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Show , ;' j .-i l W llor Christmas tiv ' "H, m ) 'i .terol not that tho , 5, , U 1 (111 Cl.rlstu.ns was closo at C yfVvN V ) My tut ml. Nothina mait.-tvil ' .- -VcJ 7 -' 6i to Keslna save tlu- faol v-.- . -V. " "" that slio l ad promised her " "nT , r -'S s-rr Sunday school class a glorious tree. - tfcs L and that now there was no tree for - She argued with herself that she t. " niiplit have known that the New vork . ' I ' shops could not he relied tipoii to send J" a tree to the subnrhs at so short a " s "lll,l,n I "ill rail propi'tly mid In ih notice, hut that did not help the - fvi-iiln- -,, Ki.,,ni nr-" he did ii"l Situation. c lltilsh with nunli, fcr the lo-arts of holt Ke-ina sh.rank from faclns those VI ":lvM "n' ':-'" "' ' .'verllowins : T pa yiv P'INA pn-eil despondently f I out of the window, f J I J A I Ik 1 H snow was fall-r fall-r riTw '"m" millions of spark- iUy ling diiunoinU and pearls. yet lioKlna saw muhliiK-l muhliiK-l Vl lIor Christmas tree hud V'l I nit Cl"lu! w "S 11 r"llUl'1',Hl ,u'' "'at the iijV, duv was u woinler day VoVn lllul ,lu' tv ul iKxliu Christmas was close at hand. Nothing uuutereil to) to Kej;lna save the fact that she l ad promised her Sunday school class a glorious tree, ami that now there was 110 tree for , them. Sshe argued with herself that she niipht have known that the New v(irk shops could not he relied upon to send a tree to the suburbs at so shon a notice, hut that did not help the situation. lleina sh.rank from facing those 1-little 1-little girls whose smiles would vanish In childish disappointment when they learned that the tree they had been rromised was not to he theirs. The tears brimmed over and fell. Keyina's vision was cleared and In the clearing she gazed directly a! the miniature fir tree In the vacant lot text door. A sense of keen delight swept over Hegina. After all. her children chil-dren would have a tree! Some minutes later Uegina appeared ap-peared in outdoor costume. She had put on her gymnasium suit, high rubber rub-ber boots and her father's great top cent. Over a riot of curls her snug fur cap fitted closely. "You look for alt the world ns if you deserved your nickname." expostulated expostu-lated Iiegina's mother. "Legina, 1 do hope no one will see you." Now. this nickname to which Ke-gina's Ke-gina's mother alluded with distress had been bestowed upon the girl hy her father. It was Tommy no "inre nnd no less Tommy ! And Tommy stood for tomboy. You see, the girl was no hothouse flower, even if she did teach a Sunday school class and weep with disappointment. In fact, her father Insisted that the nickname fitted and secretly he was proud that It did. For Kegina was distinctly able-bodied. able-bodied. She could ride anil swim. She could handle a 20gauge shotgun and n casting rod. She was n notable mountaineer. She could paddle n canoe end sail n boat. And r.he cared a lot j more for ont-of-doors things than she did for dances nnd for social functions. Her idea of happiness was a cainp lr. the woods. "Thcre'3 no one for miles around." Reglna laughed, nnd shouldered nn ax. "TTnless people who live In the hunga- low turn uji I will have the world to myself." She picked up a big tub with her free hand and trudged off toward the fir tree in the vacant lot. Iiegina's eyes were too intent on her mission to see that n thin curl of emoke was twisting from the chimney of the bungalow that rambled In the lot beyond the vacant one. liegina drew near the coveted tree find her heart expanded lovingly. "What a little beauty I" she exclaimed ex-claimed half aloud. The little tree stood not much higher high-er than Keginu. Over its branches a veil of smoke seemed to linger. After C a moment spent in admiration the girl put down her big tub and began tn clear away the light fall of 'snow from about the roots of the tree. Her cheeks were gloriously red and the 6parkle in her eyes rivaled the day Itself. It-self. When the snow- was cleared Itegina swung the great ax into the frozen earth. The ground scarcely responded respond-ed to her atrength. She swung again. "Hey! Whnt are you doing to that tree?" Iiegina dropped her as nnd gazed In the direction of the deep, gruff voice. A man was standing on the veranda of the bungalow. . .1101.11 I will call properly anil In I lit evening iMmns nr -" he did iml j llnlsh with or.K for the hearts of bolt Ihivhl and i:-g.mi were overllowing j with i:.ri:g ..f gr,..,t J,,v. That evening Santa Clans drove up I through the crisp mi" and opened1 his great hags befcre the little tree.! It was ,1 vt.cnler tree there In the va-j ant lot. ami It a hung with a Inn.- 1 dred ele.tric bulbi. Six bonllttl 1 en ret! their tl. lines skyward anil! around 11:1. 1 ab.c-t danced and capered ! -I Joy mm children And when the in ... 0 1 ivm liigli In the . heavens and the spirit of Christmas: had entered into each heart. I'avhl and Iiegina i!,cw the band of children ; about them end led the young voices j in the s.ng-'ng of Joyous Chrl-tmas carols. And es-p(.( hi'ly did this one. jwhi.h Iiegina sang, please the children chil-dren : I !l rum upon Ih n-o'n!i.M 1 l-:ir. T'tn! Ki.. 1 !..! ..r of ..I.I. ! Kr'-in n-i:-' I . ullci: c.-ar r- rnrth. T on-, a i':. ir harr.K of Bt: .0 .- en t-.irtn. e. ,, ((l rio n," I l-'r.cii lL.;... n 11 1 1 -s-r.o a. tin KlnK: j The ftuiM in s- . inn ieil!ni.'i I.iy ( To tie:ir in.. ariKils i.n. ; S'UI HiHnu.-h lb' cloven r kit s ihry com. With i'.-ar,-fi;l wm.t unlurl'l. Anil wrlll tlir.r heavenly mi;Mc floats O'er all ihc va.iy ivnrl.l: 1 Al.ove its sal nn.l L.wlv plain Tin y l.cn.J on hoverln;: W.IK, An. I even o'er tin Hatct-souiitlii TIii- 1.1. Ao tl nns't Is iiuiii J Vn. Willi Ih wo. nf sin and strife, The w.rM Imn siifTfrrd Ionic; tt.'nealh the n n ye I -sl rain hnv. rolled Two llioiisur.d years of wronir; Antl mnn. ul vnr with man. henrs no Til I. -vp Bo-,ff whh h they lirin: C . hush ihe noise. -e men of strife. And h-ar the a e!s Kintr' And yp. h.n.-airi life's erusliinc loal. Whose forms nre heprthie Inw, Whn toil nln-'i the rlimhinK way, Wllh pallilul steps nrcl slow Look now. for :l.id and noitlen hours Come swiftiy on the winy: Oh rest Ivsi.le tlie wearv road And hear the unrein hiiii;! And this one: Hn-'t. ihe n'ait sound' The Savior comes. The Savior promised to' ir-, I.ei every heart prepare n throne nd every -oir-e a soncl tie cones, the prisoners to release. In Satan's hondatie held; The Karen of hrasw tiefole him burst, Tl .- iron fetters yield He conies, the bmlten hrart to find The bleeding soul to cure. Anil wl'h the treasures of His grace To enrich the h'.ur.hle poor. Our Klad hosannas. Prince of Peace. Thy welcome Hiiall pioclalm And heaven's eternal archea ring U'llh Thy beloved name. I'.ut even 11 Christmas tree celebration celebra-tion must come to an end. Hy and by the children were sung out and Ihe (ires began to get low and the voices of Iiegina nnd Ihivid trailed off Into silence, and the two Just looked at each other. 1 "Don't you think we'd better take the children In now?" said Reglna at last. "The Hres are get'ing inw." I Ihtvid was silent for a long 1110- i inunr. Then he sab slowly and rev- pi-eutly : "The tiros will never burn low Uegina. Ue-gina. This is the night when the ! Croat Spirit of Love was born into lour world." Hegina picked up her ax anil with much dignity swung it again. j "1 say. tin-re. you that tree belongs to me!" The man was coming toward her. Region stopped 11ml turned. "This IS a vacant lot," she called out with a-per.ty. a-per.ty. The approaching man whistled. Ills speed tiuickencd. lie made 11 n Involuntary Invol-untary movement to raise a call 'ha' ir. his haste he had forgotten to put on. "I beg your pardon." his voice had lost the gruff iu:,lity. "I thought you uere a man bat that tree Is mine. I brought It up from my father's garden in the South." David Longhorn spoke rapidly. Iiegina's Iie-gina's face was rather startling In Its beauty, and he had 11 desire tn cover her embarrassment. "1 have taken very special care of that tree." "Very special." Iiegina said coldly. "I have liveti here a whole summer and no one " "I have been away lately." "I don't see why you lcae poor little lit-tle trees around In vacant lots." Itegina Ite-gina put in hurriedly. Iiecnu.e she felt like crying now that her precious tree was taken from her. "This Is my lot," Langhorn n.ld her. "If you had chopped it down" "I wasn't chopping it down !" liegitni cried indignantly. "I was going to j put It very carefully Into this tuh." J j She stumbled over her words, but determined de-termined to tell this very good looking man with the red hair that she was not a female George Washington. "I- ordered a Christmas tree by express, ex-press, and It didn't come. My Sunday Sun-day school class 12 little girls are expecting a tree tonight In my house, anil now " Words failed Itegina. She bit her lip and looked appenlingly up at Langhorn. The man laughed because ii whs the safest thing to do for (he present. "And I have brought down j little .settlement bovs with the same prom if-e and narry a tree have 1 g.i reckoned on getting one In ihe vil-i vil-i Inge." 1 iiegina laughed, and the whole I world seemed to echo with the laugh. i "I have tried even Ihe department store!" She gazed Into David Lang-norn's Lang-norn's eyes. "I am sorry for the poor little souls whom we are disappointing 1 my class worked so faithfully a!! last summer. "Hy Jove." David said. "I read once of some people who had a Christmas tree out of doors! They had great bonfires bon-fires and the tree was lit by a ihou-sand ihou-sand candles as well as the stars, and a Santa Clans drove up over the real snow! Couldn't we do something like that?" "With this tree I How perfectly glorious!" Iiegina. beside herself with joy, began to shovel away a greater clearing. David took the shovel from her. "My kiddles will do that It will he the treat of (heir lives." David looked seriously at Iiegina. "Now go home and get wanned up. "This al't- |