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Show "I would buy a toy for my little brother for Christmas." It was a glib answer, probably untrue. But Harvey Har-vey had become interested. "Have you no father or mother, to buy things for Christmas?" "No, sir. We live with our aunt, and she has been sick." A plausible story. Still A vacant taxi hove into view. Harvey Har-vey signalled it. "Get in, little girl, and tell me where you live." She looked at him a moment, surprised. sur-prised. Then, her child instinct satisfied, satis-fied, she obeyed. They stopped in one ot the poorer parts of the city. Here, in a single room, Harvey found a sick woman and a boy of four or five. It did not take him long to act. As he gave his orders at a noar-hj restaurant restau-rant anyone could see he had thrown intelligence to the winds. When a hot meal for three had been sent lo tli e sick room Harvey found a telephone booth. Fortunately Miss Hanson had not retired. "Freda, 1 need you on a job," he said. Then he told her ot his adventure. adven-ture. "They need clothing, cleaning up, care and Christmas," he concluded, con-cluded, "and I need a woman to show me how." "I'll be there with my car in twenty minutes," she answered. Then began the greatest Christmas eve Harvey Dane had experienced. HEADS r HEARTS at Chi'islmas by Robert Stead K. 1ARVEY DANE turned from Freda Hanson's home in a brown study. For two years he had been a caller at I 'uj Freda's, and for most of that vyrVi t;,ne 'ie n:1(1 heen trying to PfiiwS inci tlle answer to one nues-tion. nues-tion. Should he ask hc-r to , marry him? Freda was attractive, and Ilarve.v was quite sure be was in love with her. He suspected, too, that she returned re-turned his regard. Rut Harvey had prided himself that his head ruled his heart. When he left the farmhouse Of his boyhood to make his way in the city he had laid down one rule for himself: never to act on emotion; always al-ways to act on reason. And at tweu-ty-eight he was assistant manager ot his company. The rule seemed to work. Now Freda had been reared in luxury.- Harvey's salary would be little more than spending money for her. leaving emotions out ot the argument, would good sense dictate that he Should marry her? As he pondered this problem bells pealed out, and he remembered it was Christmas eve. Of course! He had piven Freda some trinket, and a little package from her nestled in his overcoat over-coat pocket. It was the season of gifts "Flease, Sir, will you give me a dime?" Harvey looked down at a ragged urchin a girl perhaps not more than ten years old. Harvey's intelligence told him that to give money to beggars encouraged delinquency. Rut something some-thing more than intelligence seemed to prompt him now. He stopped and spoke with her. "What would you do with a dime?" he asked. doctor had said. "Rest and nourish ment that's all she needs." Rut a diliiculty soon arose. Harvey insisted that he would pay all. "That is not "sensible, Harvey," Freda told him. "It is just pride or sentiment which ever you like. 1 have plenty ot money, and you have your way to make in business. Let me pay the bills." "That is just pride, too," he retorted. Rut in the end they divided the account. ac-count. As Freda drove homeward Harvey sat beside her, wonderfully happy. And the funny thing was it was all so unreasonable. He had lost a night's sleep and given away a lump of money strange doing for a business man always al-ways guided by his intelligence and he was so absurdly happy over it. "You know, Harvey," Freda said, when she drew up at her door, "I think you uttered a great truth tonight when you called me on the telephone." She had nestled close beside him and her presence seemed to bewitch his memory. "Did I?" he asked. "I don't remember. remem-ber. What did I say?" "Can't you remember dear?" "No dear." "You said," and she faced him very coyly, "you said, 'Freda, I need you.' :l And the next moment Harvey Dane was behaving in the most emotional manner in all his young life. (, 1930. WestL-rn Newspapei Union.) "Please, Sir, Will You Give Me a Dime?" With Freda at his side he plunged through the city, buying groceries, medicine, children's toys; telephoning a doctor; arranging for a motherly soul to take charge. When, long after midnight, they placed their gifts beside be-side the sleeping children, they somehow some-how felt very close to each other. "The woman will be all right," the |
