Books: Keineth

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"Oh, do I look like a real actress?" whispered Peggy to Keineth, wildly
pulling at her tinsel crown.

"Just beautiful!" Keineth whispered back. "But oh, I'm so scared! I
know I won't remember a _single_ line!"

CHAPTER XIX

WHEN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WORKED OVERTIME

Peals of laughter greeted Billy's appearance in the living-room. Then
everyone read the programs he gave them.

"The rascals!" cried Mr. Lee, genuinely surprised.

"Look at this," whispered Mrs. Lee, pointing to the program.

For at its top was printed in large letters:

WHEN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WORKED OVERTIME

BY

PEGGY LEE AND KEINETH RANDOLPH

And the rest of the program read:

The Time of the Play:

Christmas night after the children are supposed to have gone to bed, a
little ill from their Christmas candies, and when the grownfolks have
gathered together to talk over the day and declare that it's the best
Christmas the children have ever had.

The Place:

The living-room at home. And if possible the room should be darkened,
except for the lights on the tree, but if this is not convenient it
doesn't matter in the least, for the Christmas Spirit is not afraid to
walk into the most brightly-lighted room!

The Persons who are in the Play:

The Christmas Spirit Peggy Lee
The Christmas Fairies:
Happyheart Keineth Randolph
Peace Marian Jenkins
Goodwill Sally Penny
Merrylips Fanny Penny
Joy Anne Penny
Spirit of Childhood Alice Lee

Jesters {William Lee, Jr.
{Edward Jenkins

"I recognize Barbara's hand assisting," laughed Mr. Lee, as he read
through the program.

"Sh--h!" The chatter suddenly ceased. Barbara pressed a button that
shut off all the lights excepting the twinkling bulbs on the tree. In
another room the children sang "Silent Night." As the last sweet note
died away, Peggy, in gauzy white with tinsel crown and wings, came
slowly into the room. She sank down upon the rock. The play had begun.
_Spirit_ (yawns): Goodness me, how tired I am! (Yawns again.) It seems
as if there are more children every Christmas. I think after to-night
I'll go to bed for a whole year! (Lifts her head suddenly and looks at
the tree.) Why, there are no presents on the tree! It must be a party
of grownfolks! (Sighs.) I do feel so sorry for grownfolks! They always
have to pretend they're having a Christmas. (Springs to her feet.)
Perhaps they're here now. (Looks intently at audience.) Yes--they are!
I can always tell when grownfolks are around, because I have to work so
much harder with them. I must call my fairies. (Spirit steps toward
door, puts her hand cup-shape to her mouth.)

Come, oh Christmas fairies all,
Answer to the Spirit's call!

(As she calls the fairies Happyheart, Merrylips, Goodwill, and Peace
dance into the room, curtsey low to the Spirit and group themselves
about her.)

_Spirit_(holds out welcoming hands): Ah, fairies, what a wonderful day
this has been! Did you fill the stockings, Happyheart?

_Happyheart:_ I've filled a million stockings!

_Spirit:_ Splendid! And you, Merrylips?

_Merrylips_: I've trimmed a million trees--small ones and big ones!

_Spirit:_ Didn't you love it? They smell so good! How went the day with
you, Goodwill?

_Goodwill:_ Oh, I've carried baskets of food until I am sure there was
not a hungry person in the whole wide world! _Spirit:_ Tell us, Peace,
of your work to-day!

_Peace:_ I have gone about since early morning putting songs in
people's hearts!

_Spirit:_ You worked well! I have heard the music all day long!

_Merrylips_ (yawns): We're terribly tired!

_Spirit_ (sternly): Hush! Fairies must never be tired when there is
work to do! See, I have found a tree! It has these pretty lights but
there are no presents!

_Happyheart:_ Who's tree can it be?

_Spirit_: It is a tree for some grownfolks! You see the children all
over the land must have been put to bed a long time ago.

_Peace_ (nods her head): Grownfolks generally do stay up late Christmas
night!

_Happyheart:_ They get very sad wishing they were children again!

_Merrylips:_ Christmas is very hard on them, poor things!

_Spirit:_ The men talk about spending so much money and the women sit
up late nights stitching and stitching and complaining that they will
not give anything but cards another Christmas.

_Merrylips:_ How foolish they are!

_Peace:_ They forget that we will help them!

_Happyheart:_ You see they don't believe in fairies! It's because they
are so old! Why, they say that some are over thirty! _Goodwill:_ As if
that mattered!

_Spirit:_ But I do feel very sorry for them! They can scarcely remember
when they used to hang up their stockings! They will come and gather
around this tree and there will be no presents!

_Happyheart_ (sits down upon stool): Oh, dear! (Drops her chin in her
hand.) Can't we do something?

_Peace:_ Let's think hard!

_Goodwill_ (sadly): Our real presents are gone. There were so many
children this year!

_Merrylips:_ And they make out such long lists! Why, the trees would
scarcely hold all the things!

_Spirit:_ We must do what we can to make Christmas merry for these
grownfolks.

_Happyheart_ (claps her hands): I can make their hearts light!

_Goodwill:_ I can make them kindly to one another!

_Merrylips:_ I can make them laugh!

_Peace:_ And I can put one of my songs in their hearts!

_Spirit_ (as others make these suggestions she turns toward the tree,
deep in thought; suddenly she wheels around): Your gifts are priceless
but, somehow, I wish we had something besides them for these
grownfolks!

_Goodwill:_ I should like to make this a Christmas they would remember
the year through!

_Happyheart:_ I should like to teach them to believe in fairies!

_Peace:_ Perhaps if we could fill their tree with gifts they would not
forget!

_Merrylips:_ Let's ask Joy! _Spirit:_ Where is she?

_Happyheart:_ Oh, she is still working. But if we sing her song she
will come!

_Merrylips:_ Let's sing, then! (Holds up her finger.) One, two, three!
(All sing softly the Christmas Carol, "Joy to the World." As they sing
Joy runs into the room. The fairies circle about her.)

_Joy_ (stepping to the foreground and stretching arms): Oh, I am so
tired!

_Spirit_ (steps forward and lays her hand on Joy's shoulder): Poor
little Joy-fairy!

_Joy:_ I've been so busy making happiness! This funny world needs so
much of it and everyone wants something different! And there were so
many children! (Turns to the tree.) What--another tree?

_Spirit:_ Yes, and we have no presents! Happyheart can make their
hearts light and Peace can give them a song, but, you know, I'd just
like to have them have some presents--like children have!

_Merrylips_ (dances a step or two): Fairy presents would be fun! They
are more fun than real presents and can make wishes come true!

_Goodwill:_ They say grownfolks are worse than children about making
wishes, only they keep their wishes locked up!

_Happyheart:_ Wouldn't it be lovely?

_Joy:_ I know--let's call the Spirit of Childhood!

_Happyheart:_ Splendid! She will surely know a way!

_Spirit:_ How can we call her, Joy-fairy? _Joy:_ Put your fingers over
your eyes tight! (All put their fingers over their eyes.) Now, say
after me--"Spirit of Childhood, come at our call!"

_Chorus:_

Spirit of Childhood, come at our call,
Spirit of Childhood, come at our call!

(As they repeat this the Spirit of Childhood dances joyously into the
room and faces them. As they remove their fingers from their eyes, they
bow low.)

_Chorus:_ Childhood!

_Childhood_ (faces audience): I am the Spirit of Childhood! I am the
happiest fairy of all! I am known all over this wide, wide world!
Everybody loves me! Sometimes I am a dream, too, and I come out of the
past when it is very still and creep into old, old hearts!

_Happyheart_ (impatiently): We know all that!

_Spirit_ (steps toward Childhood): We want you to help us now,
Childhood, to make Christmas merry for this party of grownfolks.

_Childhood:_ No children? They're all grownfolks?

_Spirit:_ No children. They're all grownfolks.

_Childhood:_ Poor things! How sad!

_Spirit:_ But they have a tree and we want to give them gifts which,
because they are fairy gifts, will make their best every-day wish come
true!

_Childhood:_ Yes-they'll think, because they are grownups, they must
have useful gifts! But they shall have fairy gifts!

_Happyheart_ (to other fairies): I told you she'd help us! _Merrylips:_
And these grown folks must make a big, big wish and have it on top of
their hearts! Then, if they carry their gifts in the bottom of their
pockets their wishes will come true!

_Childhood:_ I will call my Jesters! They are clever knaves--they will
find the gifts!

_Happyheart:_ Call them quickly!

_Childhood:_ I have to do very funny things, because I am Childhood,
you know. (She dances backward and forward across the room, with merry
step; pirouettes and points finger into audience.) Some one out there
must laugh, or the Jesters will not think we are merry. Laugh, someone,
laugh! Harder! I am Childhood! Laugh with me! (As she speaks some one
in the audience laughs; others join.)

_Childhood_ (runs to door):

Jester big, jester small,
Come at Childhood's merry call!

(Jesters enter--stand near door.)

_Chorus:_ Welcome--welcome!

_Childhood_ (to Jesters): Go--find and bring us the biggest Christmas
stocking in the world! It must be filled with fairy gifts! (Jesters
hurry out.)

_Goodwill:_ How will we know which gifts to give each person?

_Childhood:_ Oh, I will look in my Book of the Past! You see I have to
keep careful records of everybody!

_Spirit:_ Why it's just like Santa Claus used to do when the
old-fashioned children believed in him! _Happyheart:_ He was a fine
man!

_Spirit:_ Ah, here they come!

(Enter Jesters dragging behind them an enormous Christmas stocking made
of red cambric. They give it to the Christmas Spirit, then step back to
the door.)

_Childhood_ (as others gather around the stocking): Go, Jesters, and
bring me my Book of Records!

_Happyheart:_ Open it quickly! (Spirit opens stocking--all peep in.)
Oh, lots and lots of gifts!

(Jester returns, gives book to Childhood who goes to the right of group
and stands next to Happyheart.)

_Childhood_ (solemnly to audience): Are all the grownups ready? Have
they got their best wish on top of their hearts?

_Happyheart:_ Is every one happy?

_Goodwill:_ Do you all feel very, very kind to one another?

_Peace:_ Do you know my songs?

_Childhood:_ Then let's have a bright light so that we may begin!

(Lights of the room flash on.)

(Spirit takes packages one by one from the stocking and reads the name.
Then she holds the package while Happyheart reads from Childhood's
Record what the book has to say of each person. After this has been
read Joy with dancing step takes the fairy package to the person named.
This goes on until every one in the audience has received a gift.)

_Spirit_ (throws stocking down): The stocking is empty!

_Happyheart:_ The fairy gifts are all gone! _Childhood_ (shakes finger
at audience): But each one of you has a wish that will come true, just
as sure as sure can be; for you have received a fairy gift!

_Happyheart:_ And now they will be happy!

_Goodwill_ (claps her hands together as if with a happy thought): Let
us send the Jesters to bring in to them the Christmas Bowl! If they
drink our fairy brew they will never, never forget this Christmas!

_Happyheart:_ And they will always believe in the Christmas Spirit!

_Spirit:_ And in the Christmas Fairies!

_Goodwill:_ Go, Jesters, and bring in to them the Christmas Bowl!
(Jesters go out quickly.)

_Spirit:_ Now, fairies, we must stop our work! We've worked overtime
already, and you know there is an eight-hour law now for fairies.

_Merrylips:_ Yes, but we've helped these poor grownfolks! _Happyheart:_
Let us say farewell to them! Now, one--two--three!

_Chorus_ (waving hands):

May the brew that we've mixed you make every heart light, Merry
Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

(Fairies dance out, followed by the Spirit. Jesters, blowing horns,
enter the room, bearing a tray upon which is placed a punch bowl filled
with Nora's best cider punch.)

* * * * *

Loud applause demanded the return of the fairies and then all gathered
in a merry group around the punch bowl while Mr. Lee toasted the
youthful cast.

"I suspect you, Miss Bab, of a hand in those records," he cried,
shaking a finger at Barbara. A paper crown was set rakishly on his
head.

Behind the laughter in Mrs. Lee's eyes was shining something very like
tears as she drew little Alice to her. Across the brightly-crowned
heads of the children her glance caught Mr. Lee's.

"I feel as if my heart _had_ been brushed by fairy wings to-night," she
said with a happy sigh.

CHAPTER XX

SHADOWS

"William, it _can't_ be true!"

Keineth, pausing on the threshold of the dining-room door, overheard
the words. Peggy and Billy had gone to school; she was starting out for
her music lesson and had stopped to ask Aunt Nellie a question. The
tone of Aunt Nellie's voice, the seriousness of Mr. Lee's face, made
Keineth's heart turn cold with fear!

"Aunt Nellie." They both turned towards her, startled. Involuntarily
Mrs. Lee slipped the newspaper she had been reading under her napkin.

"Keineth, dear!" She held out her hand, her eyes filling with tears.

Keineth stood quite still, looking from one to the other, and because
he was always somewhere very close in her mind and heart she cried
"Daddy!"

Mrs. Lee had a curiously helpless look, as if she scarcely knew what to
say, and with one hand she still held the paper beneath her napkin. Mr.
Lee's voice was husky, he had to clear it two or three times before he
could speak, and all the while Keineth's great eyes were fastened
gravely upon him, demanding the truth.

"It may be a false report, my dear. There's been an accident at sea,
and according to the paper--"

"My daddy was in it!" cried Keineth, putting her hands to her face.
"Was my daddy in it?" she demanded in a queer little voice.

"Come here, dear," Mrs. Lee held out her hand again, but Keineth did
not stir.

"Was he--in--it?" she demanded again.

"His name was listed among the passengers sailing from Liverpool, but
there may have been a mistake."

Keineth's eyes were blazing. She walked to the table.

"Please give me that paper, Aunt Nellie! I have a right to know what it
says!" She did not seem like the child she was as she stood there,
white-faced. Her voice was very calm. Aunt Nellie handed her the paper;
as she did so she said pleadingly: "Keineth, why not wait until your
Uncle William has found out if it is true?" But Keineth did not hear
her; she slowly unfolded the paper, stared a moment at the headlines,
then, turning, rushed with it from the room.

There it was--his name! Her finger found it and stopped, as though she
cared nothing for the rest! She read the big letters of the headlines,
the few words that told of the attack by a German submarine on the big
passenger ship, of the horrible confusion of the few moments before it
sank, of the wild panic of the cowardly and the splendid bravery of a
few! Then: "John Randolph, of New York City, the well-known journalist,
abroad on a special mission for the President of the United States, was
among the passengers."

Keineth, on her knees, with the paper spread out before her, read and
reread the words. They sounded so final! He was gone--her daddy was
gone!

And yet--how could this happen to her in this way? She knew a little of
death; way back in her memory was a haunting picture of her own
mother's going, of her father's grief and the music and the flowers.
And she had watched the funeral of Francesca's baby brother from behind
the geranium boxes. There had been music then, too. But this was so
different--just the lines in the newspaper and then nothing more, ever
and ever and ever! It couldn't happen like that! She was too puzzled to
cry. There were so many questions she wanted to ask-how deep _was_ the
ocean there? Couldn't they swim? And whom could she ask who would tell
her all about it?

She heard the door open, but did not turn her head. She felt Aunt
Nellie's arms lift her, draw her head close to her breast. Aunt
Nellie's voice was very tender.

"Uncle William has gone to telegraph immediately to the New York
offices of the steamship line. We may learn more, my dear. You must be
brave--you know how brave your father always was."

Almost violently Keineth pushed her away.

"I don't believe it!" she cried. Seizing the paper, she tore it into
little bits and threw them fiercely to the floor.

"I'll never, never, nev-er believe it! He _will_ come back!" And poor
Keineth threw herself upon her bed and covered her face tight with her
hands She had caught the look of deep pity on Aunt Nellie's face. Aunt
Nellie believed it! She could not bear it!

"Please go away," she begged through her fingers. And Aunt Nellie
slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Keineth could shut from her eyes Aunt Nellie's pity, but she could not
shut from her mind the flood of thoughts that came. Cruel thoughts,
too, which her persistent "I don't believe it" failed to drive away!
She had seen a picture once of a sinking ship; a great wave of water
had engulfed it, men were clinging to its side like flies! She
remembered it now! Remembered, too, an awful storm when, holding her
daddy's hand, she had watched from a high point of land the angry sea
surging over the rocks far beneath them. It was green and black and
white where the water hissed, and its roar had made her shiver! That
was the same sea! "Oh, I don't believe it!" she whispered. She had made
so many pictures in her mind of her father's home-coming--she had felt
sure he would surprise her! She had thought that perhaps she might go
back to the old house and find him there, or go with someone to the
dock and watch his boat come in and see him waving from its deck!
Perhaps she might be standing some afternoon in the living-room window
looking down the street watching Terry light the street lamps and
suddenly see him walking towards her! And now--oh, it just couldn't be
true!

At noon Mr. Lee came home to luncheon. The newspaper report had been
confirmed by the New York offices of the steamship company. He said
this very gravely and slowly, as though he hated to speak the words.
Peggy sat watching Keineth in a frightened sort of way; she wished
Keineth would cry so that she could put her arms around her to comfort
her! But Keineth only sat very still staring down at her plate.

"I think I'll practice, Aunt Nellie," Keineth said when the luncheon
was finished. She had to do something. She walked out of the room as
she spoke, Peggy cast an entreating look toward her mother.

"Mummy, isn't it dreadful? What _will_ we do? She acts so queer!"

Mrs. Lee answered very slowly. "Keineth will not believe it, Peggy! But
when she does, when her loss comes to her, we must help her in every
way! We must make her feel how much we love her and that she is one of
us!"

"Why, what if it was our daddy," Peggy cried. "Listen!"

For from across the hall came wonderful music--not the lesson Keineth
should be practicing, but fairy things! And happy notes, too, as though
Keineth's own hands were trying to dispel the heavy shadows about her
and give her comfort and hope!

Mr. Lee was carefully reading the report of the disaster in the
afternoon paper.

"You know it's a funny thing--no one on the boat had seen John
Randolph! Maybe--"

"Oh, maybe he got left!" cried Billy, who all through the tragic
moments had been unusually silent.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Its clang startled each one of them! The
music across the hall stopped with a crash! They heard Keineth flying
to the door.

In a moment she returned, holding a yellow envelope in her hand. Though
it was addressed to her she carried it to Mr. Lee. "Please read it,"
she said in a trembling voice. "I think it is from Daddy! I--can't!"

Peggy crossed quickly to Keineth's side and put one arm close about
her. Mr. Lee tore open the cablegram, read the lines written in it,
tried to speak and, failing, put the sheet of paper in Keineth's hands.

"Oh!" Keineth cried. "Oh!" Something like a laugh caught in her throat.

Changed plans--did not sail on boat. Thank God!
--JOHN RANDOLPH.

Both of Peggy's arms flew around her now; they hugged one another and
both cried. And Aunt Nellie was crying, too, and Mr. Lee had to wipe
his eyes. Billy was saying over and over, "Didn't I just have a hunch,
now?"

The shadows lifted from their hearts, the children listened while Mr.
Lee read to them the full account of the disaster which had stirred
every nation of the globe. Billy and Peggy asked many questions, but
Keineth was very silent. There were other little girls whose fathers
had gone down into the sea--her heart went out to them in deepest pity.
"I feel as though this morning was weeks ago," she said afterwards as
she and Peggy curled upon the window seat with some sewing. From
outside the sun was shining through the bare branches of the trees,
making dancing figures on the polished floor. Keineth sighed. "It makes
one realize how unhappy lots and lots of people are."

"And it makes you feel as though you could do _anything_ to help them,"
answered Peggy, staring thoughtfully out of the window where on the
city street humanity surged backward and forward in all the forms of
joy and sorrow known by God's children.

CHAPTER XXI

PILOT GOES AWAY

Pilot's dog-life had fallen into pleasant paths. His days were one
happy round of comfortable hours, spent close to the big fireplace or
at Billy's heels. He slept on an old blanket in the hallway outside of
Billy's door. His friends were Billy's friends and their dogs--Pilot
was loyal and democratic to the end of his stubby tail. His duties were
few and pleasant--to guard his master and his master's family, to keep
the next-door cat away from his door and to inspect daily the refuse
barrels in the backyards of his street. If he had a sorrow it was that
he could not go to school with the children, but he always went with
them to the corner, lifted his paw for a parting shake, watched them
disappear from sight, and trotted home to wait for the hour when they
would return. Twice daily Nora fed him choice scraps and bones which he
ate from a plate in the back hall, and if occasionally someone spoke
sharply to him or rebuked him for thoughtlessly lying upon one of the
chairs or the davenport, the sting was always softened by a pat on his
head. What hardships he had had in the past had been forgotten--he had
no concern for the future!

Of course Pilot could not always understand the language his master
spoke. He read mostly by signs. So, one morning, when he saw Billy and
Peggy and Keineth making preparations for some out-of-door pleasure, he
stood eagerly at Billy's heels, wagging his tail to tell his master
that he was ready, too.

"We can't take him on the street-car," Peggy complained.

"And he might get lost in the woods," Keineth added.

Now Pilot could not know that the children were putting on heavy
rubbers and warm sweaters under their coats because they were going to
"hike" into the woods to see if the sap was beginning to run. And from
their excited remarks he could not reason that, to get to the woods,
they would have to take the street-car to the city line and dogs were
not allowed on the street-cars. It was Saturday, and Saturday to Pilot
meant a whole day with Billy! So when they were quite ready he dashed
ahead to the door.

"You can't go Pilot. Go back!" Billy said sternly.

He stood very still and watched them disappear through the door, giving
only one little whimper. They did not even say good-by; he heard their
merry voices slowly die away. Then he lay down on the floor with one
eye on the closed door.

But even the most faithful will not wait forever. The sound of Nora's
step coaxed him into the kitchen. It was quite nice there--the sun was
shining across the white floor and something on the stove smelled very
good. Nora was singing, too, which meant that he could coax a little
and get in her way. After a while she gave him a whole cookie--he felt
happier!

A little later, having wandered several times through the empty rooms
of the house and found no one, he started out of doors in search of
some amusement. He chased the cat to the veranda roof from which she
refused to descend. He saw a friend of Billy's, so he left the cat to
walk with him to the corner. He carefully examined some boxes that were
piled there, then he made friends with a stray terrier who stopped to
exchange greetings with him. Pilot liked the terrier, together they
trotted down the street, block after block.

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