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Show Mother? by Ittary Jane fiallar " OO.N"! Know what's gotten in Hi to the children." said Mrs. Coles. "I.ut they have cooked up some new scheme about Christmas." Mr. Coles remarked, a trifle grump ily, that he hoped it wasn't an expen sive scheme. "No, something quite different. Such bustling and whispering I've never heard. They've been scurrying around like mice in the garret." "Well, what about our starting to trim the tree and getting get-ting their stufT ready?" "They say they don't want us to do a thing; not a thing." "But here it is nine o'clock al-rcadv! al-rcadv! We'll be late it we don't begin soon, and you 1 know how it is every Christinas rive all worn out before we've finished." I "Hush!" Mrs. Coles whispered. A boy stood In the living room door. He was very solemn. "Will Mr. and Mrs. Coles please come at once to the study?" he asked. The older couple exchanged pu.zled glances and followed; and when the study door was thing open with a great flourish, they both gave a cry of wonder. There on the desk stood a . small tree hung with garlands of sil- ver. Icicles dripped from the tips; j gifts wrapped In bright papers were thick among the boughs. If the tree were slightly tipsy. If It seemed ready to tumble over at a breath, Mr. and Mrs. Coles were too surprised to notice no-tice It. "For you ... all for you!" shouted several voices. At once a pudgy Santa stepped out of the closet. In a deep oice he aked the guests to be seated. seat-ed. "I've come all the way from the North Pole tonight especially to give you a pleasant treat." Here he was Interrupted by another voice which shouted. "We rhought It was time fa-theis fa-theis and mothers had a tree Instead of the children. We've done It all our-seh our-seh es ; every bit " "Please be ipiiet." rumbled Santa severely. Then he stepped to the tree and reading the names on the packages, pack-ages, passed them ceremoniously to Mr. and Mrs. Coles. There wasn't a present for a child not one. "We wanted you to have all the Christmas this year. We told Santa (suppressed giggles) not to dare to bring us a thing It's your Christmas from us. The children to rhelr parents." "Well, well I must admit . . ." Mr. Coles blew his nose, more touched ihan he cared to reveal. Mrs. Coles frankly and happily happi-ly wiped uway a tear. "We Heard you say last night now tired von got trimming the lice, and doing things after we went to bed o we decided to do the work ami the giving. Isn't the tree per 1,.,-th heau-u-utiful?" p.iith Mr. arid Mrs. Coles declared ui'vcr.'ii limes It was the very best Christmas they remembered In all their lives Aftei'wnrds Santa was roundly kissed and hugged. "A very, very pleasant surprise," Mr. Coles Uepl snylnjr. Hit wile beamed. C till. Wtni Nawapa ipr Union. |