There was a piano in the living room, and Stella and Clay went to it,
and while Clay played the violin, Stella accompanied him.
Lively airs were demanded, and the ranch house fairly rang with the
clapping of feet as Bud and Carl and Kit danced reels and jigs and cake
walks, and the laughter of the boys at Bud's jokes and Carl's lingual
mistakes.
But at last they became tired of music. It was ten o'clock, and the
major disappeared for a few minutes, then entered, leading the way for
the two Chinamen, who bore between them baskets of rosy apples, dishes
of nuts and raisins and candies, and pitchers of cider.
Although the day had been warm enough in the sun, the night was cool,
and the fire that leaped high in the fireplace made the room cozy and
comfortable, and one could well imagine that outside was the snow
glistening under the stars, and hear the far-away jingle of the sleigh
bells.
They sat around the fireplace eating apples and cracking nuts, talking
nonsense and laughing at Bud's comic antics, until even Farnsworth
relaxed from the air of anxiety he had borne all evening, and once or
twice laughed.
But Bud kept his eye on him, for he was distrustful of him, and believed
that he was up to some trick.
At the end of the living room, between two massive deer heads, hung a
big clock, and, while they were still cracking nuts and jokes it began
to toll the hour of midnight.
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