Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-06

berry. and then he chuckled softly to
himself "Oh, Anne, Anne, how could
you. when you forbade me to buy
thing?"
L baked a half dozen Christmas
plum buildings and sold them and
made enough TO get some oranges and
nuts" blushed Mrs. Tiddleberry under
his tender scrutiny. Il couldn't bear
to have them find empty stockings"
rs that aU?" demanded her husband.
isn't It enouCh?" she evaded. Come
in the parlor and look at the coat and
suit made a larger fire in the FUR
mace and turned the heat in here so
It would lie warm when they got up IL
the morning
What else have you done, AIMEE"
persisted Mr.. Tiddleberry Confess!
III give you"-lookingr at his watch
Just three minutes. Fire ahead
Anne sank back in big rocking
chair and closed her, eyes YEARLY.
We'll. found one of Linnie's old do1s
and made new clothes for it from hea5
to foot 1t looks like new. Then I
made her three dainty handkerchiefa.
l had the material in the house. an6
I fitted a little workbasket for her
That's ali for Linnie. 1 made Bob
bath robe"
"a bath robe, Out of what-paper?'
II had an extra blanket, n small one,
so l dyed it red and made a robe fur
him, using a curtain cord and tassels
dyed the same color. That's all except
the popcorn and candy. 1 never spent
n penny for anything except nuts and
oranges"
Its enough, Anne Tiddleherry. and
you were the exponent of the giftless
Christmas. Good night, my dear. Go
to bed. 1 shall sit up awhile
I'm afraid I've spoiled your Christ
mas by objecting to the presents" she
said. with conjunction in her tone, as
she fingered by his side.
Not at all, my dear. I wouldn't be
surprised If this turned out 10 be the
happiest Christmas we ever had"
For q long while after his wife had
departed Mr.. Tiddleberry waited in ST
Ience. and when he had quite deter
mined she must have retired he tip
toed softly to and fro between the par
lor and the hall closet under the
stairs, his stockinged feet making no
sound on the carpeted floor.
First he united package and look
ed with unstinted admiration upon a
cotton Grape kimono in gay tints Of
red and yellow, a pair of brown kid
gloves and book that his wife had
1onged for. He found pair of stock
ings in her darning basket and hung
one beside Linnie's. putting nuts and
IL II.
he stuffed in the kimono and the
gloves and laid the book on the shelf
above it.
Into Linnies well filed stocking he
dropped a tissue paper package con-
tanning a silver bracelet, and into
Bob's there went a pair Of skates.
After he had solemnly executed 4
highland fling on the hearth rug Mr..
Tiddleherry extinguished the lights
and went TO bed much pleased with
his own shrewdness.
Later Mrs. Tiddleberry arose from
beside her sleeping husband and crept
down in the darkness to hang one Of
his socks beside Bob's. She heard him
stirring and fitted back again with
out noticing any additions to the row
of stockings on the shelf.
Just before daybreals Bobs door
opened softly, and a ghostly figure
made a journey down to the parlor
and returned. 1t was not until the
cold Christmas sun was peeplag over
the rim of the world and gliding Lin
ME Tiddleberry's bedroom window
that the little girl stirred from her
warm nest and timidly slipped down
the stairs over the pricking carpet
Just as she reached her bedroom
door her fathers voice roared in mock
ferocity: merry Christmas. Who goes
there:"
Me" cried Linnie Merry Christ
mas, everybody"
That was the signal for al the It'd
dleberrys TO arise. for IL was a Christ
mas custom with them that they
should all go downstairs together on
Christmas morning. Mr.. Tiddleberry
looked very comD'acent and self salts