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Show J"t-fl HE Mortons had moved their 1 H big round dining room table r LSI, into the living room by the I fireplace just for the day. Jj-. "The fire will be so cheerful ;r -p for our Thanksgiving dinner fc'O and then we can sit aroun(1 ll and iisten to the radio," suggested sug-gested Corlnne, the younger daughter. Mrs. Morton was trying bravely to hide the grief ln her heart at the absence, ab-sence, for the first time from their holiday table, of her son, Tom. There was an enforced air of cheerfulness cheer-fulness as they all set to work to lay the forks and knives and make the centerpiece cen-terpiece of pumpkin and chrysanthemums. chrysanthe-mums. Tom had disappeared more or less mysteriously from the home town and mi js ' Arranging the Centerpiece of Pumpkin Pump-kin and Chrysanthemums. the family circle more than six months before and no one, not even his mother nor his sweetheart, Beth Arden, had heard a line from him. The fact that he was a temperamental lad and had been possessed with the belief that he was a round peg in a square hole had led all those who loved him to believe that he had merely disappeared of bis own volition but had not met with accident ac-cident or foul play. When the big table was fairly groaning groan-ing under its weight of food and the turkey lay brown and templing on the platter in front of Mr. Morton's place there was not a member of the party who did not want to quote the trite old lines, "There Is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, but has one vacant chair." But no one said a word about the absent ab-sent Tom. "It Is so nice to be included in your family party today," said Beth as she took her seat "We couldn't think of anything else with your own family so far away," said Mrs. Morton, kindly. A general discussion of drumsticks and turkey anatomy followed as each of the children tried to be polite and yet make it known to father which part be preferred. "Tom always liked the part that goes over the fence last," piped up Johnny, the youngest Morton, regardless of the danger of bringing tears to his mother's moth-er's eyes. "He did, dear," said his mother with trembling voice. But she smiled. "How about a little music while we eat, son," said the father after he bad helped himself to what was left of the bird. David, the family radio enthusiast was only too eager to tune In something some-thing and drag forth from the air some of his favorite music. "Nothing like a Uttle good music to jazz up a family party," he said, turning turn-ing the dials with masterly hand. He got a station that advertised a good dinner program and resumed his seat One piece of popular music followed another with announcements in between be-tween and it was not long before the Morton family had shaken off its haunting haunt-ing loneliness for the absent Tom and was enjoying the progrnm and the dinner. din-ner. Suddenly came a voice from the loudspeaker loud-speaker a voice that startled every member of the family and Beth. It was, undoubtedly, Tom Morton's voice. i PILGRIMS' FAST DAY PREVIOUS to the start of the Pilgrims Pil-grims from Leyden, Holland, on their trip to America, a solemn day of fasting was decreed, the day before be-fore leaving, the 21st day of July, 1620. After the landing in Plymouth, Ply-mouth, the Colonists experienced great hardships, and as a means of evidencing their reliance on Almighty Al-mighty God a solemn day of fasting fast-ing was proclaimed for Wednesday, the 10th day of July, 1C23. On this day no food was partaken of from sunrise to sunset, but the entire day was spent ln religious observ-jnce observ-jnce and prayer. Washington Star. "It's Tom !" said every one. "Listen I" said Mr. Morton raising a silencing imno. The voice of the wanderer cama clearly Into the room. "In the absence of P.N.D., our announcer an-nouncer for this hour, who wanted to join his family for Thanksgiving turkey, tur-key, I will make the announcements for W.F.K." "But what's he doing? How does ha happen to be there?" asked the Incorrigible Incor-rigible Johnny. "No one knows more than you do, Johnny," said his mother. "Walt and see." "Anyone wishing to request special numbers from any of our artists may call Shopklns 88S8," Tom's voice said after a number of singers had done their bit. Mr.' Morton rose quickly and went to the telephone in the rear hall. The family seated around tlie dwindling dwin-dling dinner was breathless with Interest Inter-est and excitement By the smile she saw on Mr. Morton's Mor-ton's face and the trace of tears ln his fine eyes, the mother knew that there was no bad news of her son-Mr. son-Mr. Morton sat down before he told his story. . Tom, it seems, had become dissatisfied dissatis-fied with his slow progress In the home town and was ashamed to keep on moving from one failure to another and, ln spite of what he knew was not the right way to do It, he had left to try some work be had always felt would be ln his line managing a sort of spectacular advertising department for a large store. He had found a berth In a city nearby, near-by, and had been very successful ln conducting a radio studio for his firm. He had waited to let his family hear of him ln just this way because he felt "Listen!" Said Mr. Morton, Raising a Silencing Hand. that It would make It a real Thanksgiving Thanks-giving for every one most of all for him. "And he's on his way here now be here in an hour and a half," finished the father. "And the turkey's tall Is gone," lamented la-mented Johnny. "Never mind. My son shall have a wonderful dinner and oh, Beth, you will help us to try to hold him, now, won't you?" Beth nodded a little guiltily. Perhaps she had been partly to blame for his disappearance but she would make up for It now. Absence had taught her that she loved Tom. . MoClure Newspaper Syndicate. VVNU aorvlc. j |