I grovel in apology and I pray you to forgive me. You can't refuse
your forgiveness when I implore it, can you?"
Mrs. Budlong wanted to but could not and the two women fell about each
other's throats and exchanged moan for moan. As they were comfortably
dabbing each other's tears from their cheeks and sniffing their own and
laughing cosily after the rain, Johnetta giggled and sobbed at once:
"The idea of your thinking I didn't just love you--and me working my
fingers to the bone making a Christmas present for you!"
X
A WELL-LAID PLAN
In the Civil War there were over two thousand battles and the details
could not be reported in a lifetime. But their result can be stated in
a phrase. The same brevity must apply to the campaigns, the
stratagems, ballistics and tactics of Mrs. Budlong: numberless efforts
at secession ended as a lost cause.
There was one more desperate struggle. While only a few days stood
between her and her famous Christmas afternoons, she and her dour
husband were having a bitter council of war. She had another attack of
inspiration.
"I have it! the very thing! Why haven't we thought of it before?
Quarantine!"
"Quarantine?" echoed Mr. Budlong as if the word were gibberish.
"Yes. If we had something contagious in the house and a quarantine on,
people couldn't come here with their odious gifts and they would be so
afraid to get ours that they'd be much obliged to us for not sending
them any.
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