Show phoebe or av 0 compan SYNOPSIS 10 while trundling the clean washing UP clipper hill mary alice brown Is set upon by some mischievous boys who spill the washing into inlo the dirt she Is rescued and taken to her iono in calvert street by francis willell Wll lett a galahad knight she la Is punished by her drunken rather father for or cretu without the kiash ash money mary alary aleco vandera away from home I 1 takes t kes a trolley ride into the country and spends the night mot at the farmhouse of 0 sam thomas themas in the morning she meets little charlie thorna thomas a cripple ie sam takes lakes mary blary alice home born a and fanda s that he and mrs brown are old acquaintances sam takes her and mar mary Y alice to its his home for or a vi visit R I 1 t chilel while lem e m brown the drunken tather father fath th er Is serving a workhouse sentence charlie Is 1 made a galahad knight francis cis visits the farm and Is saved from drowning by mary alice lem brown gets out of 0 jail and goes to work tor for sam thomas as hired man francis willett Is sent away to preparatory school marv alice gets a lob job in a department store the hae a wonderful christmas dinner 0 o the aisea disease se a of liquor ua love ov Is a 0 0 L terrible e lbs ahng h na and one ne 0 of the T h hardest dt t to shake h ke off riff le lem B brown own surly ly be beast ot t of a man n gr gradually I Q steels his will against g inett the h de devil 13 booze 0 zet th the f first sign that he la Is d winning g tre tt 0 a fight gh t appears appear a ap pp e Is durs d ing irig the h e C christmas h rl eften season r a n deg d scribed ascribed bed here h 0 0 CHAPTER VII continued heres some kind 0 note said lem picking up one of the planks which had been wrenched from the top of the case it says IS S I r sir ker night charles B thomas rip er open chummy chos she from charlie read to sir knight charles brashly thomas from a few of his mul mul 1 noua ad martn friends oh dear cried charlie looking up dp with shining pathetic eyes 1 I never invited the girls to my party dont you fret charlie boy comforted mary alice they have come they all went out of town tor for christmas christinas everybody looked at mary alice an explanation was wag wanted it was wag francis idea she be said first he wanted that him and me he and I 1 should give it to you then the girls heard beard about it and they were ere just crazy to help I 1 went to mr willetts lett 8 office I 1 had to because for a 8 reason and at first he be said he anil and mrs airs willett would do it all 11 13 but it I 1 told him the girls would be so pointed and we fired filed it this way I 1 been so nervous for fear it come mr willett said hed have it sent outs out but I 1 was afraid it a dandy its better n any staceys stachys Stace ys had bad in their whole art department mr willett sent way to new york for it this was a long speech for mary alice she blushed and retired into the shadows you lazy critters clean up this mess said martha lem went out with a big armful of rubbish while sam followed with the be empty case charlie sat fingering the shiny instruments his eyes glistening with happl happi ness hes rot got a real talent martha was wa always insisting sam returned to the sitting room alone there was a deal of puzzling over the exact utilities of the barlou articles in the outfit but fit somebody looked up it was sire brown become 0 lem she queried just then the kitchen door apen and lem quite red to in the face replied here I 1 be ile he was push ing before him a big and commodious wheelchair wheel chair what I 1 wanted to go to town for he be said 1 I wrote in and had it saved out for me a friend picked it out hes a storekeeper ahen I 1 come home I 1 dhruv around the ack way sos t see me think of er chummy of late sam had been allowing lem a little money in the interest of clothes and self respect he wanted to see sec what lem would do with it this was a part of his treatment in the hie process of reclamation now sam a queer lumpy discomfort in tho the neighborhood of his adams apple as if that member were trying violently to climb out through his mouth he blinked scrutiny showed sara sam that lem haf bal on the same humble suit butt of clothes which he had worn on the day he quit jail he had on the same blue cotton shirt with its limp collor collar it dawned uon the boas that au the clothes lem lind had bought con consisted asted of a necktie of hot bet red elaborately etched by machinery with floral decorations as modest as the wallpaper in a country hotel lems soul hod had waked up indeed rebind behind the expressionless eyes dwelt sentiment tenderness human sympathy lem had gone humbly without a penny of his own for four mouths and then with his first few dollars he be had bought a two bit necktie for himself tin and this princely offering to lay upon the altar of affection oh lem how could Y you au martha said blowing her nose lookout this sat said lem spinning the chair about like a top that there little tr trall allin ln wheel Is swiveled swire led see bee and this kind of a hoop thing on both wheels Is to grab with your hands sos role t you can call push ler er round and steer er cr any place you want to go it works just as easy dont take no effort at a all I 1 I 1 lie ile looked about proud as a boy then he be suddenly picked up charlie cushions and all and deposited him gently in the new chair charlie was speechless gazing from one face to another in a blissful daze makes that other old homemade thing look like thirty cents dont it said sam no it dont no it dont cried the little boy S no DO such a thing I 1 aint never gain back on my old chair you come ere boss come ere lem the two great fellows went and stood awkwardly by the little boy ile he reached up and till laid a hand on the coat I 1 there aint nobody ever comes near me that dont do something nice for me of each clutching both with the grip of a great affection lein understands dont you lorn lem you dont expect me to go back on my old chair do you lem you bet I 1 dont charlie if rather have it ill take this new bew rat trap and no 0 o you wont im gain to keep em both longs ilive I 1 lire even when I 1 get so 1 can walk good as anybody maybe ill use tho the new one more to get used to travel travella ln around but im coln to sit some in the boss every day its awful geel gee im a tur terrible lucky boy there aint nobody ever comes near me that dont do so methin nice for me I 1 guess its merry christmas every day all the year round with me tie he paused for breath into big bl cheeks had bad crept the delicate warm pink ills ilia great eyes swam and shone liis ills aureate curla curia shook vigorously an animated and genial halo about ills bis clear cut little face gee lie he said again im a tur lucky little boy three cheers for christmas everybody laughed there had been a n ten tension glon a constraint lems big white teeth glistened his mouth widened and the little lines of good humor spread away up to his eyes haw hawl bawl he shouted haw w haw a good oue one three cheers cheera for christmas noo hoo rawl the laughter waked up and seared the drowsy dick who failed to catch the humor of the situation nod and bowled dismally only to get laughed at and ed and elised and tucked away with another warm wann bottle tt it paid to be cross then even on christmas Christ maa now folks said san sam beginning to fidget and pull with large futile fingers at his collar its gettan late and I 1 aint sprung my part of this celebration yet the young ones has had bad their presents and some surprises has baa happened I 1 got a word to say its lt about this lena lem hero here and you other browns now lems ben with me quite some nome time and im dettla more or less legs dependent on him aint 1 I lemr 1 I 1 dont know said lem be you 11 sure be ta T other day I 1 bought a little addition to the farm the five acre piece on the sheffield road down toward the car line theres a right good little house on it waters the feller I 1 bought the property from has got a job else I 1 jest wondered longs lem seems to like its folks and contented with his bis job bow you browns d like to move out here handy bandy to us its all be together and set up bouse housekeep keepin ln this bein christmas I 1 know but it if the idea plea pleased 9 ed ye id give ye a n years rent that suit you lottle lottie how bout it mary alice car lines handy bandy you can go to town every day and so it had come around again the little cottage with the green grass mrs brown bai bad never dared dream of it two children a home and n husband good clean industrious the bitter years rolled up like a dingy nod and soiled curtain mary alices arm stole around her mothers neck and one hand band groped out for the big paw of lem brown as hard and knobby as the field stones he be juggled so earnestly but unlike them quite warm and capable of giving a and cheerful squeeze CHAPTER vill VIII mr stubbs and doctor billy in the early spring of every year the el city ty of sheffield elected a new mayor and council under the law or of the state too the cities decided for the en suing year the question of llvell license 3 0 or no license for many years sherfield sheffield an industrial town had voted to permit liquor selling under a system of high license but of late the no license element had gained ground now it appeared that after years of struggle public opinion ha had d so go far swung to the coldwater cold water side that the saloon brewery distillery faction would have difficulty in holding its majority of votes from the ranks of the no license alcen ie forces a leader had bad arisen a young man with an incisive way of thinking a lawyer whose eloquence not inconsiderable was matched by coo cool judgment and practical shrewdness he was astute resourceful adroit some of his own followers were inclined to squirm at his exceedingly practical methods but they had to admit that he be got results early in january a clerk brought to john willetts Wll letts desk the card of amos K stubbs willett smiled directed the clerk to admit the caller aud and also to bring him his big personal checkbook nello hello amos said he how goes the battle great sold sald stubbs glad to hear it have a cigar no thanks mr willett Wll lett smote ing makes me so nervous ive cut it out so have I 1 said willett Wll lett but for a different reason my boys growing up and I 1 dont want him to say the old man sets him the example the young politician viewed john willett with an admiring eye you certainly are a floe fine man mr willett Wll lett he said 1 I wish we had bad twenty men in sheffield eld like you stubbs spoke from the heart he was capable of using flattery where it would do the hie most good but his appreciation precia tiou of willetts Wll letts qualities was so genuine theft his big praise cama forth form unbidden I 1 recognizing the yount young mant mana sincerity willett felt a pleasant glow of glorification he smiled his bis thanks a trifle embarrassed by the outspoken compliment s weve got lem em on the run went on stubbs seared scared to death of us our wagons just at the top of the hill a good strong push and ashes nicely over what I 1 came to see you about willett reached for his checkbook how much this time amos stubbs held up a bind band all very nice be said well come to that later inter but its your personality we need to win this fight but stubbs you know I 1 never have meddled in politics to in my life besides merely the knowledge that you have bare voted for no license all these years has been of great value to us ua said stubbs eagerly now how much more valuable it will be if you will take an active j listen ray my dear amos interrupted willett even if I 1 were willing to KO go into this thing personally I 1 think of it lire alm willett and I 1 sall for europe next week oh said stubbs abashed too bad ile he got up and began pacing the floor restlessly you reconsider you postpone your trip its most important most important im afraid not amos my plans ba have ve all been made besides id he be of no use to you anyhow distinctly refuse to do any personal work im not that sort of a man I 1 cant see that I 1 would be of any value to you im no speech mak you yon dont understand said stubbs politics a game of oratory any more politicians make speeches of 0 course for effect for publicity the real work Is done don e by more telling nod and practical me methods thoda it if you would stay home until after election now amos stop right there the use of your wasting breath let me and stubbs telling e exactly X the truth still if every family that has suffered directly and indirectly from the use of liquor entered the fight against the traffic kraffl c it seem that two thirds of 0 f the people in this I 1 coti country would be lined up with the dry forces TO BE CONTINUED |