Plenty of Proof
By O.
F. WDODRUFF
N aDDY sat. upon the top step
4 of the stairs that led to the
street and rested his chin in
fthe palm of his hand. Some of the fel-
Yows came along and hullooed to him,
but Teddy didn’t answer. He didn’t
‘want to play with. the fellows just
mow, for be was battling with a great
@orrow,
Tom had said it, so it must be true,
for Tom was eight years old and didn’t
have to go to bed until 8 o'clock. Ted-
idy’s hour for retiring was half past
7, and He realized ‘that the extra half
our made a man of the world gut of
Tom, while it left the unfortunate Ted-
dy still a baby.
Tom had stuck his hands into his
pockets—Tom’s trousers were lovely
and rough, just like his father’s—and
had swaggered around telling all the
fellows that there wasn't any Santa
IClaus! When questioned further, he
had said that there used to be, but
that this year there wasn’t going to be,
and there never would be again.
No Santa Claus!
been six years old, he might have
cried, but of course one as old as he
never cried.
Teddy wondered if he'd better tell
his mother. He decided he wouldn't.
Why should his mother, whom he
loved so dearly, be made to suffer any
longer than was necessary?
It was hard, though, during the next
two weeks, which seemed like years,
not to tell, and when Christmas eve
. came and his mother gayly brought
out his biggest pair of stockings and
hung them up at the end of the man-
tel he could hardly keep back the
tears. How disappointed he and his
mother would be when they got up in
the morning and found the stockings
empty! She leaned over and kissed
him tenderly. “Are you tired, dear?”
she asked. “You don’t seem as happy
as usual!”
Teddy assured her, as well as he
was able for the lump in his throat,
that he was perfectly well. His moth-
er, like the wise one that she was,
didn’t press the question. She merely
drew up her low rocking chair and sat
beside the bed until she thought Ted-
dy was asleep and then she crept
quietly down stairs.
Teddy lay for a long time after she
went, watching the-firelight flicker on
the walls. He couldn’t go to sleep and
bestdes what was the use, when there
wasn’t anything to wake up for? A
good many tears rolled out of the cor-
ners of his eyes, but he didn’t care
NOW.
He must have lain there for about
four or ten hours, he thought, and had
just shut his eyes to rest them from
the light, when he heard a sound, a
very little bit of a sound. He sat up
quickly in bed and listened eagerly,
because it sounded, it really did sound,
as if it might be sleighbells. In a min-
ute, he didn’t know just how, he was
leaning out of the window.
He didn’t feel as if he had walked
there at all, but more as if he had just
skimmed along without any effort on
his part, as if he had been some sort
of delightful fish bird. He leaned away
out of the window, not feeling a bit
afraid of falling, and looked down up-
on the street.
Yes, down there on the street, as
plain as day, he could see the reindeer
shaking their long horns and prancing
until the bells that seemed almost to
cover them filled the air with their
musical jingle. And then there was a
gleam of red. Somebody was climbing
into the aledgh! There was the echo
of 2 jovial voice calling, the horns of
the reindeer quivered joyfully, their
little feet pawed the ground, then the
whole turnout seemed to leap into
the air, and like a flash was gone!
Teddy rubbed his eyes. It was fun-
ny: Ife thouzht hz was at the win-
€o, Lt here he was in bed. :
JH: at up and looked around the
roem. The fire in the grate had gone
oui, put the grzy lizh: of the morning
waz beginning to stegl through the
curiafnz, Teddy slid out of bed and
crept softly to the fireplace.
‘he gtockings were bulging in all
Size. leu, tz hed been their exhilarat-
fang won: in other vears! He put out
his band and touc hed one of them
gently. It vias no drcam! The stock:
ing waz full to ¢
c
7, ae
:
With a little whispering
wh ze cl joy and relief Teddy clasped
hig »--ds v=! ‘Y- knuckles showed
a8 vhi :new outside. Then
with a ry. olute delight he
dashed int {her's room.
She opened a pair of sleepy eyes at
the sound cof the pattering little feet.
threw himself upon her, laugh-
d sobbing.
“Oh, mother, mother, mother!” he
cri d. ‘He come after all! Santa
( 8 did come! Santa Claus did
! He did, he did, he did!”—Chi-
If Teddy hadn’t
PORE MONEY
70 SPEND,
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ON
$60 6066666060606
PVIPITVIITIVIOPIIYIOE
The ( Goblins
A Christmas Story
$06660660606060606064660646064¢
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ALLLALLALALL
N an old abbey town a long, long
while ago there officiated as sex-
ton and gravedigger in the
churchyard one Gabriel Grubb.
He was am ill conditioned, cross grain-
ed, surly fellow, who consorted with
nobody but himself and an old wicker
bottle, which fitted into his large. deep
waistcoat pocket.
A little before twilight one Christmas
eve Gabriel shouldered his spade, light-
ed his lantern and betook himself to-
ward the old churchyard. for he had a
grave to finish by next morning.
He strode along until he turned into
the dark Jane which led to the church-
yard—a nice, gloomy, mournful place,
into which the townspeople did not
care to go except in broad daylight:
consequently he was not a little indig-
nant to hear a young urchin roaring
out some jolly song about a merry
Christmas. Gabriel waited until the
boy came up, then rapped bim over the
head with his lantern five or six times
to teach him to modulate his voice.
And as the boy hurried away, with his
“SHOW HIM A FEW NF THE PICTURES.”
hand to his head, Gabriel Grubb chuck-
led to himself and entered the church.
yard, locking the gate behind him.
He took off his coat, put down his
lantern and, getting inte an unfinished
grave, worked at it for an hour or so
with right good will. ' But the earth
was hardened with the frost, and it
was no easy matter to break if up and
shovel it out. When he had finished
work for the night and looked down
into the grave with grim satisfaction
be murmured:
“Brave ‘odzings for one, brave lodgings
for one,
A few feet of cold earth whem life is
done.
“Ho, ho!” he laughed as he sat him.
sel? down on a flat tomhstone, which
was a favorite resting place of his, and
drew forth a wicker bottle.
“Ho, ho, ho!” repeated a voice close
beside him.
“14 was the echoes,” said he, raising
the Lotte to his lips again.
“It was not,” said a deep voice.
f3abriel started up and etood rooted
tw tie spot with terror,
Seated on an unripht tombstone close
to him wus a strange nnearthly figure
He was sitting perfectly «till, crinning
at Gabriv! Grobbk with such a ¢rin as
only a goblin could call up
“What do you here on Christmas
eve? said the goblin sternly.
“1 ¢ame to dig a grave. sir’ stam
ered 23abriei
“What man wanders awoug uraves
on such a night as this?” cried the gob-
lin.
“Gabriel Grubb, Gabriel Grubb!”
screamed 8 wild chorus of voices that
seemed to fill the churchyard.
“What have you got in that bottle?”
said the goblin.
“Hollands, sir,” replied the sexton,
frembling more than ever, for he had
bought it of the smugglers, and be
thought his ouestioner might be in the
excise department of the goblins.
“Who drinks Hollands alone and in
a churchyard on such a night as this?
“Gabriel Grubb, Gabriel Grubb?’ ex-
claimed the wild voices again.
“And who, then. is our lawful prize?”
exclaimed the goblin.
The invisible chorus replied, “Gabriel
Grubb, Gabriel Grubb!”
The sexton gasped for breath.
“What do you think of this, Ga
briel?” said the goblin.
“It’'s—it’s very curious, sir; very cu-
rious, sir, and very pretty,” replied the
sexton, half dead with fright “But |
think I'll go back and finish my work.
sir, if vou please.”
“Work?” said the goblin.
work ?”
“The grave, sir.”
“Oh, the grave, eh? Who makes
graves at a time when other men are
merry and takes a pleasure in it?”
Again the voices replied, “Gabriel
Grubb, Gabriel Grubb!”
“I'm afraid my friends want you.
Gabriel,” said the goblin.
“Under favor, sir,” replied the hor-
ror stricken sexton. “I don’t think
they can. They don’t know me, sir
I don’t think the gentlemen have ever
seen me.”
“Oh, yes, they have! We know the
man who struck the boy in the envious
malice of his heart because the boy
could be merry and he could not.”
Here the goblin gave a loud, shrill
laugh which the echoes returned twen-
tyfold.
“I—1 am afraid I must leave you.
sir,” said the sexton, making an effort
to move.
“Leave us!” said the goblin. “Ho, ho.
ho!”
As the goblin laughed he suddenly
darted toward Gabriel, laid his hand
on his collar and sank with him
through the earth. And when he had
had time to fetch his breath he found
himself in what appeared to be a large
cavern, surrounded on all sides bv gob
lins ugly and grim.
“And now.” said the king of the gob-
lins, seated in the center of the room
on an elevated seat—his friend of the
churchyard—*“show the man of misery
and gloom a few of the pictures from
our great storehouses.”
As the goblin said this a cloud rolled
gradually away and disclosed a small
and scantily furnished but neat apart
ment. Little children were gathered
round a bright fire, clinging to their
mother’s gown or gamboling round her
chair. A frugal meal was spread upon
the table, and an elbow chair was
placed near the fire. Soon the father
entered, and the children ran to meet
him. As he sat down to his meal the
mother sat by his side, and all seemed
happiness and comfort.
“What do you think of that?” said
the goblin.
Gabriel murmured something about
its being very pretty.
“Sbow him some more,” said the
goblin.
Many a time the cloud went and
came, and many a lesson it tapght to
Gabriel Grubb. He saw that men who
worked hard and earned their scanty
bread were cheerful and happy. And
he came to the conclusion tt was a
“What
very respectable sort of world after |
all. One by one the goblins faded from
his sight, and as the last one disap
peared he sank to sleep.
The day had broken when he awoke
and found himself lying on the flat
| ty by his side.
gravestone, with the wicker bottle emp-
He got on his feet as
well as he could and, brushing the
frost off his coat, turned his face to
ward the town.
But he was an altered man. He had
le gentleness and good
adventures in the
n — Charles Dickens.
lessons of
NLS ALE RT Tr — iE
| No Chance of That.
| The beggar accepted gratefully a
|
nickel from the professional humorist.
“Thank you, sir,” he said, his voice
! | vibrant with deep feeling. *“Oh, thank
you, sir, and may you live to be as
old as your jokes.”—Washington Post.
Life of the Red Deer.
According to an old Gaelic legend a
red deer might live for 210 years, an
eagle for 630 and an oak tree for near-
ly nineteen centuries. Nowadays, how-
ever, hundred-year-old deer would be
difficult to find. From twenty-five to
thirty-five years apparently may be
about the range of their existence.—
London Express.
Her Bridge. :
“What's her bridge like?" “The
Bridge of
gasp.”—Life.
The Open Window,
windows. To keep these open day and
night and to make the air imside ap-
proach ds néarly as’ possible ‘the ®
outside shouid be the first: business of
the housekeeper. 2.
S—————————
A lazy liver leads to chronic dys-
pepsia and constipation—weakens
the whole system. Doan’sfRegulets
(26¢ per box) acts mildly on the liver
and bowels. At all drug stores zd.
makes every ong ||
The best part of a modern ‘house is its
JOIN
OUR
19215
Christmas Savings Club
STARTS DECEMBER 28, 1914
Chiistmas presents? Join
our plan.
Payments must be made every week, or may be
paid in advance.
Can you think of an easier way to provide
yourself—get everyone in
. your family to join, and show this to your friends and
- get them to join. Everybody i is welcome to join, :
: The Christmas Savings Club opens Monday,
December 28, 1914. Cali and let us tell you all "about
Checks for this year’s fond are being prepared
for mailing about December 18th.
Shingles! Shingles! Shingles!
STEVENS
Repeating Shotguns
The Stevens Hammerless
costs no more than some hammer guns.
it has the celebrated
STEVENS RECOIL UNLOCK
providing safety against
Our Price
(32 or 20 Gauge)
$21.60
T. W. Gurley.
A Dealer in
IGE SPORTING GOODS.
—
Enroute one car eighteen inch Eureka
Red Cedar Shingles, which we ex-
pect soon. Our price right ont of
the car aud for cash will be $4.26 per
thousand. Get yovr orders early.
ad MEYERSDALE PLANING MILL.
De
For SALE—A four year old thor-
ough bred Shropshire Ram.
Ozias WEIMER,
nov.12-3tad Sand Patch, Pa., R. D. 1.
entertainer
This—And Five Cents!
Don’t Miss This! Cut out this slip,
enclose five cents to Foley Co.,
Chicago, 11l., writing your name and
address clearly. You will receive in
return a free trial package contain
ing Foley’s Honey snd Tar Com-
pound, for coughs, colds and croup,
Foley Kidney Pills and Foley Ca-
thartic Tablets. For sale ia your
town.
Sold by all Dealers Everywhere. ad
rm
Second National Bank,
Of Meyersdale, Pa,
rr
2nd
«Shoe Polishes
’4
FINEST QUALITY LARGEST vamery
[INTE
T EDGE," the ¢
vely contains
serves ladies’
25,
the kind you want, send us
fullsize charges paid.
J ee Soca actk
WH BROS. & CO, @
20-26 Albany Street, Cambridge, Muss.
The Oldest a and Largest Masnulociurers of
hoe Polishes in the Wr
McKENZIE & SMITH,
The time and the place to buy your
Christmas Candy, Groceries and China
1 1b. can Heinz Plum Pudding
Corso Finest Table Cheese, per
Strawberries .............
Hershey Full 1b. Box Cocoa ..
3 1b. can Landaluza Pears ....
Brownie Yellow Cling Peaches
White Top California Peaches
23 1b. can Crubro Mince Meat
1 1b. can Premier White Asparagus ...
2 1b. can Princess Royal Preserved
35
2 1b. can Premier Sliced Pineapple .... .25
35
8 1b. can White Cherries (finest quality) .25
18c can Lake View Apricots ...
Premier Snappy Relish, per bottle .... .10
ve nave $.25 Perfect Breakfast Coffee, just the thing
box ... .25 for Christmas Dinner .......... . .30
30 Yoro Steel Cut Coffee .............. v.32
20c can Strawbery Preserves ......... .10
a : Finest quality Budded Walnut ........ 28
Finest quality English Walnuts ....... 25
aati . Extra quality Cream Nuts ........... .20
Loose Dates per lb. .......... ees .10
Sivaoe ooh l11b.loose Figs ........... condi... .20
Ca .15 | Full Ib. Package Raisins ............ .12%
Stan .25 1 1b. Package Cluster Raisins ......... .15
aah .20 Large size Fancy Prunes, perlb. ..... .15
Swan’s Down Prepared Cake Flour ... .%5
Heinz Indian Relish, perlb. .......... .15
Lettuce, Celery, Cranberries and all
kinds of green goods at lowest prices.
Oranges of all sizes from 18c to 40c per dozen.
We Have a Full Line of Fancy China,
Just the thing for a nice X-mas present; come in
early and get your choice.
| We pay highest market prices for Butter,
Bogs and all Country Produce.
Center Street,
Naugle Block,
Meyersdale, Pa.
James
as his g
portage
trapper
Joe de
Lyon to
canoe.
By st
making
the mau:
Close ri
Wayman
. “Thou
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i “Do 3
“All
i “How
bad ter