly, she
• 2:43:15
  Speaker 4: caught Livingstone, and, drawing him down, kissed him too. I
• 2:43:20
  Speaker 4: love you, she said in a whisper. Livingstone caught her
• 2:43:24
  Speaker 4: in his arms. Let's go and have a game of
• 2:43:27
  Speaker 4: blind man's bluff. I am beginning to feel young again,
• 2:43:31
  Speaker 4: he said, and linking his arm in clarks, he dragged
• 2:43:34
  Speaker 4: him back to the others, where in a few minutes
• 2:43:37
  Speaker 4: they were all of one age, and a very riot
• 2:43:40
  Speaker 4: of funds seemed to have broken. Loose matters had just
• 2:43:44
  Speaker 4: reached this delightful point, and Livingstone was down on his
• 2:43:48
  Speaker 4: hands and knees, trying with feudal dexterity to avoid the
• 2:43:52
  Speaker 4: clutch of a pair of little arms that apparently were
• 2:43:55
  Speaker 4: pursuing him. With infallible instinct into an extra trap when
• 2:44:01
  Speaker 4: he became conscious of a presence he had not observed before.
• 2:44:05
  Speaker 4: Someone not there before was standing in the doorway. Livington
• 2:44:10
  Speaker 4: sprang to his feet and faced missus Wright. He felt
• 2:44:13
  Speaker 4: very red and foolish as he caught her eyes and
• 2:44:16
  Speaker 4: found them smiling at him the idea of being discovered
• 2:44:20
  Speaker 4: in so ridiculous a situation and posture by the most
• 2:44:23
  Speaker 4: fashionable and elegant woman of his acquaintance. But missus Wright
• 2:44:27
  Speaker 4: waved to him to go on with his game, and
• 2:44:30
  Speaker 4: the next moment the little arms had clutched him and
• 2:44:33
  Speaker 4: tearing off her bandage, Kitty with dancing eyes declared him caught. Well,
• 2:44:40
  Speaker 4: this is my final triumph over will, exclaimed missus Wright,
• 2:44:44
  Speaker 4: advancing into the room as Livingstone, drawing the little girl
• 2:44:48
  Speaker 4: along with him, approached her, and she began to tell
• 2:44:52
  Speaker 4: Livingstone how they had particularly wanted him to dine with
• 2:44:55
  Speaker 4: them that day, as an old friend of his had
• 2:44:58
  Speaker 4: promised to come to them, but they had supposed, of course,
• 2:45:02
  Speaker 4: that he had been overrun with invitations for the day,
• 2:45:05
  Speaker 4: and as they had not seen him of light thought
• 2:45:07
  Speaker 4: that he had probably gone out of town until her
• 2:45:10
  Speaker 4: husband saw him at the club the night before, where
• 2:45:13
  Speaker 4: he had gone to find some poor lone bachelor who
• 2:45:16
  Speaker 4: might have no other invitation. You know, Will has always
• 2:45:20
  Speaker 4: been very fond of you, she said, And he said,
• 2:45:23
  Speaker 4: you have been working too hard of late and have
• 2:45:26
  Speaker 4: not been looking well. When I didn't get my usual
• 2:45:30
  Speaker 4: contributions from you this Christmas, I didn't know what to
• 2:45:33
  Speaker 4: make of it. But I think that on my round
• 2:45:35
  Speaker 4: this morning, I have found out the reason. Livingstone knew
• 2:45:39
  Speaker 4: the reason, but he did not tell her. The knowing
• 2:45:42
  Speaker 4: smile that lit her face, however, mystified him, and he
• 2:45:46
  Speaker 4: flushed a little under her searching eyes. Will was sure
• 2:45:51
  Speaker 4: he saw you in the club last night, she persisted,
• 2:45:55
  Speaker 4: and he tried to catch you, but you ran off.
• 2:45:57
  Speaker 4: And now I have come for you, and will take
• 2:46:00
  Speaker 4: no refusal. Livingstone expressed his regret that he could not come.
• 2:46:05
  Speaker 4: A wave of his hand towards the curly heads and
• 2:46:09
  Speaker 4: beaming faces clustered before them, and towards the long table
• 2:46:13
  Speaker 4: gleaming in the dining room beyond, explained his reason. I
• 2:46:17
  Speaker 4: am having a Christmas dinner myself, he said, Then you
• 2:46:21
  Speaker 4: will come in after they go, insisted missus Wright, And
• 2:46:25
  Speaker 4: as Livingston knew they were going early. He assented, Who
• 2:46:29
  Speaker 4: are your friends? She asked, What a pleasant looking man,
• 2:46:33
  Speaker 4: and what lovely children. That little girl. I thought it
• 2:46:36
  Speaker 4: was cupid when she had the bandage on her eyes,
• 2:46:39
  Speaker 4: and now I am sure of it. Let me present
• 2:46:41
  Speaker 4: them to you, said Livingston, and he presented mister Clark
• 2:46:45
  Speaker 4: as his partner and Kitty as Santa Claus's partner. I
• 2:46:51
  Speaker 4: did not know you had a partner, she asked.
• 2:46:55
  Speaker 7: It is my.
• 2:46:56
  Speaker 4: Christmas gift from Santa Claus, he said, one of them.
• 2:46:59
  Speaker 4: I have many. End of chapter sixteen. Recording by Sean mcgahey,
• 2:47:09
  Speaker 4: doc tapeguide dot net.
• 2:47:24
  Speaker 7: Chapter seventeen of Santa Claus's Partner. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 2:47:29
  Speaker 7: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 2:47:33
  Speaker 7: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 2:47:41
  Speaker 7: by Patricia from Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, page
• 2:47:47
  Speaker 7: chapter seventeen. When Livingstone walked into missus Wright's drawing room
• 2:47:54
  Speaker 7: that evening, he had never had such a greeting, and
• 2:47:58
  Speaker 7: he had never been in such spirits. His own Christmas
• 2:48:01
  Speaker 7: dinner had been the success of his life. He could
• 2:48:04
  Speaker 7: still see those happy faces about his board, and hear
• 2:48:08
  Speaker 7: those joyous voices echoing through his house. The day seemed
• 2:48:12
  Speaker 7: to have been one long dream of delight. From the
• 2:48:16
  Speaker 7: moment when he turned to go after the little child
• 2:48:19
  Speaker 7: to ask her to show him the way to help others,
• 2:48:22
  Speaker 7: he had walked into a new land, lived in a
• 2:48:25
  Speaker 7: new world, breathed a new air, been warmed by a
• 2:48:28
  Speaker 7: new sun. Wright himself met him with a cordiality so
• 2:48:34
  Speaker 7: new to Livingstone and yet so natural and unforced that
• 2:48:38
  Speaker 7: Livingstone wondered whether he could have been living in a
• 2:48:41
  Speaker 7: dream all these years, or whether he was in a dream.
• 2:48:44
  Speaker 5: To night.
• 2:48:46
  Speaker 7: Among the guests, he suddenly came on one who made
• 2:48:49
  Speaker 7: him think to night must be the dream. Missus Wright,
• 2:48:53
  Speaker 7: with glowing eyes, presented him to a lady dressed in black,
• 2:48:57
  Speaker 7: as an old friend she believed, fair, sweet looking woman
• 2:49:01
  Speaker 7: with soft eyes and a calm mouth. The name Missus
• 2:49:06
  Speaker 7: Wright mentioned was Missus Shepherd, but as Livingstone looked that
• 2:49:10
  Speaker 7: the face was that of Catherine Trelane. The evening was
• 2:49:14
  Speaker 7: a fitting end to a happy day the first Livingstone
• 2:49:18
  Speaker 7: had had in many a year. Even Missus Shepherd's failure
• 2:49:21
  Speaker 7: to give him the opportunity. He sought to talk with her,
• 2:49:25
  Speaker 7: could not wholly mar it. Later, Livingstone heard missus Wright
• 2:49:30
  Speaker 7: begin to tell some one of his act of the
• 2:49:32
  Speaker 7: night before, in buying up a toy shop for the
• 2:49:35
  Speaker 7: children at the hospital. I always believed in him, she
• 2:49:39
  Speaker 7: asserted warmly. Livingstone caught his name, and, turning to missus Wright,
• 2:49:44
  Speaker 7: with some embarrassment and much warmth, declared that she was
• 2:49:48
  Speaker 7: mistaken that he had not done it. Missus Wright laughed incredulously.
• 2:49:54
  Speaker 7: I suspected it this morning when I first heard of it,
• 2:49:57
  Speaker 7: but now I have the indisputable proof. She held up
• 2:50:01
  Speaker 7: a note. I think I've heard of you before, she laughed,
• 2:50:04
  Speaker 7: with a capital imitation of mister Brown's manner. I still
• 2:50:08
  Speaker 7: deny it, insisted Livingstone, blushing, and as missus Wright still
• 2:50:13
  Speaker 7: affirmed her belief, he told her the story of Santa
• 2:50:16
  Speaker 7: Claus's partner. Insensibly. As he told it, the other voices
• 2:50:21
  Speaker 7: hushed down. He told it well, for his heart was
• 2:50:24
  Speaker 7: full of the little girl who had led him from
• 2:50:26
  Speaker 7: the frozen land to the land of light. As he
• 2:50:30
  Speaker 7: ended from another room, somewhere upstairs, came a child's clear voice, singing,
• 2:50:36
  Speaker 7: Ga West, you marry Denthon meant, let no sing you
• 2:50:40
  Speaker 7: dismay for Jesus wist I say ye vore was born
• 2:50:45
  Speaker 7: this Bellie day. Livingstone looked at Missus Shepherd. She was
• 2:50:51
  Speaker 7: standing under the long evergreen festoons, just where they met
• 2:50:55
  Speaker 7: and formed a sort of verdant archway. Two of the
• 2:50:59
  Speaker 7: children of the house, attracted by Livingstone's story, had come
• 2:51:03
  Speaker 7: and pressed against her as they listened with interested faces,
• 2:51:07
  Speaker 7: and she had put her arms about them and drawn
• 2:51:10
  Speaker 7: their curly heads close to her side. A spray of
• 2:51:13
  Speaker 7: holly with scarlet berries was at her throat, and one
• 2:51:16
  Speaker 7: of the children had mischievously stuck a sprig of mistletoe
• 2:51:20
  Speaker 7: in her hair. Her face was turned aside, her eyes
• 2:51:24
  Speaker 7: were downcast, the long dark lashes drooping against her cheek,
• 2:51:29
  Speaker 7: and on her face rested a divine compassion. And as
• 2:51:33
  Speaker 7: Livingstone gazed on her, he saw the same gracious figure
• 2:51:37
  Speaker 7: and fine profile that he had seen the night before,
• 2:51:41
  Speaker 7: outlined against the light in the archway of the gait
• 2:51:45
  Speaker 7: of the children's hospital. It was the reflective face of
• 2:51:50
  Speaker 7: one who has felt. But when she raised her eyes,
• 2:51:53
  Speaker 7: they were the eyes of Catherine Treline. And suddenly, as
• 2:51:57
  Speaker 7: Livingstone looked into them. They had softened, and she seemed
• 2:52:01
  Speaker 7: to be standing as she had stood so long ago
• 2:52:05
  Speaker 7: in the Christmas evening light, in a long avenue, under
• 2:52:09
  Speaker 7: swaying boughs and the heart of the land of his youth,
• 2:52:13
  Speaker 7: while still somewhere above, the child's voice caroled, Let no
• 2:52:18
  Speaker 7: sing you dismay for Jesus, whist say your was born
• 2:52:23
  Speaker 7: this fairy day. End of Chapter seventeen. End of Santa
• 2:52:28
  Speaker 7: Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson, Page