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Show OrafiouB me I" breathed Mr, Cam. mlngs. She did not know her own parlor and no wonder. There wa a big Christmas tree standing In the middle. It reached to the celling and blazed with small electric bulbs. More than that, there were seven single stockings suspended in a row from the mantle. Everybody squealed when they discovered their own. Sunta heaved down bis pack and out tumbled a bushel of gifts, each wrapped up In paper and marked with a name. "Each person pick up seven parcels and put thera in the stockings. You'll And the names to correspond I" culled out Vesta Blaine. "No lagging I A One for being the last one!" That parlor full of boarders resembled re-sembled a small army of squirrels scrambling about In a heap of nuts. Everybody , got In everybody's way ; everybody laughed even the sober man was guilty of a happy look around his eyes. At last the seven stockings were bulging with gifts j they swayed gently back and forth In all the energy of their recent filling. "Select your own stockings I" shouted shout-ed Vesta Blaine like a general ordering his troops into battle, "and open your presents I" It Just happened by the merest chance that Vesta and the sober man Wky fhe Sober Man Did Smile B; MARTHA B THOMAS Lhnstmas Farty jjl Mrg. cum- Had a Very &3l mlngs' board- Happy Ending w Ing house. In f Vf the Interval be- for Iwo tween two BtrIng wtaH. AU and Her Answer tne rest of the dln-SKould dln-SKould Be an ers that It was nice Easy Guess to have friends at ' this season. No one denied It. Of the seven places at the table one was vacant, that belonging to Vesta Blaine. "Miss Blaine," continued Miss Cum-mlngs Cum-mlngs a little wistfully, "always has such a delightful time at holidays. She has so many pleasant acquaintances. And of course." she hesitated to give emphasis to what was coming, "she Is getting a good deal of attention from that young man." No one bad any comments to make. But a serious-faced man at the other end of the table seemed to be very grave Indeed ; he bent a concentrated regard upon his plate, as though the contents might yield some secret which he hunted. "A real Christmas Eve!" chanted Vesta Blaine. Her eyes were like stars ; her cheeks bright with color ; she looked like a flower set down In a vegetable veg-etable garden. The other boarders were a bit older, a bit more tired, a bit disillusioned; they drank their sunshine sun-shine from the exuberant girl, and wondered won-dered how she could come home at night still bubbling with high spirits and fun. "It'a snowing!" continued Vesta, darting a smile at the sober man, who apparently was not aware of his good fortune, for he never looked up. "That soft sift of feathers that comes down like . . . like" she hunted for an adequate simile "like prayers of the angels! Only prayers are supposed to go up, aren't they I" she laughed at her own conceit. "The trees are like dreams behind white veils, and the street lamps are orange moons I I love It. Do pass me the butter, somebody. I'm hungry enough to eat shredded hairpins!" Everybody did their best to make Vesta comfortable, even the scrap of a maid who waited on the table. Miss Blaine offered her pepper and salt twice, and the landlady asked If she preferred her roast beef well or medium me-dium done. k 'Tin going to a party tonight I" announced an-nounced Vesta after a few mouthfuls to fortify her wants, "the very best party ever perpetrated." Miss Billings smiled her Interest and asked where. "Oh, not very far from here; and" she paused, looking around the table "How Did Anyone Know I Wanted hat Book?" were seated on the sofa together. They shook out their stockings into a mutual mu-tual heap and began to untie the strings and rip off the seals. "look here," said the sober man sternly, "how did anyone know I wanted that book?" and he held out a thin, leather-bound volume toward Vesta. "You said you did, once Inst summer," sum-mer," answered Vesta a little shyly. "Caesar's ghost.!" he whistled, "and you remembered?" "Yes," nodded Vesta. This affirmation seemed to concern the sober man very much. "Why?" he asked after a moment's consideration. "Oh," replied the girl "I Just wanted you to have what . . . y6u wanted to have!" This afforded the sober man more food for thought "I didn't even know you were aware of my existence. I used to bet with myself that If It came to a pinch and you had to Introduce me, you could not tell my name You're so popular, and that sort of thing, that I thought" he was unable to finish. Vesta made a gesture as If she threw caution to the winds. "Listen to me," she said. "You're the most Interesting person here; I hated not ever having a word with you about books. That's one reason I had this party. I hoped you'd talk to me a little. You always looked so bored when I came In, and I was sorry. I'm not so frivolous as I seem. My father the man playing Saota Claus Is owner of the London Hook Shop here; I'm working there Just to learn something of the busl-nefs. busl-nefs. It's Dad who's really back of the p.rty. I Just did the suggesting. He's a perfect old dear. I wanted to try being a regular shop girl, so I came here to board, and It'a been the greatest great-est fun. I did not mean to deceive people too much, but really" here she permitted herself a tiny gurgle .of mirth "Miss Hillings got so frightfully fright-fully interested In a man who was paying me such attention, and of course It was. no one but Dnd, who came now and then to give me some pleasure at the theater or a concert con-cert ..." She stopped from lock of breath. The sober mnn beamed. You would never believe that an expression could chonge the way his did. It was like a dawning, a new light spread upon his face. What happened after this Is almost too confusing fur description.. Santa unmasked and was Introduced to everybody. Such a thanking and explaining! Such a happy, laughing group! Miss Hillings discovered she could play the piano and Mr. Maine swung out first with Mrs. Cummlngs, who fluttered like a girl at her first party. The rest whirled In with great fervor. If anyone had been looking shandy for the happiest couple, I think Vesta and the sober m;m would have been selected. What he said to her Is nobody's no-body's business, nor what she answeredand an-sweredand yet they seemed to hava settled something very hipily. (. 13. Waatarn Nawapapa UiUoo.) Vesta Blalns Went to the Front Door, Opened It with a cnrlous glance "you're all Invited In-vited I That's why It's the best party because It'a got the nicest folks coming com-ing to It!" 1 What a hubbub there-was then! Everybody asked five questions at once and none found out the answer. Miss Billings quivered with excitement. Mrs. Cummings waved the carving knife and nearly took off a si I re from the sober man's nose. Finally, Vesta stood up, commanded silence, tapped Importantly on the toble with, a silver spoon, and began : "Ladies and gentlemen, yon are earnestly ear-nestly requested, cordially invited and definitely ordered to clothe yourself In radiant raiment after dinner, and then wait for me In the hall. No one shall be allowed to say 'no.' Penalty for disobedience Is so horrible I can't even mention It!" And ready they were as soon as they could Jump Into their best and assemble as-semble In the hall. The sober man was the last to appear. He looked as though he did not dnre stay away. That's the best that could be said about him. Hut the rest were laughing and talking In happy expectation. Vesta Hlalne went to the front door, opened It, mmle strange signs with her bnn'ls, and In there tramped a big, blustering giant of a fellow dressed like Santa Onus. lie had n nobby puck on his buck, and appeared to hnve every Intention of unloading it at Mrs. Cummlncs' boarding house. "i'Ms wny," said Vesta and led him Info the parlor. The rest followed. "i"or mercy's saksl" exclaimed 11 Us UlMiga |