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Show rt nra. r.Uiicn x c.:c.: laundry." j F.nt 'nii.-'i'ciable" the bunch Said. ".Alter fill," argued Grace, "why nee :'i she be :m-':cii to the party? Prob- Pci - r.- rj TiTXTEEN I have seventeen j oh, clear to get," V Grace Toore went around &r. repeating when she should - .-- have been keeping the 1fa$i-!, firm's books. Her Chrlst-YjS Chrlst-YjS mas list for the office tree. i1- f Fun only for Number Seventeen. A new girl, and nobody liked her. The office force like one family, until she came. United even in uniform of smocks, one for each week day lilac, nile, orchid, daff xlil, rose, blue. Xlut the new girl, Anita Harsh, wore the same gray linen from .Mon-fj-.iv t'jor.'j to !:'atu''dav noon. "H'-eed tier, ana nan a view oi me glorious i tree and festive table, prepared by a caterer with china, flowers and the ; souvenir boxes of chocolates contributed contrib-uted by the firm. Angry and conscience con-science stricken as well Grace said something very bitter about ''snooping," ''snoop-ing," which Anita interrupted by a dignified "Pardon me. Miss Poore, but it's not a drill, it's a real fire!" If she had anticipated any lack of attention at-tention to her warning, it was dissipated dis-sipated when Grace, waiting for nothing, noth-ing, catapulted into the hall and down . the stairs. "Never shut a door, or put away a book," thought Anita. And even as she mused, fear made her want to run just as fast. Then she ignored her beating beat-ing heart, closed the iron door on those party preparations to which she was not invited, and placed Grace's books in the yawning safe. "Heaping coals of fire," gasped Grace, giving No. 17 a great hug, when she found what had been done for her, after they all came trooping back with the story of a false alarm. "I should have caught it good and plenty for my carelessness." "Aren't coals of fire proper?" asked Anita, winking off happy tears. "Clever gink for that you'll not be allowed to bring a single gift to the tree this evening. And as it will be late tell your folks that - my folks will bring you home in the car. Excuse, Ex-cuse, please important business."' Not bookkeeping. Just to tell the bunch that Anita belonged and to send the office boy for a phonograph record of that close harmony, "fireman, save my chi-i-i-Ud." So appropriate for the girl in the drab smock. ((c). Western Newspaper Union.) j Had a View cf the Glorious Tree and Festive Table. ably timid about going home late. Kindness to leave her out." The bunch agreed. Anita sensed someth''ng wrong. It was dreadful to hear a busy clack of tongues as one neared the washroom, die to silence when she entered and turned on the liquid soap. Then, too. She was put into a small room wit!' her file case the closed door hearing a sign, "keep out this means you !" It was really for the good of her work, but Anita thought 'twas because her smock wasn't smart. And when, the day before Christmas, she peeped out for a look at the clock, there wus the entire office force, dashing out in response to a fire drill. No one had remembered to call her ! "S'pose if there should be a real fire, they'd let me burn to a crisp," she told herself in self pity. And then she saw she wasn't quite alone. Grace Poore was still in the cage, where, as near as Anita could make out, she earned a living wage by contemplation I of a rose in a vase and not another j tiling. Just as Anita was reflecting on ! the injustice of this, a noise from below be-low sent her flying to the window. A sireu and the alley crowded with milling apparatus. She dropped the drawer "Cra to Cub," snatched her thin puree from the niche "Zy" and ran to give warning. ; Nov Grace had deliberately cut the fire drill in order to tie some anonymous anony-mous gifts to the tree, which was set - - ""r "" "No. IT" caught |
