The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-12-27

way or another and al the last min
ute I'll feel mean if | don't get into
The game and squander lot of money
on presents"
He closed the door and went away.
By the time he had boarded the car
for town he knew that she was fight
But the Christmas woman didn I
know that he was thinking this
She was busy in her own ROOM
where, on a work table, lay white
shirt waist pattern stamped with a
| graceful design for embroidering. She
had bought it for 80 cents. marked
down from one dollar because it was
the last, Her plan was to transfer its
| design to other pieces of cloth which
| she had in the house and so evolve
| three shirt waists. stamped for EN-
broidering, to bestow on the three
nieces who liked to embroider. And
all for so cents
But the Christmas woman had just
begun work, trying brayely to forget
the hard-up husbands last words,
when she was called downstairs to see
the perfectly discouraged person,
whose plant was after this fashion
"Oh, dear It's nothing to me how
many shopping days there are to
Christmas. can't buy a thing"
But my dear" said the Christmas
woman, think what you can make ont
of that luxurious box of pieces you
showed me the other day."
Thereupon she poured forth many
suggestions about aprons and holders
and shoe bags and top collars-enough
to inspire church bazaar
oh, yes, but everything you make
costs little for ribbon or something
the perfectly discouraged person con
cluded, at the end OF her depressing
call. II wish Christmas was past"
Then she went straight home,
pulled out her box of pieces, pondered
over the Christmas woman's sugges- |
tons, schemed out a plan for saving |
a little money here and there. and |
then fell to work on her Christmas
presents with new courage
But that Christmas woman didn't
know this.
She was getting at her own work
again. This time she worked for
fully five minutes undisturbed, then
another visitor claimed her--this time
the tired-to-death woman, who couldn't
get away from her teething baby to
go shopping, or to take one stitch on [
Christmas presents. ]
Give me your list, and I'll shop
OR YOU the Christmas woman vol
lnteered
Mercy! ! couldn't possibly tell
What want without seeing things"
he tired'to-death woman protested.
Not until she was well on her way
Town the street did she realize that. :
With a little planning, she mis- ht shop
by proxy after all The idea, once it
lad penetrated her mind, pleased her
10 much that she was smiling like n
eally rested woman when she reached
ZONE and sat down to make out her
list
But the Christmas woman didn't
now this
Have called you downstairs when
on were doing something impor. @
ant?' the dead-broke girl was asking :
I the Christmas woman by that time
! m sorry if ! have. but | had to tell .
on my troubles. I'm IN debt up TO
ny ears. | haven't any right TO give ,
hristmas presents this year I'm
ding TO be cross until December 90"
oh. no." the Christmas woman
rotested. why. keeping CHEEKY Is -
ne kind OF giving! And at least you y
an write Christmas letters"
Why, who cares for those7" was
he cynical answer. v
Yet an hour later. at her desk. the
esd.broke girl was busily writing
letters. filling them with
1rrowed sweetness and humming a le
Apply tune as the words flowed from
er pen.
But the Christmas woman didn't o
now this
She had gone back 10 her room for N
Ie third time-to find her work table
npty. In vain she searched for the
lirt-waist cloth.
Bridget" she called at last. have le
N taken anything out Of my ROOM
Bridget was washing the windows. &C
)nly the clean rags for polishin the u
ass. num- she answered. You said &c
ey'd be on your table"
oh" she began But at sight OF o.
-idget's sorry face she caught her =.
IT, Never mind Bridget. she add :.
L Don't feel bad about il" U
ed Feel bad Me-" echoed the asfcn w