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Show m tffio Igergreen y IP Harston Mercer -V Ei VDBY year about 'the mid-dlo mid-dlo of November n. small sign appeared ' over tho door of tho Thomas cot-tago cot-tago which bora'1 tho legend, "Tho Evergreen Shop."-r Every year during tho Chrlstmns season Buth Thomas made huh'dreds of evergreen wreaths, which slie sold for Christmas decorations. This wns why tho peoplo of Brlerly called her tho evergreen girl. Tho dny beforo Christmas Bnth'sat In her little shop finishing tho Inst wreath she would mako that season. "Thcrol" she snld, deftly twisting n sprig of bright red berries among tho evergreen stems, "that finishes Helen Stnnwood's order, and thank jjoodnens It's dono In time. Oh, donrl"'sho sighed, laying tho wreath nslde, "I do wish I could spend ono Chrlstmns tmo enjoying en-joying myself as others do. Wiiy, thero hnh not been anyone hero over'tho holidays holi-days slnco I can remember, and I hnve not been to a Christmas party In yenn not slnco tho tlmo. I went over to Dolly Blair's with Dane." A wnrm color suddenly glowed In tho girl's chceks.nnd thcrp was a soft light In her brawn eyes ns sho thought of that memorable itlghr. Dano Stnnwood liqd tnkfh her to that party. Ouco during tho evening ho caught her us sho was standing under tho mistletoe bough,- and Tho sudden roar of a high-power nutOr mobtlo broke Ui upon Bulb's musings, and sho looked out In tlmo to see a long blue roadster flash pust the gnje. Tho car belonged to Dano Stnnwood. Shortly nfjcr tho Christmas partyat Oolly Blair's Dano had gone. West to becoino n mining engineer. He had written n few times to Buth nnd then tho letters had stopped coming, and ho had not heard from him for nearly four' years. Then, Just a aonth ago, The Girl t Expect to Marry It Here." ho had suddenly appeared In Brlerly with tho blue racing car. Soon It wns rumored thnUho hud mado a fortune In the mines. Tho second week after his return Htanyood bought tho old Blnln mnn-slon mnn-slon nnd gnvo tho information that bo Intended to jnovo Into his new homo beforo, Christmas. Next ho announced that preparations were, under way for a party which ho was giving Christmas Christ-mas uvc. Tho evergreen girl had been surprised sur-prised and r. ilttlo bit hurt because Dano hod not even called. Sho had thought It strange, too, nt first, that sho did uot receive an invitation to tlio party, for sho know nearly everyone every-one In Brlerly ns going. But when Buth wns told tho party wns to be given In honor of $tnnvood's fiancee, sho understood why sho had not been Invited. "That Is why Helen Stanwood didn't mention tho party when she ordered these wreaths," Buth thought. a she b?gatl tying them together, "Of cpurse. I would not go anyway now. My, but they will hnyo to -hurry If they hong all theso wreaths beforo eight o'clock." The evergreen girl wns. so busy getting get-ting the Stnnwood order ready that sho did not notlco that tho blue roadster had returned and stopped by the gate. Neither did sho observe tho broad-shouldered broad-shouldered young man wlm wns striding up the path. Tho bell Jingled merrily. "There's Helen now, after tho wreaths," Buth thought, and sho ran to tho door. Dano was standing in tho porch. "Why, Dnnol" sho exclaimed, drawing draw-ing .back la confusion, "How ynu (tartled mo," I thought It was your ulster, and" "Helen haa gono to Balford tp meet a friend . who .Is to spend the holidays with us," said the young man, "so sho sent mo,nfter the wreaths." Ho smiled down at tho girl. "This Ih the evergreen ever-green shop, Isn't It?" ."Yes; Buld Buth, forcing a smllo in return. "And you nro tlio evergreen girl?" "I believe they call mo that," sho answered, "Well," snd Stanwood, "Sis told mo l to bo sure-nnd fetch you back with mo Jrhea I returned,'?' - "Bnek with you I" echoed Buth. "Itcnlly I I can't gg, There la so much to do here, and" "Bosh I" laughed Dane. "Of course you will go back with mc.. Fact Is you'll havo to." Ho waved his hand ns Buth started to spcuk. "No excuses ex-cuses now, for I won't listen to 'cmf You sec," Stnnwood went on, "Sis nnd her friend were supposed to help get things rendy for tho party tonight, but "she telephoned Just us I was leaving leav-ing tho house Hint tho train on which her friend wns to arrive Is very lute. Sho may not get bnek un,ll nine o'clock, and tho party begins at eight. I told Sis I could never get things ready In time, for tho decorating Isn't half done. Then sho happened to think of you, nnd I snld right off that you would bo Just tho ono to help us out. You'ro not going t disappoint us, aro you?" very anxiously. "We-ll, perhaps I enn go for n llttlf while," snld Buth. "I'd dearly lovo to trim that Christmas tree." "Of course. I won' stay to tho pnrty," she thought as sho scurried upstairs after a wrap, "so I won't sea Dane's sweetheart, for of courso sho Is tho one Helen Is tn meet nt tho troln. And I renllj ought to help Dano and Ms s'sior out, for they havo been such good customers." Dane ushered Buth Into tho big double parlors of his new home, wbr tho Chrlstmns tree had been plncca "Do you suppose," ho asked, pointing point-ing to n great pllo of evergreen nt one end of tlio room, "wo will bo nblo to hang nil these wreaths and then decorate deco-rate tho tree beforo. eight o'clock?" Tho evergreen girl gave a merry lit-tin lit-tin laugh. "I am suro wo can If wo work fast," sho answered. "I -am used to this work, you know, nnd with your help It won't tnko long." "How long have you been tho over crcen gjrl?" Dane nsked, na ho and Iluth wero trimming n chandelier. "This Is tny third senson," Bulb replied. re-plied. "I found that thero was a big demand for wreaths and laurel trim mine during tho Christmas holidays, so threo years ago I opened an evergreen ever-green shop. I lovo to do this kind of work, nnd nltluugli tho se.ison Is a fhort one, my little shop pays well." Tlio evergreen girl might havo added that, moro than this, the rnsh of work Jmtt at Christmas tlmo hotped her tn forget tho dull ache In her heart which wns always so hard to bear during tho holidays. Sho said nothing of this, though, but atked, Instead: "Tell mc, Dune, how you hnvo spent Christmas while you hnvo been away. Havo you be.en whero thero was tfiuch merry-maklngl" "For tho past threo ,years," said Stanwood, "I'vo celebrated Christmas HVorklng from dawn till dark. This is the first enjo'ynhlo Christmas ovo 1 have known slnco I left Brlerly." "It has been a vcr pleasant evening eve-ning for me, too," r.nld Buth, "und I hnvo enjoyed It ever' so much. Now wo'll trim the Christmas. treo, and then you can take mo Jiomo nn-1 get back In time for tho pnrty." At half-past seven Dana surveyed the big doublo parlors with natlsfactlon. With tho help of tho overtfrecn girl ho had finished tho decorations and everything every-thing was In readiness for tho guests. "Tho rooms look Just ns they did four years ago at Dolly. Blair's Chrlstmns Chrlst-mns tree even tho mlsfletoo bough," nld Dano. 'IDon't you remember how that one hung,rlght over our heads, as this one docs now?" Tho evergreen girl wns silent. "Hnd you forgotten, Buth?" ho persisted. per-sisted. "No," softly, "I hnd not forgotten." "You never thought I had forgo ten, did you, dear?" "Hut you never wrote, Dane." "Uccpuso for u long tlmo I wns miles from n railroad or post ofllee ni'i could not send any mall, lire I'vo thought of that night, though, and all these years I'vo been planning to havo n Christmas party ns much llko that one as I could, only this ono tonight will bo for you." "But Isn't tho friend who Is coming with Helen your fiancee?" faltered Buth. "Not exactly," laughed Dano. "That friend Is ,IInrry North, nelcn's fiance, Tho girl I expect to' marry Is hen, now, and, by Jovol Vya caught her again stasdlni; under tho mistletoe bough." |