Show ct blessing L in disguise 0 I 1 catherine Va 4 f P 1 kalherine therine edelman shoppers were milling C through main street happy good natured folks who smiled and exchanged cheery wishes with each other jack weber standing near the entrance of the anchor store grew angry at himself why co uld t he enter ajl in into t 0 the h e spirit ot of the christmas season as these people were doing why was he be bitter and peeved at me tl whole world because ethel porter had rudely refused to go to the waring ing christmas party with i him she sha had turned him down at the last minute for or bob fuller ills pride was wa hurt and his heart ached a pit bit too for he had grown very fond of ethel in the last few weeks and he was pretty sure until this evening that she had bad cared well that was as all over bowl bob fuller would be dancing with her tonight and showing her all the little attentions that he had hoped to lavish upon her lie he scowled deeply its as he be thought of this two small children looked curiously at jack ile he drew back into the shadow growing more irritated more conscious ot of the fact that he was so utterly out of tune with the spirit of 0 christmas ue he felt like an alien in a strange land suddenly his shoulders straightened and a smile chased the shadows from his fam face 1 I cant be the only one on with a grievance he muttered to himself among all these people there must be others who have hava had disappointments and look how bow they are out to make others happy I 1 why cant I 1 do that too to think was to act with jack weber soon he was inside the store rushing from counter to counter making purchases ills dark eyes glowed with eagerness it was as a shame the way he had neglected his sister betty and her family lately ile he had given all his time to ethel porter orter lie he had even alloi allowed ed to get mail mad at betty for hinting thit that ethel was not exactly suited tu to him ile he must try and make amends ile he would see that bettys children were supplied with toys for a long iong time to come the lights from a bl big christmas tree trea shone out into the starlit night as he ha carried his packages to the door ot of the bungalow betty showed her surprise and pleasure why jack she cried how how lovely of you this makes christmas just perfect and you cant think who has just come to spend christmas with us gladys dare who used to live next door to us in melvln melvin I 1 gladys come and meet someone surely you forgotten jacka jack A pretty dark haired girl jumped up from where she had been playing with billy and sue by the christmas tree her eager brown eyes were alight with pleasure remember jack site she echoed as she held out her hand band as if I 1 ever could forget the big boy who teased me so much and who was so good to me too uncle jack tenses teases sue and me too billy broke in but we like him a lot hes the most tun fun dont you like him looking up at gladys A quick flush covered her face why of course I 1 like him billy she stammered jack weber enjoyed christmas more mora than he had ever done before Us ua found that disappointment can be changed into a thing of joy for the comradeship with gladys with its background of memories of childhood hood years filled him with A iab a strange new happiness ue he thought now of ethels behavior with a feeling of relief it had really been a blessing in disguise for it had led him to gladys but it was several days later before he awakened to the true state ot of his feelings and found that he loved gladys more than all the world stio seemed to fit into his life as if she had always been there lie he wondered wonder eil how lie he had gotten along before she came and when gladys answered a shy yes to a question he asked a few days later he knew he was fully la in tune with the joy and gladness of the tha christmas season 0 lh 1933 western newspaper vulon lulon |