Show F martha T ne biggs family were holding a 1 consultation there were nine of them counting father and 3 mother and they sat in a some what solemn semicircle before an open fire the whole truth ot of the matter Is said father biggs that we have no money to spend on christmas the mount amount I 1 saved has been used to pay for dannys hospital bills there Is coal to buy this month and new shingles to put on the root roof unless we all want to drown when we have rain mother biggs glanced wistfully around the circle of children it was hard oil well said eliza tossing her black short curls who cares were all well now she looked at danny who smiled bravely back and we can ra rig up something without money dont lets look like a row of tombstones this made them laugh even mother and next nest day every biggs tried valiantly to behave as 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 ri presents lie felt that it was up to him to do something he must contrive to got get eight gifts by hook or crook but how 11 he e thought about it steadily for five hours panny P a n n y you avent li taken your boat in yet from the river said sirs mrs biggs at noon lunch soon it will be frozen in the water better run down I 1 and drag it up oi cia o i shore shore this this afternoon turn it over I 1 saved a 4 big piece of old canvas you can cover it with miss having that rowboat row boat nest summer bummer if it got ruined now danny promised he would see about it mrs biggs s went to the church sewing society at two several other bleses biggsen disappeared on various errands danny walked across the fields to hunt his boat in the little stream which flowed out of the connecticut river it was a cold raw afternoon A fine rain drizzled down danny stubbed along over the rough ground still thinking not of his big boat but presents and how to get some As lie he neared the spot where his big row boat was tied ills his eye light upon a large wooden boy bos it was tilted up on end and frozen in the mud it was filled with something small objects seemed to be bursting out ol 01 the cracks danny hurried forward ile he leaned 0 01 or the box lie he poked a finger briger inside a large crack the box bos was partly ripped apart some of the boards were missing it was water soaked dannys linger finger came in contact with other pasteboard boxes boses of all 11 sizes 1 I wonder what this ts Is and where it came from he be said aloud there was an address in heavy black paint on the tope top danny real read 1 1 it it was of some ShIP shipped PID firm in a town in vermont slowly the boy thought it all out this box must have been washed away in the terrible flood it had floated two hundred miles down the connecticut river and had been cast up by the tide on the tha shore of the small river it must have been here for some som sometime etine time danny managed to draw out one ona small box bos the colors were faded and blotched but on lifting the cover danny discovered a neat array ot of JJ toilet articles they were hardly dam aged being for the most part la in metal cans land and tubes talcum powder toothpaste I 1 shaving soap cold cream vanishing cream I 1 race face pow der in gold boxes I 1 danny felt weak with excitement ne ile knew now where his christmas presents were coming from he also knew lie he had a perfect right to take these things because they were unclaimed damaged goods and he was the finder I 1 ta lie he ran home as fast as his legs would carry him lie ile must let ona other person into the secret to help helep carry the things home they must work fast before the rest of the farelly family returned lie ile found ellza eliza looking blue blua and darning socks beside the fire la in no BO time they were both 1 down across the fields they spent a breathless afternoon tu tugging ln a clothes hasket basket hast bast full of the toilet toile t articles back to the house eliza worked like it trojan her hands flew she had more ideas than you could shake a stick at and she stopped three times to powder her nose out of a little golden boxi bos three times they made trips from the house down to the box beached on the shore they were worn 0 out lit and completely happy they hid the tha treasures in the woodshed and mrs biggs said she had never seen danny look so dirty in his big life eliza threw him a glance and burst into laughter but th they ey could get nothing out of her she was wag mum as A art an oyster christmas morning danny and ellza eliza dragged every biggs out of bed a at t S six I 1 X they came sleepily downstairs a little cross and shuffling la in their slippers danny and ellza eliza threw open the living IV room doors A row of bulging stockings akings hung from the mantel piece A bright fire crackled on the hearth A christmas tree stood near by heavy with wiell gifts such squeals and grunts such laugh laughter terl 1 such tin an onrush to clasp a nobby stocking to a surprised breast presents for every one presents every one needed and could use vos doz ens cas and dozens of presents we wont tell a single was thing until every one has opened all their gifts announced danny his eyes shining like stars 1 I was wag the one who made you lose your christmas because I 1 was sick and now I 1 give it back to you again now son said F father ether 1319 biggs av when the last str string ang was untied the last paper unwrapped tell us low how you J did it so danny standing by the fire to in his woolen pajamas with a box bos of tal hand and a cake cum powder in one of soap in the other related ills his ex perien ces in finding flandin the boy bos eliza eilza breath helped out when ho he ran out of the very merriest christmas we said mother biggs t have ever had forehead fb and hissed danny on file m several younger r biggles at this point had to be restrained from a gay ts fe j talcum j 4 battle of throwing chrowl 3 powder m union 1028 newspaper paper S tt U Tf fi M |