The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-02

children. forgot to ask their ages and sex" E
 That's all right Mis- Blair, don't you worry We like everything, don't we, children"
 The first objects disclosed pair of roller skates
 "Ch, now, Mis- Blair, aint that shame! Them would just it Llsie only she's lame She got her foot twisted something awful when she was born. Show Mis- Blair your lame foot, Elsie.'
 The next package another pair of roller skates. This time the only comment Mrs. FedhauS made was startled "Oh. Mis- Blairn' She was treasured by sweater which would be just the thing for Harry Eddie and the boys themselves thrown into ecst sies at the sight of large, manybaded pocketknfe. pair of boys ice skates aroused very little enthu- siasm. For Mrs. Feldhaus herself there were half a dozen small, fne initial handkerchiefs.
 Little Elsie made faint exclamation of pleasure over long strand of blue beads; but when the first strand followed by second identicaly the same, Elsie was silent and her mother gave out grunt of increasing astonshment and disappointment. A burnt leather hand bag decorated with Indian heads received in ominous quiet second burnt leather indignant, "Oh, Geel"
 There an unmistakable change taking place in Mrs Feldhaus From the fustered grateful creature of the first moments of their visit she was fast becoming red-faced, angry woman. When the package before the last the long, slender one, dis cretion to the winds and to what she herself would call "sass."
 what Elsie needs-One for one hand and one for the other. They'll be so nice to keep her warm and dry el winter. Speak uD Elsie and tell the lady how kind she is. You didn't want nice shoes, nice dress, warm coat. All you needed for winter anything what little lame girls what can't around much does enjoy it's roller skates. And what do thinks in that last package Elsie? Another pair of roller skates, maybe. Wouldn't that be nice?"
 The Blair mother beginning to trenble, but, though hypnotzed, she continued to undo what actl ally was third pair of roller skates Even her children, who had been living through anguished nightmare on their own account, were astounded
 ,.t. ,s 1o>' ~ e. @ @ Iue0. . .s. .o the last package, that there was nothing more coming ard she collapsed in her chair weak with dis appointment and anger.
 "Where-where," she stammered, where's the Christmas dinner you promised us?"
 'Mrs. Feldhaus, think you forget yourself" the Blair mother said, rising with dignity I promised you dinner"
 face now purple with rage. Harry! Eddie! Elsie! Did you hear that? She's got the cheek to tell in my own house that she never promised me no Christmas dinner! The liar! When she knows she just like this, Don't yea make preparations for Christmas this year, Mis- Feldhaus, cause and Didn't you say that now? Didn't you? I dare you to deny it double dare you !'
 What ever done to you for you go to treating me this wayne poor widow lady with four chii- dren and Elsie lame. I asked you for nuthin', but you promised it yourself and O course thought you meant it. And took every cent I had this morn ing and put it in the rent cause says the twins just like this We better clean up that old rent while we got the chancst, cause if Mis- Blair gives big Christmas dinner make it last three days. And now where you suppose we're goin' a-get enough And orly last Tuesday the lady from the Salvation Army come here, and says to me, Mis- Feldhaus, basket You see the Salvation Army knows me-they knows work hard and don't booze. And I says to her, You're awful kind, Lieutenant but needn't give ticket this year. A kind lady what work for is goin' atake of me-, I says. Oh, what fool not to grab that ticket when had the chancst! They begin gvin' out the baskets at half past seven tonight"
 Her face fell into lines of hopeless misery Against the background of that mean poverty stricken room, she made a figure of utter and discouragemeut Suddenly Mrs. Feldhaus reused with an idea.
 Harry! Eddie! Maybe 'taint too late yeti Yous two run up fast yous to the Salvation Barreeks and find that lady. Yous tell her she give me that ticket cause the lady what promised Christmas dinner went and played dirt Why don't yous go? Run! run You want them Dagos and Irish to get all the tickets?"
 Harry and Eddie fell heavily down the stairs and their mother to the window to call after them up the street: Te the Salvation lady if she don't give nuthin' all got to eat for Christmas is roller skates and parasols!'
 It mdafternoon when they reached home and. as the Sunday-school entertainment for six o'clock, the Blair mother distributed at once her needed useful gifts. Henry received pair of stout shoes the very kind for iceskating He had no skates, of course. He not volube in his thanks but his mother remembered that he always secontaned, quiet boy The twins received, each of them pair of brown kid gloves The twins like wise. by nature self-contained and quiet. For Margery, her mother had hat pretty felt hat with a broad. fuzzy riIn trimmed in loops and ponpons Of velvet.
 "Let me see it." Marrery said as self-contained and quiet the rest She held it in her two hands looking at it. staring at it. willie strong emotion pleasure. her mother horsd-beran to agitate her bosom and her face. "And is this-is this the thing you're giving ne when rou rrornsad-Dp-pr onised
 st thn first "OI' Marrerv's mortified family