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Show ir Nicks iQiristoias,; h Bag p f;;7 v.-.:---.-..---! .....-.-..'.-,?.-...-? :.. . j ffpjSgJ liHKE are u lot ot men out W.tfml lu llle himber camps thai ,u'eu'' yuin ' -' huie for SfiiCivj Christmas," Margaret Tomp fffll kins told a group of young men and women at I lie t.i 7- j country' club early in No ' 3 vember. "1 waut to get u Clirisiujus bag for every one ol them Who'll promise a Christmas bag?" "I'd like to help." said Nick l.or ring, "only thing is I'm green al thai sort of thing. Do you suppose you could get someone to make a hag and fill it if I paid for it?" "Yes; I've thought of that.' said Margaret. "I've figured out that a nice bag can he got up for three dollars." dol-lars." A little later when Nick Lorring found Margaret alone he told her he wanted to be responsible for ten ot the bags. "I'll send you the check in the morning." Margaret pressed Nick's hand and looked up gratefully into his eyes. "You're the most generous man In the world," she said. Nick yearned to take this opportunity oppor-tunity to tell Margaret just a little of his ever-increasing , love for her, but to do it now. it seemed, would be to taint with self-interest, the tenor of his generosity. The afternoon before Christmas Margaret telephoned to Nick at his office. "I want to tell you, Nick," said Margaret, Mar-garet, "that I filled all the bags and they were so wonderful. Each one cost Just three dollars. Now 1 find that there is just one left over after all the men at the camp have been supplied. As it is all filled. I can't return the money, hut I thought maybe may-be you knew of some poor fellow who might like one." Nick thought a moment as he held the telephone receiver. "I . do know a fellow," said he. "Used to work for us. Then he quit and went to farming farm-ing over in the next county. Sort of a luckless fellow. Suppose I take that bag over to him." So after the office closing at five, Nick called at Margaret's for the bag. He planned to drive the fifteen miles to the shack where Barry Smith lived and back before his seven o'clock dinner. din-ner. The cabin seemed deserted. Nick forced a window and walked in. But Barry was not to be found. Nick felt in his pocket for a match, hut matches he had none. Then he groped around Barry's room, but was no more successful. suc-cessful. So with nearly frozen fingers he undid the wrappings from the Christmas hag. opened it and found. "Yes; I've Thought of That," Said Margaret. as he had hoped, a box of matches with tile cigarettes and tobacco in the bag. By the time he had lighted a lamp, found fuel and warmed himself, the storm had covered the roads so that to attempt to return that night would be an act of folly. So Nick spent Christmas in poor Barry's forlorn for-lorn cabin. Fortunately for Nick, he carried, in in his car. a box ol groceries, bacon, bread and butler as a present to Burn, to help through the winter. Much ol this he left for Barry on his return, from the rest he made his own rathei meager Christmas dinner. But it ii hadn't 'been for Margaret's bag, Christ mas would have been a doleful day, In deed. When Nick weal to see Margaret on liis way home on December 'Jli, In found her in a state of real agitation "Somehow I fell responsible for tin whole thing.'' said Margaret. "You were' responsible for the tail that I had a rallier pleasani Christ mas after all. You kept ute fron freezing and starving to death, vol-cheered vol-cheered me with r. good book. smoUe and a mouth organ, and kept me frou degradation by means of soap and i-comb. i-comb. Thai hag was a godsend." "Oh. Nick." saiil .Margaret, will eyes very tender. "I feel as it knew you so niuci, better because o 'his.'' "Margaret." saiil Nick. "I've heei trying to get up nerve for thro months to tell you I love you lo detraction. de-traction. " "And evet since you sent me tin check for the hags I've known I warn ed to hear you tell me." answerer Ma:ga ret. bv SIc-Plure N t-wpp pel syudu-ate. ) i WNU Service) |