Show ut oft tate liv jan OSS MERVIN paused a moment before lie be went up the rickety stairs that led to the room where ai N dumb soupy sam would rent him a bed for the night tor for tho the sura sum of ten ty cents ue he caught sight of a slight girlish figure staggering along the street toward him she stopped suddenly with groping hands something wrong he asked g gently aly 1 I guess im blind I 1 my eyes were tile the whispered words he be caught her wide eyes did seam seem sightless to him he ce took her arm quickly under ills his 41 perhaps it Is just tor for the moment ill be glad to take you home if you tell me where to go P she was a slight thing and pretty under other c circumstances I 1 re I 1 ims t ances ross thought ile he learned in that brief but eventful walk that she had been studying art in the city but success had not come her way jhb christmas rush in tie the I 1 st stores ore S had given her an opportunity to earn money the lights had bothered her after the strain her eyes had ae 0 P AV been under in her studying and that nig night glit on her way home darkness deeper than tile the night had come over them A rigid faced landlady came to the door in a moment ross glimpsed the situation the woman heard tile the explanation with a scowl and he decided to wait until he be had seen the helpless girl to tier her room then lie he said quietly look after tier her well and I 1 will see that you are paid she has her room paid until sunday night after that the city will take care of her unless she has the cash sunday night you look like a bum to me but it if you get the money all right the woman said shortly ross smiled you tou have my number but ill have the money ee bia good to her ashes a mere kid an and 1 I up against it so am I 1 she replied sharply the next nest morning early he was at an a agency eney lie ile stepped to the desk just in time to hear a man say no job for me mel I 1 and go on ill take it ross agreed the clerk smiled tills this job Is driving a truck for the construction company at allieburg the tru truck CL carries explosives for two days ross drove the truck saturday night lie he received his two days pay and hurried to 30 east street paid the grin landlady rent for another week and talked for ene cne ion long happy hourwich hour with the girl he be had vowed to aid her eyes had improved a little and under his quiet determination she agreed to rest during the coming week 1 I I 1 dont see why you are so good to me she said hesitatingly at parting her hand sought his but your voice out of the darkness I 1 knowl 0 1 I knowl know tile the next week the fates seemed to take a hand in remolding ills his life I 1 room N P nt and one event followed another speedily ue ile looked up from his engine to see ills his fathers fur coated fl figure ure and hear him say lad one of my engineer friends herp here spotted you and told me its almost christmas I 1 feel that I 1 have been unjust to you but wont you come home ross mind lingered on the wora christmas and he said simply 1 I will lf 11 I 1 can bring some one with me no not my wife but a girl I 1 hope to make my wife so it came about that one eventful evening ross bent over a pal pale e flower like face and looked into dark eyes to which a great city physician had brought the blessing of sight and she said dear what a dream it seems tills this beautiful home and you with me mel I 1 and just a few weeks ago you and I 1 down in the depths sweetheart I 1 began to climb out the moment I 1 saw you that night and you took me with you the chime of faraway far away bells broke into her words with distant music what are those bells she asked wonderingly ue ile touched tier her lips with ills his christmas bells little girl ringing out tile the old for us forever P 1 IS M 1831 1931 mcclure McC liiro Nowa syndicate anu |