South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-03
The Melting Pot
COMET TAKE POrDUCK
WITH u

Santa Claus II supposed TO make
his rounds once a year. and most
! persons feel that If they receive a
visit from him every twelfth month
they have Jared pretty well. and they
do not as a rule offer any complaint
that is. the general run of persons
do not.
However. Santa Claus is a rule,
ton. and santa Claus not being an
exception in being the rule himself.
! is necessarily an exception to him
self in proving the rule, If you know
what we mean. to quote from Nina
! Wilcox Putnam.
Ellis Diver is a firm believer in
/ rules, and OF course his belief in
1 Santa Claus is based entirely on the
I fact that Santa Claus is nothing
more than d rule that persons must
] give presents, but he Is unable to
/ ind any rule TO warrant the present
received at his home the other eve
ming.
And being unable TO blame anyone
else for the present, he lays it at the
door of Santa Claus. although this is
the first time that he ever knew
Santa Claus to visit his home at
any other time save Christmas.
However. TO hurry on with what
we really want to say. Mr.. and Mrs
Diver and their daughter were sit
ting quietly at home at 622 $ Mich
igan st. the other evening when
suddenly a strange noise made itself
heard out on the front porch.
The noise was different from most
noises heard at the Diver home. 1t
sounded like somebody was trying TO
tear down the house, and immedi-
ately Mr.. Diver began an investiga-
ton by opening the front door.
Just as the door was drawn in
ward. Mr.. Diver saw man in the
act of knocking the air. the door
having been removed suddenly from
Iunder his knuckles.
Is this where Ellis Diver lives p"
asked the man.
yes, answered the head of the
Diver home.
With that the man began TO push
his way inside, and as he pushed it
became apparent that he held TO one
end of heavy, bulky object.
As progress was made toward the
inside of the front room, Mr.. Diver
saw that four men were carrying in
a piano.
Whose is it, asked Nj. Diver.
It's yours, or leastways we were
told TO bring it here" one Of the
men answered.
Mr.. Diver looked at Mrs. Diver
and Mrs Diver looked at Mr.. Diver
Then Mr. and Mrs. Diver looked at
Miss Diver. and she in turn looked
at Mr.. and Mrs. Diver
But their exchange of looks gave
back nothing out utter astonish-
ment. They could not understand
at all the presence of the piano.
which appeared to have but three
legs.
Il know. it is a baby grand" de-
claFed Mr.. Diver accepting the
piano for want of some other course
to follow.
Mrs. Diver and Miss Diver also &C
copied what they apparently could
not very well refuse, so the piano
was placed in the most suitable cor
ner of the room. The four men then
departed with the information that
they had been sworn TO secrecy con-
corning the identity Of those respon-
sible for the instrument being at the
Diver home.
That evening Mr.. and Mrs. Diver
called in some friends, and music
was the order of the evening. The
next morning Mr. Diver found the
fourth leg on a chair on the front
porch where it had been laid by one
of the four men who carried it in.
He then knew that it was a regular
upright piano and not a baby grand,
But there is one thing that Mr.
Diver does not know. Neither does
Mrs. Diver know any more about il
than does Mr.. Diver, and Miss Diver
is equally as ignorant about this
particular subject as are both Mr.
and Mrs. Diver. And that is.
who sent the piano?
c. ]. Cooper.