Show Why f Ke he Sober Man Did Smile B Dj MARTHA a B. THOMAS Boarding House r WAS Christ Christ- r-L r n mas maa Eve Ere at Ch Christmas h P Party arty iT JM M Mrs r s. s a Oum u m. m Had a Very mines mines' board board- Happy Ending Ing Ins house house- ln In For roc Two the Interval bed be- be 1 d f tween two string What He Asked beans Miss Bi B 1111 observed to toen i lings end and d H An A en er the rest ot of the din din- Should Be an ers era era that It was nice Easy Guess to have nave friends at this season No one onek denied k It Of Ot the seven even places at the table one was OS vacant that belonging to Vesta Blaine Miss 1 HI Blaine nine continued Miss MIls CummIngs Cum Cum- a little wistfully alwa always has hili such n a dell delightful time at nt holidays She has hRS so 80 many pleasant acquaintances And of ot course she hesitated to give givet t emphasis s to what was coming she Is getting a good goO deal of ot attention from that young mun man No one had any comments to make But a serious faced man at the other end of ot the table seemed 1 to be very ery grave gae Indeed he bent a concentrated conCE regard upon his plate ns as though the contents might yield some secret sE-cret which he hunted A real Christmas Eve Ee Evel I chanted chantE 1 Ve Vesta Her lIr eyes tYE were like tars stars er her cheeks bright with color she looked Uke like n flower r set et down In a v tg garden The other boarders were a bit older ohler a n bit more tired a bit disillusioned they thE drank their sunshine sunshine sun shine from the exuberant girl and wondered wondered won won- dered how she shE- could come cottle home at night still bubbling with high spirits and fun tun Its snowing I 1 continued 1 Vesta darting ot a smile at nt the I sober ober man who apparently was not aware of his good fortune for he never neer looked up That soft sift of ot feathers that comes down 4 like like like slue she she hunted hunte for tor an adequate simile like simile like prayers of ot the an angels els I Only prayers are supposed to toRO togo too RO go o up arent aren't I she fhe laughed n nl nt t ther her own conceit The trees s are arc like dreams ams behind hind white veils and the street lamps are orange oranje moons I 1 I love lovil It Do pass me the butter r somebody Tm rm hun hungry enough ellough to eat tat shredded hairpins l' l 1 I Everybody did their best to make Vesta Ista comfortable even eVE the scrap of ot a n maid who waited on the table Miss offered d her pepper pE and salt twice and the landlady asked If It she preferred her tier roust roast beef bEet well welt or medium medium medium me me- done Im Pm going to a 8 party tonight I 1 announced announced announced an an- Vesta VE after a few mouthfuls to fortify her wants the very best party ever eer perpetrated Miss 1 Billings smiled her Interest and asked where Oh Ob not VE I very far tar from here and and she usE Pl paused 1 looking around the table 4 Vesta Vetta Blaine Went to the Front Door Opened It with a curious glance glance youre youre all Invited Invited invited In In- I 1 That's w I h hy by its it's the best t party party party- because Its It's got the nicest folks coinIng coming cowIng cow com Ing to HI It I What a n hubbub there was then I 1 Everybody asked d live five questions qUE at lit once and none nOlle found out the tilE answer Miss Billings quivered red with excitement E Mrs CummIngs waved the carving knife and nearly took off a slice from the sober soher mans man's nose Finally Vesta tn stood up commanded d silence nce tapped Importantly on the table with a sliver silver spoon und and began Ladles Ladies and gentlemen n you are earnestly ear tar neatly nestly requested ted cordially invited d am and definitely ordered to clothe yourself In radiant raiment after dinner am and then thE wait walt for me In the hall No one shall be he allowed d to say guy no Penalty for tor disobedience nce Is so horrible I 1 cant can't even mention It I 1 And ready they were WE-re as soon as the they could jump into their best find and assemble as IlS- emble In the hall The sober man wa was the last to appear He fie looked as th though u h he did not dare stay away That's the best that could be sold said about him Hut But the ret rest were laughing and talking In happy expectation Vesta Blume went to the front door opened It it made strange signs with her hands and In there tramped a big blustering giant of ot a fellow dressed 1 like Uke Santa Claus Clous He lIe had a nobby hobby pack on his back and appeared to have bave every Intention of ot unloading 1 It at Mrs lira Cummings Cummings' boarding house honse This way said Vesta Vests and led him Into the parlor The rest followed For mercy mercy mercy- s takes sakes I 1 exclaimed Ills Billings I iI I I Gracious me met mel I breathed Mrs Mra Cm She did not know her own parlor and arlor and no DO wonder There ThE w was 81 au a abig abig alg big lg Christmas tree standing In the middle It rea readied hed to the ceiling and blued blazed with small electric bulbs More than ban that there were seven S single stockings lockings suspended In tn n a row rOlv from the he mantle J. J Everybody squealed when they hey discovered their own Santa heaved down his pack rack and out tumbled a bushel of gifts each wrapped up op In paper and marked with witha a II name Each person pE pick up seven parcels and put them In the stockings s. You'll find the names to correspond I l called out Vests Vesta Sta Blaine No A AAne Afine Afine fine Ane for tor being the last one 1 l That parlor full tull of ot boarders resembled re reo a small army of squirrels scrambling about in a II heap of nuts Everybody got In everybody's way WilY everybody laughed even laughed even the sober man nan was guilty guilt of ot a happy look around W his hia s eyes ees At last the seven stockings were bulging with gifts they swayed gently back ack and forth In all 1111 the energy of ot their recent ln filling Select your our own stockings I shouted shout shout- ed Vesta Blame like a general ordering his troops Into battle end nd open your presents P r PIt rIt It Just happened by the merest merE chance that Vesta and the sober man r I t u t ya How Did Anyone Know I Wanted That Book were seated Heated on the sofa sota together r. They shook out their stockings Into a mutual mutual mutual mu heap hE-ap and began bE to untie the strings and rip off the seals look lOok here said the sober man sternly how did an anyone one know I 1 wanted that book and he held ld out outa a thin leather bound volume toward Vesta You said you did t once last summer summer sum sum- mer mer answered Vesta Sta a little shyly Caesars ghost 1 l he be whistled and you ou remembered Yes nodded Vesta This affirmation f seemed lemell to concern the sober man very much Why he asked after a moments moment's consideration lion Oh replied the girl I Just wanted wantE-d you to have what you OU wanted to have l I This afforded the sober man more food tood for tor thought thou I J didn't even know you ou were WE-re aware of ot my existence I used to bet with myself that If It ft came to a pinch and you ou had to Introduce me you could not tell my name Youre You're so popular and that sort of ot thing that I 1 thought thought- he was unable to finish Vesta made a gesture sture i IS I'S If It she threw caution to the winds Listen n to me she said Youre the most Inter Interesting person here I hated not ever eVE having havinga a word with you OU about books That's on one reason rE I had this party part I hoped you'd YO talk to me a little You always alwa's looked so EO bored when I came In and andI I was sorry Im I'm not so frivolous as ns asI I seem My lily father the father the won JUan playing Santa Claus Claus Is Is owner of the lon London lundon Book Shop here Im I'm working there Just to learn IE something of the till bust bust- flogs Its It's Dad who's really back of the party I Just did the suggesting lies lids a n perfect ct old dear I wanted to tr try being a regular shop girl so I came here to board and Its It's been the greatest greatest great reat- est st fun tun I did not mean to deceive i people too much muth but really really here here she sheI I permitted herself a tiny gurgle of ot mirth Miss mirth Miss lIss Billings got so frightfully frightfully fright fright- fully tully Interested In a man mun who was paying parIng me such attention and of ot course it was no one but Dad who came now and then to give me some pleasure at the theater or a n concert concert concert con con- cert She stopped d from lack Illek of at breath lirE The sober man beamed You would never believe that an nn expression could change the way woy his did It was like a dawning a new light s spread upon his bis face What happened after this Is alm almost st too confusing for tor description Santa Santu unmasked and was Introduced to everybody Such a thanking and explaining I Such a happy laughing group Mss Miss Billings Billing discovered she could play the piano und and Mr Ur Blaine swung out first with Mrs Cummings who fluttered like a girl at tier her first party The rest whirled In with great feat fervor fen If It anyone had been looking sharply for the happiest couple I think Vesta sta and the Uie sober man would have hae been blen selected What he h said to her li la nobody's nobody's no no- nobody's body's business nor what she answered an an- and end yet Jet they seemed 1 to have bave settled retied something very nry happily d' d lot 1111 N N wi p Dabs Colon |