"You do miss a lot of fun, not having a jolly family Christmas like
ours."
"I'm convinced of it. See here, Miss Ruth, there's something I want you
to do for me if you will. When you waken to-morrow morning send me--a
Christmas thought. Will you? I'll be looking for it."
Ruth drew back her head in order to look up into his face for an
instant. "A Christmas thought?" she repeated, surprised.
He nodded. "As if I were a brother, you know, far away at the other side
of the world--and lonely. I'll really be as far away from all your
merry-making as if I were at the other side of the world, you see--and
I'm not sure but I'll be as lonely."
"Why, Mr. Kendrick! You--lonely! I can't believe it!" Ruth almost forgot
to keep step in her surprise. "But--of course, just you and your
grandfather! Only--I've heard how popular--"
She paused, not venturing to tell him all she had heard of his gay and
fashionable friends and how they were always inviting and pursuing him.
"Are you always lonely at Christmas?" she ended.
"Always; though I've never realized what was the matter with me till
this year. Do you care about finishing this dance? Let's stop in this
nice corner and talk about it a minute.
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