Show rp girl and fe ly martha gaiser k h T WAS the saturday be rf fore ore christmas the th winters day was fast i disappearing its as tom danvers and john hard trig ing stepped out ot of the club and joined the moving holiday crowd for an all hour they had t watched it through the he window as they hey smoked and talked and torn tom while lie he lind had been much amused at johns cynical comment had taken it all as a joke for john was never pessimistic now as they walked down the crowded thoroughfare conversation was difficult and john was unusually silent recalling bits of phrases in their recent conversation coni I 1 it ft suddenly occurred to tom that there had been an unaccustomed cus tomed tone even a note of bitterness underlying the smile and lightly spoken words of his oldest and best friend whom lie felt lie he knew as he did himself at the thought he looked sharply and piercingly fit at irlin but the strong resolute profile bore no trace of the cynicism ot of the last hour bour much less evidence of its cause it was juat imagination tom concluded As they stood waiting for a cross town car an observant and clever beggar approached tom ansi answered vered the appeal with a coin not from me said jolin john la in a disapproving tone oh we well ll 11 its christmas time said tom yes just it and he knows I 1 it and makes capital of it it Is sympathetic or sentimental charity and I 1 dont approve of it upon ray my word tom you are funny fundy tills this afternoon what is the matter with you first you condemn i 47 its christmas you know women then you denounce this happy holiday crowd as a passing show and now tills this poor beggar its well you are going in to be with me for a while you need the home influence and by jove you need a wifel that Is the antidote for you old fellow lie he concluded emphasizing its his conviction with nith a slap on the back no thank you was the laughing reply as they stepped aboard the car it was well filled across front from the friends sat two good looking No women inen evidently mother and daughter next to the younger woman sat a sweet faced salvation army girl N with itla her tambourine in her lap ller her plain dark blue dr dress ss was in marked contrast to the fashionable sut lit and beautiful furs of the ladles ladies beside her suddenly the younger lounger of tile the two turned and spoke to her she smilingly responded and shook her head but as the other continued to urge a wistful look clime came into the army girls face as she glanced about the car no no they hey heard heane her say tile th conductor would not allow allow me the rules are very strict she added in explanation for a moment or so there was w 8 a silence and over the faces of both showed disappointment then suddenly the he younger woman with the color su suffusing her lovely face caught up the tambourine and depositing a coin in it started down the lie car ignoring the shocked and expostulating nancy and the detaining hand of her astonished companion passing from passenger to passenger she ebe extended the tambourine always with a little smile ald aid ai d its Chris christmas tums you know or somo some little word until each one felt it a p privilege lege to contribute something As she bile t turned by the door the conductor stepped forward wl with th Pl please eose miss I 1 want to t idd add something to that too she exclaimed oh I 1 thank you so BO much slie she passed on to her sent seat and returned to its owner the tambourine tambour int that never before had received contributions so eo promptly and cheerfully bestowed john Hard Jugs hand had gone at once into his pocket when lie he realized what the girl was doing and now jie he WAS eras watching her with an almost st interest hv lovely to lc face as she talked earnestly to the little worker in blue apparently unconscious that her sudden impulse had and first astounded and then knit togi to gither ther in kindly sympathy an entire cur car ot of strangers by jove I 1 that wr wan a great thing te tc do sad tom enthusiastically when vilier tim tension of an absorbing interest had subsided a little yes I 1 never saw its equal replied jorn john after a moments Ao ments lie he added 1 I should ime hire to know that girl do you suppose we could find out who mho she Is we can try his friend replied but why do you want to know well I 1 do john answered curtly tom glanced quizzically at him and smiled to himself this was another phase of john lie was just getting acquainted quain ted with nith when the cai car reached the railway station where john and torn tom were going to take a train tor for toms suburban home the two women also left the car they went straight to the ticket window tom took out ids his co commutation mutation book and passed it to john you follow them and I 1 will join you lie whispered the spirit of mischief and arenture adien lure now possessing liim him having bought their tickets the women turned from the window and hurried to the train there in the tha same car tom found them all well it 11 Us this luck he exclaimed as r oon soon as he was seated seata and then wha the air of a boy bursting with will news lie said they are a going to D yes I 1 know it harding replied but as he vouched couched no information and did not seem Inell inclined ned to tal talk k tom took refuge in its ills paper and promptly forgot the whole affair until lie ho was abruptly called back by tom I 1 cannot tell you when i q thing so impressed me as that didas it if there could be but one that that asked toro tom a little puzzled then oh I 1 thought you did not belove believe in that kind of charity sympathetic awl sentimental I 1 think you called it hp he teasingly reminded him remembering the crisp bill john had dropped in the tambourine oh that Is altogether different jolin john answered half defiantly yes different because a pretta girl mi made t de this appeal an old man the other larded toni tom but tell me how do you adjust your acts to theories oh theories the dickens 1 what whai are they ever compared to aati and that net act this afternoon wat a spontaneous expression of the true christ mas splint from which springs the tie de sire to lieda t to 0 bring some joy to a 0 lot ca poor un unfortunates nates because ita lt christmas you know lie he quote softly it was wag the real thing an everybody in the car felt it and having as it were justified ith hit position and interest lie looked aero at the unconscious subject of their re marks mark s truly she was good to loos look at though at present all lie he could see wat wai the well cut profile and the glor glorious loui brown hair turning to dul gold where the file western sun k it and eyes that with her snood mood he knew varica from hazel to brown A able gem of a girl he thong thought 14 as slit began adjusting her furs with at ar intuitive feeling of understanding her he turned to tom dont mention the affair to anyone not even mary hary for it would not please her lit r I 1 am sure lie hided as ais the train pulled up at D the station was small and jolla john had just finished greeting sirs mrs danvers when billy grants deep voice broke in hello harding gl giad lad to see you as they shook hands grant an old friend of both harding and danvers Uan vers also lived la in D now I 1 want mant you to meet OUT oui friends for its cold and I 1 want to get home while tom and john were bowing in acknowledgment ta to mrs north and miss north their heir host bost chatted on about its being too bad they have met at the other end of the line as long as they happened to be on the tha same train nancy north threw a quick glance at harding but otherwise no outward sign was wao given as he be walked with her to the car that they had ever seen one another before or that the same thought was in the alie minds of both but john was so strangely elated that miss norths norten color deepened each time she looked up vlad aid met his smiling eyes now ia da nt you fellows keep out our bridge willing waiting tonight called grant as he heave ve the signal to start our arrival on time offs answered jolin john well satisfied with the arrangement whether it wad waa chance or fate for within film something was thrillingly alera tantalizingly expectant confidently hopeful and the feeling of the afternoon that had expressed itself lu cynt cynicism elsm and manifested itself in loneliness was gone at the wedding reception of bohu II arding arld nancy north six months gatei later many of the guests were curious as to the presence in the gay cay assemblage blage of guests of a sweet faced face d little women rom an lit in the dress of the salvation army who be was the recipient of much attention from the bride and groom an and d was quite a center of attraction as she bile related again and again the remarkable story of that december afternoon after which all looked with greater interest and understood why whir in the array of 0 handsome and costly wedding gifts an old and battered tambourine occupied the place of honor |