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Show mm . z. m -i .. ji -:t T,r 7- . - HR ..., .. ,,r;, '-' imfj a " - " ...-.. .... i n .in mi mi. I I" CHRISTMAS SCULPTURE MP " '1jui HH Hb jUf Jb aa' V iHjHBHMoJHn t I HhllHBB iMg & j?r"v x$&4n H HI I . , - A Yuletide Blessing By Ralph Hamilton I, lilt, Weittrn NewiPP' l"'un r HIIISTMAS CHBKH wax fl. In the air every wUcrc Wliif The fllelgb bulls had n s;o-Jv s;o-Jv clal ton for Ned ariitouii V 1Sf as ho sped over the sMl Q tcrlng mow howewurd T J bound, the melodious dnni! ywjHrv river courso rondo perfevi AWrvflR music to hta enrupttjrwl ear, the stnra appeared lo tlklno with a new lilster ond nil fcr him, ho nlmost fancied, on thin tlw first ChrlHttnas ovo he could reiuemlier where pence on cnrtli, good will to men hud a real vitalizing meaning, anil himself a part of It all I Left an orphan nt eight, for Ave years ho had been the slave of a miserly old being. Then Victor Wade, a distant dis-tant relative, and his wife Alice hud taken Ned to their bumble llttlo home. "You havo no chlldreu of your on and a blessing wlU come to you for caring for this poor outcast," the v-(ago v-(ago clergymau had told titan, and Indued In-dued his words bud coma true. lie nestled down Into their hwrtn and gavo them an obedlenco and lore. And Ned ns well shared the shadow that hovered over their lives. Alice was tho onry daughter of the richest man In Dromptun. Sho had married YVado against the wishes of Martin Drill, who had from that hour shut both of them out of his llfo. "Uo can't treat my dear, good mother that way!" declared Ned sturdily to n chum. "Some day I'm going to let him know how mean ho Is to the best two pcoplo, who ever lived." Mr. and Mrs. Wade had gone to n Christmas entertainment and Ned was speeding homeward full of holiday plans. Dashing through tho gateway Ned enmo to a sadden halt A llgflt showed In tho parlor, tho porch window of tho room was open, ami plainly visible reside re-side was a rough-appearing man testing test-ing over tho pacBtiocs groapud under tho llttlo tree. y "It's a burglar I" gnspod Hie star tied Ned, "and stealing our Christmas presents I Hey, you I get out of thcro or I'll shoot you full of bullets I" ang A Rouan Appearing Man Towing Ovor the Pacxagea. Ned run to the window, drew a revolver re-volver from Its case and presented It in uiuiiiicliie view. The liiiruilcr turned, dashed from the room Into the hull and dlwip-penred. dlwip-penred. Valluntly triumphant, Ned went buck to the parlor, for tho first moment noticing a hiiuiII satchel Ijlng open mi ti eluilr. It somewhat thrilled him to observe strnngo-tooklng nrtlclos of Ft eel within. Mllurlnrs' tools I" w1ilsiercd Ned, fairly awed. "And hero's a great big millet itiilTcil full or papers and bank notes, anil right nrnns It Is stamped the iiniiie of 'Mnriln Brill" In gilt tetters. Snyl Till fellow imiM have robbed he old limn lit'ftyo he i-uiuu here." llnlf an Imui Inter Ned stood In tho iimlcii of the Itiill home. Oiulng Into i lie ono llghifil loom of the place he imv Hi-Ill tied to n chair and striving lo dislodge a gag In bis mouth. Ho mis frinitlr: he ton- his bnlr; Incoherently Incoher-ently Ik linblileil forth the lslt of a night itinniuilcr i Ned rclenscd hi in. "Vmi're the Wnile boy. nren't you!" lie ittmvernl. "You've (lone me a good turn. to another. Cull the police." "Say," Intel poneit Ned. "If you'll eoiuv with me I'll see tbitl you cut your ftiillrl buck." "Whiit v hy coiuw with yon her?" "To your dmnrhter's homo. A funny thine 'in huppeufd. and If you want yotii uiillt't duck you've got to go with tne there." Half distracted, XJbV tin Brill consented to ,fteiI- posal. Arrived. Ned TjNMr produced tho wallet iajHn I Its owner. Hrll "Oh I Ind, you'vo wodb.u.HJI Iturtol" cried tho di?i&H hut pnused abruptly w'WMl upon n decorated tnZ, (,!Bl himself. afflNkL' "Mr. Wndo got the both .H raid Ned. andWorfl1iH It. They do that every S Mnrtln Drill sat tHB. '. WLv trait, n dim mist crommlB SVd Mole quietly from ft, JH Itpnrd footsteps on the fhi??Hl "SlLhl" ho whlspererM1" ".Mother, you'vo got a rliC?Won "Why. who Is Itr ,.v,.,..M(0 prinrdly. H "Snntn Clans, rm thlob.H the prompt responsft- uftci |
