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Show I Christmas Trails end Gales by Florence Harris Wells j a JY"1 0V that she was really at ,J 1 f home for Chrlstiniis Katli-Yi Katli-Yi ai-lne Mann found herself 4rrn wishing that she had In-Vjwri'i In-Vjwri'i vlted some of her young fiiiV clty frlelu'9 t0 accom- L' 2 J pany her. Katharine was working on the last few rows of the scarf she was knitting for her mother's Christmas gift and lier thoughts were as busy as her fingers. She had thought It was going to be too stupid In the little bay shore village for her friends. But father fa-ther nnd mother nnd Brother Jack had all been so sincerely delighted to see her that she had decided a home was after all the only place In which to spend Christmas and boarding and roomlnl houses could not compare, no matter how congenial con-genial the young folks there might be. Still, she did wish Fred Aldrlch might be here, too. Fred had grown to be qultetjart of her life she wns leurNnof jlow that she had been awnyfoV-fwo days. They had been bonrtl(S at the same place for six montiis. It was a jolly group at that boarding house. Katharine hoped they were missing her, especially Fred, she ad- admlttiHl to her- self. An Idea she pH'JBi'l would not have sfjk. had any one sur- -sM gi1 1 1 ffjli mise no, not j!fr?J for anything. J-i;'. Thirteen-year- ' f-J old Brother Jack I came merrily yS j lashing Into the room. t -t'W "Shall we go ttfe" ' get the Christ- J- (h, mas tree, sis- rt 'S tor?" ' . "All right," Katharine g "V answered quick- l jSLsSlt ly. It was al- y'lill1 ways an adven- " . ture to cut across the ice-corered bay to the pine woods on the other side and select exactly the right tree from the abundance to be found there. Jack would chop it down and together they would tie It securely se-curely to the big sled. It was easy enough to bring It back, especially when the Ice was as smooth as II was this year; for they would skate over and back. It was two miles across to the pine woods which they had reachec In much less time than It usuallj took them. They did not often havt such a smooth skating surface. I1 was time well gained; for It tool much longer than was customary t' find just the right sized tree t( fit Into the space allotted It It their living room. The short De cemher day was already drawing t a close when the two found them selves once more on the Ice leading for home. "Well have to hurry if we get home before dark, Jack." "Don't I know it," Jack answered. "Look 1 It's snowing." Sure enough the air was filled with fine, glistening particles. "We've got to hustle now, Kath. You know you're plain stuck if you get caught on the ice in a snow storm." On they gilded holding firmly to the sled rope. The sharp snow granules gran-ules became more numerous. The air was filled with them, pelting and biting their faces and making the skating less and less easy. The cracks and holes in the Ice were soon covered. More than once Jack and Katharine found themselves clutching the air In wild contortions contor-tions to keep their balance. Suddenly Katharine's skate caught In a hole. In falling she hit Jack's skat and they both went sliding and sprawling on the snow-covered surface. The sleigh, with the tree on it, sped past them, carried on by the Impetus of its weight and the flying start it had. The two skaters gathered themselves them-selves together, regaining their feet In time to see the runaway hit a fisherman's hut The hut collapsed. They watched two much befurred, and Irate men disentangle themselves them-selves from the wreck and glare around to see what It was all about. Katharine and Jack sped toward them as fast. as the skating would permit. "We're so sorry," Katharine began. be-gan. "But the snow covered the cracks In the Ice and my skate S she got no fur- Pi f&2f ther. A pair of 3 black eyes un- Mol J jpM der the huge fur A ' e cap were mis- A ' -...'J chlevonsly j twinkling: l M j "So you're our undoing, Katha- lVHw,si rine Mann. 1 f 4ti:2 came up here on your trail 'A .ra VvbL'" but I didn't ex- vuV pect you to up- Wmm set my plans In rT"r this fashion." sJZZ Katharine had somewhat recoV' ered her poise: "How did you get here, Fred Aid-, rich? I thought I left you In town?" "You did. But what's a city without with-out your gay self in it? I decided to accept uncle's proffered Invitation Invita-tion to fish ; so I followed you home. You know my aunt and uncle?" "Of course. We're old friends." Katharine beamed her brightest smile upon the uncle. "But I didn't know you were relatives. This Is my brother, Jack." "Let's go home and get the tree np. It's almost quit snowing," Jack offered unceremoniously. "Let's," the uncle added, but he smiled as though well pleased. '"Your mother has already asked us for Christmas dinner, Katharine. It was to have been a surprise." "A pretty fine one, I'd say," Fred's voice sounded very gay and happy. "That tree deserves special attention atten-tion In my opinion. So off we go, over the Ice and through the snow." And somehow It proved much easier going now than It did before be-fore especially to Kathnrlne. & Western Newspaper Union. |