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I ci 0 7 1 oJ l I n t M Mart Mary m mA A Donner Bonner It It I ST 1 A Shod hn hns had d s come to the tile city There was no suet lOW v f on the tile ground no nor r did any ony Icicles I hung from the e eo ell es nor were o tiny pond panda cov coo covered red ered with Ice Hut Bu t there was tons Christmas In the city Ity just jus t the same The Tho very ery was tike Christmas I It t was cold and ond clear crisp and nud vigorous q Kven Iven the scent of ot Christ Christmas mil was tuns In ih the o air Outside the grocery shops were o piles of ot Christmas trees r ready dy to b be bt e sold Fold and there were great bundles o of ot et t Christmas trimming I Every very shop worn wore a Christmas loo look k The windows were decorated I with It II re red kd d ribbons wreaths toys tos calendars s cords brightly decorated boxes tilled Mlle I with candles tempting gifts People leople were hurrying crowding Into tnt o tho shop shops jostling each lIch other but hut 1 In Ina Ina n a natured good Christmas shopping g fashion Children were about The Chrismas Christ Chris t tuns mas holidays dos land had commenced Ann lID had bad II finished her Christmas as shopping Yet she could not stay y I ray away from the tho shop It would be he pleasant she thought t to walk olk through them watching tl the re I I l tJ a aShe She Sh Was Wat Walking Through the Alalea Aisle Seeing Everything crowds seeing the novelties that ke kept pt coming In for tor sale joining the tile g guy gay ay hurry of the near Christmas period She walked al along ng quickly Not be he- cause CRuse she was In a 11 hurry but beenu because se she could not help hurrying Christma Christ Christ- st- st ma hurry was WUI In la the air nil It was a 0 splendid experience to ha have We ell all her Christmas shopping finish finished ed and to enjoy the shops In this fashion tl Perhaps since they were so crowded crowd ed anyway she should have stayed at nt home But Dut she did not think that was n nee nee- ea essary She did not take up the th time tie of ot any of ot the sales ules girls nor did she s he push her way woy In to stand by the coun roun- She simply walked along the t Ion tn n u v n W ULU the shops walking through the aisles nUles seeing everything c and thoroughly enjoying enjoying enJoying en- en herself herselt All those thoe presents that she was sending send ing tag by post had gone ort oil All AU those presents she was going to deliver were s wrapped up and written on and und all aU ready for Christmas I Ive tl when she he went to call cull on her friends In to the city They lived II many of them far fur apart but she begat began her rounds early ChrIstmas Christmas Christ ChrIst- mas urns Eve and stayed out until lute late Friends she harcH hardly saw during th the e year because the city kept her so busy and kept them so busy and b because beaus ause 0 the distances were so 80 great greot all had laud t a t hurried Christmas call cull from trum her o on n Christmas I live lave e They expected her on Christmas I Ev Ie e elome e some lome some time fir or r other No one went t to tobed tobed o bed early farly It did not mutter how hat late oe e she sloe called ailed The next day would come comp quickly No day cume came more quickly In the year yea r I than the day of ot Christmas Christians curio came after Christmas l lve vE She would see Hilly filly and ond she he would woul d tee see te Notion Norton on Christmas lIa flay Day Sh She he de e wondered what thEY would give gl her Norton always gave guve her beautiful pros pros- eats cuts Of Ot course he hud had more mone money y than Dilly Billy but his presents always 1111 hn hull had d more mort reason for tor being bring than Hut Hilt sho almost liked Billys Billy's presents present I best Impulsive best Impulsive perishable kinds kind o of ot f presents were the ones Hilly Billy chose hose Yet Billys Billy's Impulsiveness 8 was ns not o oa of ot ofa t a n perishable variety There was great grent stability about Hilly and and ond an I steadfastness too Hut But then again Norton was us S so se d devotee de dr- e. e votee votes so constant so brilliant She Sh e d Norton et t Immensely and thought though t a 11 great deal of ot him She admired Hilly too teo Hilly y was ju Just t a n dear They had hod both holh hoer her to marry She hud had promised she would have her mind quite made etude up by lIy Christmas C That lut was why she had hud asked there them both to 10 see her bel that day though day though usually she n never ner er saw salty people people- from the outside world on Christmas Day Usually It way a day exclusively for lor forthe forthe the tile family It was strange she thought as the she walked through the shops that she had so much to decide and yet she was upending spending her time like this I She should hould be he borne or oft ort where It was wall quiet somewhere deciding She had always as Imagined when she shed ha had d been young that marrying would be he I EO so O simple a matter with scarcely any ony thought n attached to It At the tho age oge of thirteen she had land pictured pic pIc- pictured to herself a wonderful man who combined all attractions asking her to marry him And she MIC would murmur a aery avery ery very sweet a n very slay shy n a very ln 10 loving lo Yes Yea And now at ot the age Bite of nineteen It was quite different There were Hilly Bitty and Norton Norton both both of ot them Ilea Her family family fam tom ily lIy liked them both She liked them both How flow strange It was that one could like two men men could could not know at once which one of ot them was the one with whom she fhe he wanted to spend the rest of ot her trey life lite Yet this was the case rose Hut But she had bad recently made mode up her mind to make up her mind t I Norton was coming to see her Iler at nt four c ur Hilly nt at seven lIe And then her thoughts thought wondered wandered from both of ot them once more and she he was completely fascinated and Interested Inter Inter- e ested by the shops She loved every Christmas touch She Shu loved every tingle single decoration Oh there was os n 0 little table right a nt t the entrance of ot one ono of ot the tho shops shop Into luto which she he had Just come orne It tt was n Sh tilled with novelties no ornaments odds II and ond ends cols of ot possible gifts Something on the table tuble took her eye It lt was a 11 little candlestick made o of green and ond made In the shape of an 00 a owl There Thera was WUI something particularly appealing to her In the expression of ot n the scat owl lie Ito looked s so amused at al all this lie Ill almost seemed to be amuse amused that he lie was here us as a n Christmas nov novo elty etty He lIe looked as nB though he would wool always ns cheer dIrer a Q person there person there was wn something so BO droll about his expression stun sion as though he ice wanted to say any that clan t he found life lite even eYen In is candlestick k form very amusing very simple a and an d certainly not worth any ony worries wattles She tend no need for tor the candlestick She seldom hardly ever used a n can can- d die ie And they had land several old candlesticks candle cundle- sticks at home anyway Still she could not help wu Jing the owl owl wanting wanting It t absurdly She was never like this this- tills tt wonting wanting useless pointless ornaments lint Hut she bhe did want wont this owl awl She asked his price It was not high And then a 0 funny tunny Idea Ideo crone came to her lieI She went to a n telephone and called up Norton Im Int down town shopping s she he sold said Yrs You you knew the hour was raB for f or four tour tomorrow Ill I'll be home homr Andoh And Andoh Andoh oh Norton I Just saw the most adorable adorn adora l ble ate little candlestick Its It's an on owl owl owl- with such a n funny expression No It ft hasn't any ony real value Oh no no not dj M antique No no need of It at all aU Yes Ill I'll see you OU tomorrow She called up Hilly The conversation conversa tion on her lieI part port was much the same some But ut had hod been blen different Norton had hod not been much Interested In 10 that absurd owl about which she had bad spoken He had not detected the note In n her fact voice olce of eagerness for tor the funny little owl and all the funny little things he lie stood for tor Had he be been eo of value of ot actual beauty Norton orton would have thought she alas had wanted It He lie did not understand But nut answers an an- ewers were different dl Why WilY dont don't you OU get him Never mind If It he ire Is III absurd and ond If It f there Isn't any ony value to the thing You want It dont don't you Get It as na a little extra thing from me me Promise me you will li iJ t t I lil I M I t f f L The he Owl Decided Me She Told Tol d Dilly Billy That Evening As cheap chol as III that thaU Good l' l Youre You're oure le letting let t tin ting tang me the oft ort easily costly Sho She had known that little owl wa was wl wise e the minute she hud bud seen him II He Ill e could solve 9 a problem In 10 so simple a mannerIm manner Im Tnt going to marry murry you Billy Dilly ah she said that next neat evening The owl decided decided de de- d m inc me lIe He laughed at that lIe He thought ah she e was nas joking Hut But he be did not laugh at al her decision He lie took her in Ids his armand arms arm s and was nt lit a n loss for tor nn an adequate s speech dear dear talkative noisy Hilly Dilly y could think of ot nothing to say Hut Ann had been right about th the owl o That absurd little candlestick k had bud enabled her to make muke a 11 swift sum sure e decision derision Hilly Billy appreciated the time lit little tit Inconsequential moods that were o of of such Kuch gr great ot consequence Just once onre 1 In n awhile u it would be bo so wonderful to know that Hint ones one's hu husband bond could rould be so s sympathetically I 1 1535 Nep N w aper Ulon |