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Show A Yuletide Blessing By Ralph Hamilton j i'C, I ii JU. VWSlel li .Crtapalel Uniull.) iff 4UISTMAS CHEEK was in the air everywhere. The sleigh bells had a special spe-cial tone for Ned Graham as he sped over the glittering glit-tering snow homeward bouud, the melodious clung of the skates along the river course made perfect music to his enraptured ear. the stars appeared to shine with a new luster and all for him, he almost fancied, on this the first Christmas eve he could remember where peace on earth, good will to men had a real vitalizing meaning, and himself a part of It all ! Left an orphan at eight, for five years he had been the slave of a miserly old being. Then Victor Wade, a distant dis-tant relative, and his wife Alice had taken Ned to their humble little home. "You have no children of your own and a blessing will come to you for caring for this poor outcast," the village vil-lage clergyman had told them, and Indeed In-deed his words had come true. He nestled down Into their hearts and gave them an obedience and love. x And Ned as well shared the shadow that hovered over their lives. Alice was the only daughter of the richest man " in Brompton. She had married Wade against the wishes of Martin Brill, who had from that hour shut both of them out of his life. "He can't treat my dear, good mother that way!" declared Ned sturdily to a chum. "Some day I'm going to let him know how mean he Is to the best two people who ever lived." Mr. and Mrs. "Wade had gone to a Christmas entertainment and Ned was speeding homeward full of holiday plans. Dashing through the gateway Ned came to a sudden halt. A light showed In the parlor, the porch window of the room was open, and plainly visible Inside In-side was a rough-appearing man tossing toss-ing over the packages grouped under the little tree. "It's a burglar!" gasped the startled star-tled Ned, "and stealing our Christmas presents! Hey, you! get out of there or I'll shoot you full of bullets!" and A Rough Appearing Man Tossing Over the Pacxages. Ned ran to the window, drew a revolver re-volver from its case and presented it In menacing view. The intruder turned, dashed from the room into the hall and disappeared. disap-peared. Valiantly triumphant. Ned went back to the parlor, for the first moment noticing a small satchel lying open oq a chair. It somewhat thrilled him to observe strange-looking articles of steel within. "Burglars' tools !" whispered Ned. fairly awed. "And here's a great big wullet stuffed full of papers und bank notes, and right across It Is stamped the name of 'Martin Brill' In gilt letters. Say I This fellow must have robbed the old man before he came here." Half an hour later Ned stood in the garden of the Brill home. Gazing Into the one lighted room of the pluce he saw Brill tied to u chair and striving to dislodge a gag iu his mouth. He was frantic; he tore his hair; incoherently incoher-ently he babbled forth 'he visit of a night marauder as Ned released him. "You're the Wade hoy. aren't you?" he quavered. "You've done tue a good turn. Do another. Call the police." "Say." Interposed Ned. "if you'll come with me I'll see that you get your wallet buck." "What why come with you where?" "To your daughter's home. A funny thing has happened, and if you want your wallet back you've got to go with me there." j Half distracted, fully mystified. Mar-', Mar-', tin- Brill consented to the strange pro-' pro-' posttl. Arrived. Ned told his story, produced the wallet und restored It to Its owner. ! "Oh ! lad. you've won my eternal gratitude!" grat-itude!" cried the delighted old man. but paused abruptly, his eyes fixed upon a decorated framed portrait of himself. ! "Mr. Wade got the holly for that." said Ned. "and your daughter trimmed It. They do that every year." i Martin Brill sat stsring at the por-: por-: trait, a dim mist crossing his eyes. Ned stole quietly from the room as he j heard footsteps on the front porch. "Sh-h!" he whispered, reaching It. 'toortiov; you ve got a visitor." "Why. who Is It?" asked Alice snr-prlsedly. snr-prlsedly. "Sc.ntn Clau,s. I'm thinking." was j Uie prompt response and it was. |