Thoma
Sl
S x
of dw
friends
ims Eve found
left the rly.
nd low
Christn
Tie There
however,
office
particular resson to,
home.
ed up and mailed
for her at
"here wasn't the slightest pressure or i
And Christmas |
without bustle and |
waiting
Eve, thought Sallv,
fuss and
wasn't Christmas
jostling and merry confusion, |
Eve at all
Fifth avenue. She |
vaguely hoped that some of the holi- |
day spirit of the crowds of New York |
and thrill
She felt sorry for herself, and |
and utterly out of sorts. Her
pleaszant plans had all gone awry. No
one could spare time from their fami
lies to celebrate with her. And Sally
lived too many thousand miles away
from home to get there for Christmas.
She had been too proud to accept the |
generous Invitations of some
other gir’ in the office,
her
1
She walked ug
might
heart
enter her veins her
CTOSS,
of the |
They asked |
to go home |
with them. But i
she knew she]
would feel out of |
things, try as she |
might to be jolly. |
Oh, well — ghe |
might scrape some
one up to go to a
play or concert.
She walked until
she was tired and
then took a bus,
Once in the crush
of people at a
street corner she |
caught her breath, |
There was a sud- |
den hint of bread |
shoulders she used |
to know. A cer |
tain high carriage |
of the head, a quick decisiveness of |
manner, Then the man was lost to
view.
She shook herself for a silly fool,
» thought she had crowded all tha
msense out of her mind long
teddy had gone on one
Mongolls
1odd
tic expeditions to
liculous bones
nals. Ad
in
years
counts of h
had
or three
been the papers
Sally found her
1d cozy was
she realized A
decided to
slow ls
She
out for nner
5
wk or two, and there w
as
1 up amaz-
she wotle
{ttle tingle of
she chirke
decided
onger Al
itement wrigegled up her neck No
all but it and
»l. She supped gayly on a home
at she felt
ade salad, bread and butter and a
ike. Doing up the
felt positively merry
childish excitement
concerning Christ
mas began singing in her heart.
dishes she
The old-time,
everything
She
‘I won't even look up the concerts
tonight over the radio” she an
nounced. “I'll just tune in at random |
and see what happens.”
With a little flutter of happiness she
A harsh rasping-—the clapping
many hands—continued applause!
She listened, keyed up to a high |
pitch of suspense. Probably some or-
of |
Then-—silence.
silence—then a volce,
Sally stiffened In her chalr., Color |
drained out of her face. She scarcely |
breathed.
“You are kind,” sald the volce, “to |
give a weary-worn traveler such a wel. |
come home. I have been in far
Quite a long |
There was an interval when Sally's
clear brain blurred. She lost the next
Then she regained her
poise and sat intent on every word
Back of what she heard with her ears
was the unfolding book of memory.
Page after page fluttered through her
consciousness. That terrific row she
and Reddy had over nothing at all—
how he had left In a white fury—how
he had sald he would go to the end
of the world and never come back.
They were young and impetuous,
She had not seen him for seven
years. In the meantime he had made
a name for himself In science, And
three years ago he went on this fa.
mous expedition, There had been a
formal letter or two between them.
That was all,
Now he was back~back In New
York on Christmas Eve, addressing a
large audience!
Sally took off the earphones. She
sat a minute longer. Then in a whirl
hat and went flying out the door. Like
Khe
ust! She
A 1
han
an
ower
*
. her
n sent her feet
: $y the
Hed
“Thinner he was,
nd brown
Heavy lines in his
Mouth al.
fust the
1 laughing
ally was next
now in the wait.
group who
congratulat
the successful
Her
ing
were
ing
explorer,
throat
She could scarcely
her
and
jift her eves, Then
clear, con
“Merry Christ.
volee came,
trolled natural.
They went out to dinner somewhere
Reddy tucked Sally under his arm.
both at once. They made abject apol-
ogles for thelr stupid behavior to each
other seven years ago.
eram a thousand questions
swers into every minute,
They were unashamed of their joy.
They didn't care.
lestial harp In heaven.
“I knew your volce Instantly,” sald
Sally at least a dozen times.
“Do you think you could marry me
by New Year's?” persisted Reddy.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you absurd
boy I"
“Then I'll
seven years!"
| The threat brought her down, “Come
to my apartment for a moment and
say ‘Merry Christmas!’ to the radio,”
ghe begged.
And Reddy did.
(@, 1928, Western Newspaper Union.)
scoot off for another
RECKLESS,
Willie: Ma's
going to buy you
a couple of reck-
tiea for Christ
mas,
Pop: That's
reckless -- and
hard times, too,
she usually only
gives me one,
By William Banks
he olben baps, the golben bays
They all come back to me,
Ag happilp the children crotod
fAround the Christmas tree,
3 see once more the comrades true
March onward by mp sibe,
3 Hear the echo of their songs
To greet the Christmastide.
Fn olden bays, in golden baps
$Hp thoughts were high and bold,
But ob the glory of this hour
When in mp arms 3 hold
The gilts that lobe has brought to me,
hep {ill mp heart with pride,
Ag 3 join in their happy songs
To greet the Christmastide.
5@andles |
yok
aroaret
» chime of Christ.
No Christmas tree Is com
the candles, whether of
or
of electric lights, have been
¢ elderly lady of my ac-
iid in
“Twelfth
ps euch ch the
5 ery Year fa
* candle, large
x3
This Is a vers
| candle, which Is to be
“hristmas eve and place
in a wreath
flan
Hohe
HEN
jowsill set
d so placed that its
a Christmas
§ 3
winds
willl
Ww
fa 1 oie
i% As joliows
of the s
in
thr h the ty
¥
ug
*
the Wise men were !
on their journey to the manger where |
the young « hild lay.
love this bean
tiful custom of having a lighted can- |
dle represent the Christmas star, and |
in of the homes where the
Twelfth Night candle is kept burning
each child cares for the candle for an |
The candle |
Children especially
some
circle and when the child |
fs his duty to blow |
A Twelfth Night can- |
its flame,
bed It
to how to burn it, makes a simple but |
significant Christmas gift, either for
children or thelr elders,
(Copyright)
Hurry, Santa
“Do you expect Santa Claus to be
very good to you this Christmas?"
“He only has one more pay day be-
fore Christmas, so I can’t say.”
Spirit Church Bells
In olden times it was believed that
at Christmas the sound of church bells
could be heard wherever a church bad
stood, though no trace remain,
i
: = B 5
' TTA
fo]
ESERIES
verre
CN
me ———
ert weet
Dl Pra, #8
* Cid
¥
GRE
nk fle
Fama”
praan started,
glanced to-
his chauf-
wl
standing by
car door
“Too bad!” he
said. “1 suppose
you are planning
to get through to
Lakeland for
Christmas, Why
baggage
0
was
the
you your
“Only a suitcase and a package of
You see, I'm just
making a flying visit to see my daugh-
ter before she leaves,
ried.”
wife and daughter. We're bound for
Lakeland, too, and will be there the
day before Christmas, My man will
get your baggage.”
“B-beat the railroad?”
poor connection. 1 don't—"
“Hop in,” he repeated, taking ber
arm and urging her to the car. “We're
glad to have company to talk with,
Here you are,” as the chauffeur came
with the suitcase and a small box.
“Now we're off I"
It had all happened so swiftly that
the old woman hardly realized it be-
fore they shot out of the town and
were speeding on their way toward
Lakeland ‘at better than fifty miles
an hour,
But still ghe did not realize it. Fif-
teen miles over the rough country
roads in the decrepit plantation flivver
had all the sensations of more rapid
and dangerous travel than sixty In
this big, easy-running car. She set.
tled back luxuriously, The women
were nice, too,
+ +)
such
never
holly
£AW a
so full
of berries! 1 want
some.”
“C hristmas
gtuff is nothing
but foolishness
and bother, and—
oh. 1 beg your pardon. Of course !
you help cut the branches”
Before they got in, with the chauf-
feur's help, she insisted on fastening
bunches of holly all about the car.
At first the owner scowled. Then
presently his gaze began to wander
tree,
to change to something like a
grin. At Jacksonville he drew up be-
“Got to get something to match that
holly,” he muttered. “Foolish to have
all that stuff outside and no Santa in.
And maybe Josephine will expect
something.”
“Josephine? eagerly. “You got one
“Same one.” the grin expanding
“My son's just married. Don't give
though--in money. Tom
don’t need any, for he's going to man.
age a chain of banks, Still and all,
1 expect they'll appreciate the half
you spoke of. And yes, better come
in the store with me and pick out a
basketful of claptrash for those
darkies.”
(©. 1926, Western Newspaper Union.)
Unlucky
In some countries it is regarded as
unlucky to carry anything from the
house Christmas morning until some
thing has been brought in.
Outgrow Toys
After the children have outgrow)
toys father doesn't have much fun ob
| Christmas,