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Show I : I Merry Christmas, and Paid in Full How Silas Vaughan Contributed Contrib-uted to Yuletide Cheer of the Needy. By FRANK HERBERT SWEET I f . ' T WAS an eloquent v l plea for the public ?Jlt H building, an urge yrafe I for Its beauty, its "K&W " value to the town, rtWfe the educatlonal Vf't8z0'f Sift to the eyes of Os $ youth. The speaker speak-er was hypnotic. He had been engaged for that. Purse strings were loosened. Money pmjred freely twenty, fifty, a hundred, live hundred. And It was Christmas. They went to Silas Vaughan, the grocer leader, a wealthy man of the l own. People looked surreptitiously to see what munificent sum he would give. At first a hand went Into his pocket like the others, then came out and :he arms were folded. There was an audible gasp from watchful eyes. More pleas came, more solicitors went round, man to man. But Silas sat there, arms folded, rigid, unmoved. "Times are too hard," he was heard to say in answer to an Importunate beggar. "It is a bad year for such a building." "Not bad for me, and all those who yield to noble Impulses," said a neighbor neigh-bor In a voice that all could hear. The next day was Christmas, with the grocery and drug stores open for a few hours. Silas Vaughan went to his desk and took out twice an many bills as ever had been allowed to accumulate ac-cumulate before. Times were hard, and more were obliged to charge. Fully half of the accounts were selected se-lected from the others, and several words wrliten t the bottoms. That took nearly an hour. Then he slipped the bills Into his pocket, put on his hat and coat, and went out, leaving the store to the clerks. It was nearly closing time when he came back. This he occupied with packing and arranging a number of baskets with fruit and nuts and candy, which he sent out anonymously. In the evening came a big church community Christmas tree. Most of the donors of the public building were there, rather proud of themselves and not above circulating bits of criticism. When Silas entered, there was no uncertain air of chilliness chilli-ness In the room. A few nodded to him, but frigidly. Silas appeared to take no notice, and found a seat near the front, where ap- parently he sat calm and unruffled, i A poorly-dressed man down In front had been looking about expectantly, as though waiting for some one to speak. Suddenly he rose. "I ain't no speaker," he called, loudly, "but I got suthln' to say. 'Bout the new bulldln', I ain't nothln' to say, only seems too much money for real need. An' I never liked liorn-blowln'. liorn-blowln'. Now, it's been an awful hard time for workin' folks, on 'count o' there beln' so much slack. First time I couldn't pay up in twenty years. I couldn't see no Christmas for me. Now, listen : This mornln' a feller carried papers all round. I got one. First, I felt 't was a sheriff thing, like. Then I read on the bottom, 'I hope this will be the beginning of better things. Merry Christmas. Paid in full. Silas Vaughan.' Mine was thirty thir-ty dollars. SI must 'a' given away moro'n a thousand." He sat down. Silas had lost all his composure. He tried to slip away. But hands and apologies were appearing appear-ing from all sides. He was pushed to the platform and told to make a speech. He would have made a mess of It, but all were cheering so wildly no one could hear. So it did not matter. mat-ter. (. 19IS, Weitra Nwipaper L'nloB.) jsjsi |