Part 56 (1/2)
The next morning they talked it over.
”What am I to do? He needs me more than ever--”
”There must be some way out, Derry.”
But what way? The Tin Soldier had jumped from the shelf, but he had fallen through a crack! And the war was going on without him--!
CHAPTER XXII
JEAN PLAYS PROXY
Christmas morning found the General conscious. He was restless until Jean was brought to him. He had a feeling that she had saved him from Hilda. He wanted her where he could see her. ”Don't leave me,” he begged.
She slipped away to eat her Christmas dinner with Derry and Emily and Margaret. It was an early dinner on account of the children. They ate in the big dining room, and after dinner there was a tree, with Ulrich Stolle playing Father Christmas. It had come about quite naturally that he should be asked. It had been unthinkable that Derry could enter into the spirit of it, so Emily had ventured to suggest Ulrich.
”He will make an ideal Santa Claus.”
But it developed that he was not to be Santa Claus at all. He was to be Father Christmas, with a wreath of mistletoe instead of a red cap.
Teddy was intensely curious about the change. ”But why isn't he Santa Claus?” he asked.
”Well, Santa Claus was--made in Germany.”
”Oh!”
”But now he has joined the Allies and changed his name.”
”Oh!”
”And he wears mistletoe, because mistletoe is the Christmas bush, and red caps don't really mean anything, do they?”
”No, but Mother--”
”Yes?”
”If Santa Claus has joined the Allies what will the little German children do?”
_What indeed_?
Jean had trimmed a little tree for the General, and the children carried it up to him carefully and sang a carol--having first arranged on his table, under the lamp, the purple camels, to create an atmosphere.
”'We three kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse far Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star--'”
”Yonner 'tar,” piped Margaret-Mary.
”Yon-der-er ste-yar,” trailed Teddy's falsetto.
”'Oh, star of wonder, star of might, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to the perfect light--'”