Show DO one in the y had more friends than salla snow friends of all kinds the boy who shouted his news papers in front of her apartment tc the policeman on the beat hegt friends and low friends bad sally but christmas eve found her alone she left the office early there writ no particular reason to however AH her gifts were tied up and mailed nc one was waiting for her at home there gasn wasn t the slightest pressure 01 hurry about anything and christmas eve thought sally without bustle and fuss and jostling and merry confusion christmas eve at all she walked op fifth avenue she vaguely hoped that some of the holl I 1 day spirit of the crowds of new york ight enter her veins and thrill her libart she felt sorry for herself and cross and utterly out of sorts her plesant ant plans had all gone awry no one could spare time from their biml tiles to celebrate with her and sally lived too many thousand miles away from home to get there for christmas she had been too proud to accept the generous invitations of some of the other girls in the office they asked her to go home with them but she knew she would feel out of things try as she might to be jolly oh well she might scrape some one up to go to a play or concert she walked until she was tired and then took a bus once in the crush of people at a street comer shea caught her breath there vas a sud den hint of broad shoulders she used to know A certain hagn carriage of the head a quick decisiveness of manner then theman was lost to view she shook herself for a billy fool she thought she had crowded all that nonsense out of her mind long ago besides reddy had gone on one of those idiotic expeditions to mongolia to hunt up ridiculous bones of prehistoric animals accounts of bis expedition had been in the papers off and on for three years sally found her apartment warm and cozy she was more tired than she realized A spread n er lier ache fa stay at home not even going mi for dinner she had a good book or two and there waa always the radio after a nap she chirped up adaa angly she decided she grouch any longer A little tingle 0 wriggled up her neck na reason at all but she felt it and laughed she cupped supped gallyon a home made salad bread and butter and a piece of leftover left over cike doing up the few dishes she felt positively merry the old time childish excitement about everything concerning christ mis began singing in her heart she laughed aloud 1 I wont even look up the concerts tonight over the radio she an bounced til juff tune in at random and see what happens with a little flutter of happiness she manipulated the dials on her small set A harsh the clapping of ganv hands continued applause I 1 she listened keyed up to a high pitch of suspense probably some or sancer waning out sentimental tunes then silence quite ft long silence then a voice sally stiffened in her chair color drained out of her face sha scarcely breathed you are kind said the voice to give a weary worn traveler such a wel come home I 1 have been in far places there wag an interval when sallys clear brain blurred she lost the next few sentences then she regained her pole and sat intent on every word back of what she heard with her ears was the unfolding book of memory page after page fluttered through her consciousness that terrific row she and beddy had over nothing at all how he had left in a white fury how he had said he would go to the end of the world and never come back they were young and impetuous she had not seen him for seven years in the meantime he had made a name for himself in science and three years ago he went on this famous expedition there had been a formal letter or two between them that was all now he was back back in new fork on christmas eve addressing a large audience 1 sally took off the earphones she sat a minute longer then in a whirl 0 impulse she threw on her coat and hat and went flying out the door like an ice fantt in the colorado river about four miles above the frank shafer no 1 well has held up river transportation this week the moab garage companas comp anys big barge went down the river sunday with a load of freight but has been unable to make the return trip A crew of men have abeen at work the past week shooting out the ice and the prospects are favorable that the river can be cleared by this evening so that the boat can be brought back to moab the weather has soft ened ima the past few days and it is believed that most of the troubles on the river caused by float ing ice will soon be at an end ft hammering pulse three worda bat derod against her braini brain I must aea him 1 I 1 must him 1 somehow ahe squeezed into the big hall somehow she stayed still and listened until it was all ocr somehow she moved to the front of the room near the platform she walked as in a dream she must I 1 she must A power other than her own sent her feet steadily to the place where red dy stood thinner he was lean and brown lines in bis face mouth al most grim but bis eyes just the same quizzical and laughing sally was next now in the wait ing group who were congratulate ing the successful explorer het throat quivered she could scarcely lift her eyes ther sudden her came clear con strolled trolled and natural merry christ mas daddy I 1 they went out to dinner somewhere reddy tucked sally under his arm they talked and laughed and chatted both at once they made abject apol ogles for theli stupid behavior to each other seven years ago they tried tc cram a thousand questions and an ewers into every minute never haa the hea I 1 waiter seen a happier couple they were unashamed of their joy they care which Is the wai the world over when you really car and bour heart Is humming like a ce bestial harp in heaven 1 I knew your voice instantly sak sally at least a dozen times do you think you could marry m by new years persisted reddy dont be ridiculous you absure boyl then scoot off for another seven years 1 the threat brought her down com to my apartment for a moment ant eay merry christmas I 1 to the radio she begged and reddy did 1926 newspaper union |