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Show mmhi liiyjroviSQS -Murtlc k'oon Cherrnman gT-Tj't. FIX-IT" and "Santa Claus" ir5 were among the uames af-fiO af-fiO fectionately given to Bay Charlton by intimate friends, for obvious reasons. This jSggS car full of young folks on HWy1 their way to a neighboring 1.'X -1 town, however, thought they had him stumped, for the car seemed hopelessly delayed in a line of vehicles battled by a washout ahead. "Now, Jlr. Fix-it!" challenged Muriel, Mu-riel, when thoy found there was nothing noth-ing to do but wait for the repairer to get the road passable; and another added, "Yes, Santa Claus, what are you going to do about tlds Christmas party? It looks as though we wouldn't get to the Merrill's until Christmas day is -over." "You folks just wait," said Bay, j stepping out into the sloppy road, and disappearing b e-hind e-hind the car at their rear. When he returned, re-turned, ills friends laughed uproariously, uproari-ously, for he was carrying a small spruce branch, and several red and green bundles. Fitting Fit-ting the fir branch into the cigarette holder of the car, he produced three miniature candles which he attached to the tree and lighted. Disappearing Disap-pearing again, he Mi pi! fern "TkV Vi.)! Tfcjfl came back, chanting, "Jingle-jingle-Ho, there ! Make way for Father Christmas!" Christ-mas!" Be-entering the car, he distributed dis-tributed his gifts. The girls uttered surprised exclamations exclama-tions on receiving dainty little boxes of face powder; two of the men had packages of cigarettes, and the one who didn't smoke, a handkerchief bearing his initial all attractively-wrapped attractively-wrapped in colored paper! "Now," announced Bay "music and dancing, and then refreshments," with which he produced a pocket comb and piece of paper for orchestra, and made them all rise and do gymnastic exer clses to limber and warm themselves. Then he passed a box of nutcake bars, sent by his California aunt, thanking his stars he had brought them along. The fun thus started kept up until the "Move on" signal really surprised them. Once past the repaired washout and on their way, Muriel said: "Now, Santa Fix-it, tell us how you worked the magic." 4 "Tliat was dead easy!" he laughed. "You can always find what you want if you look long enough. I d noticed something green by the road, and after I'd mushed along back a few rods, I found it was a little spruce tree. I couldn't pull it up, but my trusty blade severed a branch, and there you are !" "But the candles and the cigarettes?" ciga-rettes?" "Yes, and the powder bores, fancy paper and a!!?" "I simply col lected those from the cars hack of us. One man was a salesman, with a case oi those boxes. A woman in another car had a lot of little candles for her kid's birthday cake, and also some bright paper. Tiie cigarettes are my own, just done up fancy-like, and the hanky it, too it was just my good luck that the non-smoker of the bunch has an Initial the same as mine. The woman with the candles let me into her car and helped me do up the packages. pack-ages. . That's all." "But enough," murmured Muriel, "to prove that tLe Christinas spirit is still alive." (. 1930, Western Newspaper Union.) |