His For Christmas (3 page)

Soon,
too
soon,
they
seemed
to
come
to
a
compromise,
although
the
sour
look
on
the
tall,
spare
man
at
the
end
hinted
at
a
less--than--fair
decision
and
Elliot
decided
it
was
time
to
move.
Better
to
move
than
stand
next
to
them
and
quite
possibly,
roll
the
world
’
s
largest
snowball
and
launching
it
in
their
direction.

His
reputation
would
be
shot,
and
God
knew,
as
the
town
’
s
newest
solicitor,
reputation
was
all
he
had.

Timothy
had
been
in
the
emporium
for
some
time
and
Elliot
walked
into
the
large
general
store,
with
no
small
amount
of
trepidation,
the
small
silver
bell
tinkling
merrily
as
he
opened
the
heavy
wooden
door.
“
Timothy?
”

His
charge
stared
at
him
with
no
end
of
embarrassment
as
Mrs.
Graham
clucked
over
the
boy,
a
length
of
dark
wool
hanging
from
her
ample
arms.
When
her
pale
blue
eyes
fell
on
Elliot,
he
swallowed.

“
Ah,
Mr.
Whitley!
Just
the
gentleman
I
was
looking
for!
”
she
said
and
Elliot
felt
a
brief
pang
of
shame
that
he
wanted
to
turn
on
one
hell
and
run
away,
run
somewhere
far,
far
away
where
he
wouldn
’
t
be
forced
into
buying
something
he
definitely
did
not
need.

For
that
was
the
power
of
the
matron
of
the
emporium.
It
was
a
very
well
--
known
fact
a
man
needing
only
a
bag
of
flour,
would
stumble
out
with
four
pounds
of
potatoes,
a
length
of
red
ribbon,
two
bushels
of
apples,
two
mugs,
three
lanterns,
five
pounds
of
oats
and
a
bag
of
flour.

No
wonder
Mr.
Graham
had
the
funds
available
to
add
another
extension
onto
the
store.
At
this
point,
the
emporium
would
probably
put
all
the
other
vendors
out
of
business.

“
Tell
me,
what
do
you
think
of
this
length
of
wool,
Mr.
Whitley?
Do
you
not
think
it
is
of
the
utmost
highest
quality?
Just
in
from
Boston!
For
you
and
your
boy,
I
think
we
can
come
to
some
sort
of
monetary
agreement?
”