Show r D rhedis eDiS Jh martha HE biggs family were holding a 0 consultation there were nine of them counting father and mother and they sat in a somewhat solemn semicircle before an open fire tho the whole truth of the matter Is said father biggs that wo we have no money to spend on christmas tho amount I 1 saved haa been used to pay for dannys hospital bills there la Is coal to buy this month and new shingles to put on the roof unless we all want to drown when wo we have rain mother biggs glanced wistfully around the circle of children it was bard oh well said eliza eilza tossing her dlack short curls Who cares were all well now she looked at danny who smiled bravely back and we can rig up so something without money fault dont lets look like it a row of tombstones 1 this made them teem laugh even mother and next lay day every biggs tried valiantly to behave as it if stockings were going to be filled on christmas morning with more gifts than they knew what to do with but danny was particularly troubled it was because of his sickness that the rest of the family were being deprived of their rightful presents ile he felt that it was up to him to do something he must contrive to get eight gifts by hook book or crook but how ho w H he 0 thought about it steadily for five hours danny you yon taken your i boat in yet from the river said mrs biggs at noon lunch soon it will be frozen in the water better run down and drag it up ou shard bhore this afternoon turn it over I 1 saved a big piece of old canvas you can P cover it with miss having that rowboat row boat next summer if it got wilned now danny promised he would see about it mrs biggs went to the church sew I 1 in n society at two several other biggsen disappeared on various errands danny walked across the fields to hunt his boat in the little stream which flowed out of tho the connecticut n river it was a cold raw afternoon A fine rain drizzled down danny stubbed along over the rough ground still thinking not of his boat but presents and how bow to get some As lie ho neared tho the alot piot ibero his row boat was tied his eye light 1 upon a large wooden her box it was tilted up on end and frozen in the mud it wad filled with something small objects seemed to bo be bursting out ol of the cracks danny hurried forward SQ he leaned over the box bom ite ile poked a finger inside a largo large crack the box bos was partly ripped apart some of tho the boards were missing it was water soaked dannys finder finar came in contact with other pastel pasteboard loard boxes ol of pit all sizes 1 I this Is and where it came from ho he said aloud titers there was 90 address la in heavy black paint on tho the top danny read it it was of soma shipping firm in a town in vermont slowly the boy thought it all out this box bos must havo have been washed away in tho the terrible flood it had floated two hundred miles down tho the connecticut river and lidd had been cast up by tho the tide on the shore of the small river it must have been here for some time danny managed to draw out ono one small email box the colors colora were faded and blotched but on lifting the cover danny discovered a nent neat array of tollet toilet articles they were hardly damaged being for tho most part in metal cans and tubes talcum powder I 1 toothpaste I 1 shaving soap I 1 cold cream I 1 vanishing cream I 1 face powder in gold boxes I 1 danny felt weale weak with excite excitement me it lie he knew now where his christmas presents were coming from he also knew ho he had a perfect right to take these things because they were unclaimed damaged goods and he ha was the findert finder I 1 ile he ran home as fast as 03 his legs would carry him he aust let one ona other person into the secret to help carry the things home they must work fast before the rest ot of the f family am ic returned turned he found ellza eliza looking blue and darning daming socks beside the fire in no time they were both boffi down across the tha fields they spent h a brea breathless th afternoon tugging a clothes hasket basket haske baske ke t full of the toilet articles back to th the house ehouse ellza eliza worked like a trojan her hands flew she eho had bad moro ideas than you could shake a stick at and she stopped three times to powder her nose out of a little golden en box bixl I 1 three times they made trips from the house down to the box beached on the shore they were worn out and completely happy they hid bid tho the treasures tn in the woodshed end and mrs biggs said she sha had never seen danny look so dirty in his life eliza eilza threw him a glance and burst into laughter but t e S they could get nothing out of her she was mum as an oyster 1 christ in maa as in morning 0 rn I 1 n g danny and ellza eliza s dragged every U biggs out of bed at six they come came sleepily downstairs a little cross and shuffling la in thel their slippers danny and ellza eliza threw open tb the a lav living room doors A A row of bulging stockings it hung U ng from the tha mantel piece A bright fire crackled on tho hearth A christmas treo tree stood near by heavy with gifts such squeals and grunts I 1 such laugh laughter terl 1 such an onrush to clasp a nobby stocking to a surprised breast presents for every one presents every one needed and could use dozens and dozens of presents we wont tell a single dinglo thing until every one on has opened all their gifts announced danny his eyes salz shining q like stars 1 I was tho the one who made you lose your christmas because I 1 was sick and now I 1 civo it back to you again now son said father biggs when the last string was untied the last paper unwrapped tell us how you did iva it so danny standing by the fire in his woolen pajamas with a box of talcum powder in one hand band and a cako cake of soap in the other related his experiences perien per lences ces in finding the box eilza helped out when ho he ran out ot of breath the very merriest christmas wo we have ever hadl said mother biggs and kissed danny on the forehead at this point several young younger er biggsen had to be restrained from a gay ferocious battle of throwing talcum powder 96 L 1928 1922 castern newspaper urion 13 4 W christmas Chnat mas christmas means friendship the tha thought of the absent and ai ae least fi a iso omen tary for gaiting ot of our ourselves ourelie elre |