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Show -179- "When did this come?" he asked his wife. "Just a few minutes ago. I had to get the bread in, so didn't stop to open i t ." "Any other mail?" She shook her head. "Nothing important. Just some b i l l s . They're on the mantle." He carried the package into the front room and set it down before the couch. They had'decided not to have a tree this Christmas. They had been invited to their utttmr daughter's house in the c i t y for Christmas Eve and dinner on Christmas day, His wife had done the shopping for presents they had sent to Chicago, some d i r e c t l y from the stores, and there was a small stack of packages before the fireplace that she had bought for them to take to t h e i r younger daughter's house. He hadn't even decided what to buy forgJiis wife. "Shall I open this package?" he asked, loudly so she could hear from the kitchen. "If you want t o , " she called back. " I ' l l be in in a minute. He got a knife out of a drawer by the bar and cut the string, then tore the brown paper wrapper and threw i t into the fireplace. Inside, the box was taped, and he cut through the tape, then pulled out six gaily wrapped smaller packages that he placed beside him on the couch? He rustled around in the crumpled paper inside the box, making sure he had every- |
