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Show vlClirisiinas iw hi Patience J Mm fJ I 1 I IKY did not have Lift ':'vsSr very much money, tyr Y? ") fact, (hey had very little. If you i . v J had peered Into Ma .m. sJ?." C rady's worn poclt- C1'. V-- ' clhook you would i':'Vr" ''""." 'mve seen only a ) s. '"'" 'lollar hill and '.3y?i' " f,'w s""'-v tl ll f p'ls' '"''H rl'l"'e" ''I 1 sptilpil three moiil lis' c a r e f u I avlng for Christ nm.s. The Crmlys were poor mid I here were seven of them. I'n (irmly was killed In an accident acci-dent three years ago, since when Ma (irady mid Susie and Kill had worked hard to keep the family together, l'.ut all the hardship In the world could not dampen the spirits of that lighting family. Susie (irady was a plucky fifteen, and got small Jobs of looking after the neighbors' babies, or coming In as n mother's helper. Kill (irady was twelve, lie picked up odd quarters in all sorts of clever ways. Ma (irady. thi.t 'osy. smiling, buttling woman, had l.er big arms in the suds from tnornl'ig until night. She did the washings of half the town. And so Christmas Kve came. And Ma Crady stepped down to where the stores were and cxpi inled her two dollars dol-lars and a few coppers on gifts for her family. In the meantime Susie m.d Hill were busy about a Christmas .tree. Kill had bought it at a great reduction bee: use it was so ugly. Slide paused In draping a hit of tinsel tin-sel en a branch. "Don't yon hear a crying?" she asked. "Haven't got time to listen to the wind," growled Kill, who was feeling too Important to be bothered with trifles. Susie went on with her work. Then "I'ut I do hear something, sure as the world !" she Insisted. Kill minted and stood off to squint up his eyes at some cotton he had Just arranged like snow. "It's a scratching sound and a whine. I'm going to see." Susie slipped into the hall. She opened the tloor. There, shivering on the sill, was the coldest, littlest dog she had ever seen In her life. It had long, silken ears and the biggest brown eyes Imag-nahle. Imag-nahle. "Why. you poor little heastle!" Su-ie gathered him up In her arms. A grateful pink tongue lapped her face. A cold little body pressed against her warm neck. She hurried ! back to the Christmas tree. "Look! Look what I've found!" Hill cam? over to examine the dog. "Cute little feller, ain't he?" he conceded. con-ceded. "Guess he's one o' them newfangled new-fangled kind: a Chinese Pekingese. Wonder why he came to our door?" I The children stood patting the new ' treasure. And the wee dog made tiny snortlngs of pleasure, wriggling and squirming with delight. The Christmas Christ-mas tree was forgotten. "Don't get him to barking or It will wake up the other kids!" warned Susie. Kor half an hour the two children played with the small stranger. Hill and Susie had never seen such a The Two Children Played With the Small Stranger. friendly litfle creature. They began to think of him as their own . . . as a Christmas gift come especially Tor them. A loud rapping on the door. A rapping rap-ping as of a cane knocked smartly against the panels. "Mercy!" said Susie, "who's that?" And she th w to answer it. "Have you seen?" asked a man's voice, a deep, businesslike voice, "a small dog about here?" "Why " stammered Susie, "why-ell" "why-ell" A sharp little bark from the other room. "Ah," said the stranger, "I perceive that you have. Allow me to enter and retiieve my property." Kefore Susie could s:iy a word the big man had pushed by her and was In the room where the Christinas tree stood. Hill had the dog tight In his arms. There was an expression on the boy's face of dogged determination. He looked as though nothing In the world could separate him from ilds newfound new-found happiness. "Yes," said Ihe stranger, "that Is the little fellow, lie got away from me while I was giving him a walk. The mistress would bo wild If 1 lost him. I'll have to tench bin a lesson." Mel reached the dog. "No, no!" cried Hill. "We found him and took him In. lie's ours!" "Why, Kill," said Susie, "yon mustn't speak t hat way !" The man laughed. "I don't wonder you want him he's a cute little tyke. Hut I must take hint back home. I'm in drive the family to a party tonight and I'm late now." Hut Hill relinquished his hold of the dog not a w hit. "You can't have l.d;n ! He's mine !" As the big man In n driver's livery took u step forward his glance fell on a framed photograph. For an install' lie blinked very fast. Then lie seru tlnleil the picture more closely. His formal speech lapsed Info natural expression. ex-pression. "Hy goiry If that ain't the spltlln' Image uf inn oldest brother Tim. Tim (irady. or I'm a liar!" Kill and Susie stood spellbound. The llllle dog made a snuMling sound Willi his nose. .lust at this moment who should come pulling In the door hut Mrs. (irady herself, her arms laden with packages, her face rosy with the cold. "Mother!" screamed Hill and Susie at once, "mother! Here's a man who lost n little dog" Mrs. (irady set her bundles jn a chair and came in. The very breath of clean outdoors came with her. "Mrs. (irady." said the man. "could your name be Norah KinnoganV" Mrs. (irady smiled. "It could and j It Is!" j "Well," said the man, and a queer, shy look passeil over 1.1s face, "maybe you won't be welcoming tne but I'm I'm Tim's youngest brother, Tom. 1 ran away from home when I was sixteen. six-teen. I've been pretty near all over mm U j "Could Your Name Be Nora Finns flan?" Ho Asked. the country. Just came to work foi Mrs. I'latt in October right here in this town. I lost track of my family but I did hear about Tim's death. 1 wtis in California then. I'm awful ashamed " The heart of Mrs. (irady was a large one. She forgot as easily as she forgave. for-gave. And it took her only a few minutes min-utes to make this big youngest brother of her husband very much nt home. "You was always his favorite," she said, "and he used to worry about you a lot. Are ye married?" "No," confessed Tom (irady, "not I. And by the livin' soul of St. Patrick. I'll lend a shoulder in this house! Ye've lind a hard time. Norah. and you've done a fine job by the kids, it'll be grand to come here my nights off. I was feelin' terrible lonesome this Christmas. I have most of the day tomorrow and you bet I'll hike it over here as fast as I can. Will ye invite tne?" Susie slipped a shy hand into her new uncle's big fist. Kill moved nearer. Ids eyes round with bewilderment. bewilder-ment. He still held the little dog light in Ids arms. "Can you bring the dog to visit, too?" he asked. "I don't know about that. hut I do know that I can buy another dog just like It i in for a lad I've just found a boy by the name of Kill." The (iradys had a merry Christ mas the merriest Christmas for years. Hig Tom romped with the children like a boy. And harking away with all his exuberant might was a brown and white dog with large eyes and a plume of n tail "To Hill with a Merry Chrlstmas from his I'ncle Tom" had been on the tag that came with the new puppy. "Kedacl, a fine day!" sighed Mrs. Grady. " "l'is maybe 1 can give up a dozen washin's or so mid tend to me family. That Tom is a whale of a lad for helpin'." (,r.. iri-'S. Wistern XewsiJHi.cr !.'nlon.l |