Evening star., 1921-12-25


mouth wilted. "Why-why, I've for
gotten the carving knife and fork"
she cried out in real distress. "Oh.
how stupid Of me" Without avail
she searched through all the drawers
kitchen. You'll have to go over to
my house and get them-0lr. Lau-
relic! You'll have to climb In through
the window - some way" worried
Flame. I've mislaid my key here
among all these dishes and boxes
Only please-please-hurry!"
! "If hurry enough" said the Lay
Reader quite impulsively, may have
a kiss when I get back?"
"a kiss?" hooted Flame. In the
curve of her cheek dimple opened
suddenly. "Well-maybe." said Flame
The Lay Reader snatched his hat
and sped out into the night.
Flame dragged down the bandage
from her eyes. dashed to the door
and hello'd to the fast retreating fig.
ure. "Oh, Bertrand! Bertrand" She
called. "If you don't find 'em in the
pantry you'd better go up in mothers
room and turn out the silver chest
Hurry"
Rallying back to the bright Christ.
mas kitchen, an accusing blush rose
to the spot where the dimple haG
been.
"Oh. shucks" parried Flame. "l
kissed a bishop before 1 was five
What's a lay reader?" She rolled VI
her white sleeves without further in.
trospection. and dragged out from the
shadow OF the sink the "humpiest'
box. The clumsy cover slid of, ex.
posing once more the gay-coloret
muslin layer Of animal masks leerine
fatuously up at her.
Poor Miss Flora must be so tired
Of being SO plain" she thought. I'll
give her the first choice of every.
thing! Something really-lovely! Il
can't help resting her"
She selected for Miss Flora a Can.
ary's face. Softly yellow! It's swell.
ing, tender muslin throat fairly reek.
Ing with the suggestion of innocent
song! Nudging Miss Flora cautiously
from her sonorous nap, Flame be.
guiled her with half a doughnut tc
her appointed chair. boosted her still
cautiously to her pinnacle of books
and slipped the Canary's beautiful
blond countenance over her grizzlet
mug.
Miss Flora sat blinking beadily ou
through the canary's yelIow-rimme,
eye sockets with frank curiosity to-
ward such proceedings as were abou
to follow. 1t was easy to see she wa
accustomed to sitting in chairs. Fo
the wolfhound Flame chose a giraffe
head. Beautiful-Lovely resigned him
self to the inevitable. and lolled hi
fine height against tho mahogan!
chair back.
To Blunder-Blot, the trim Dalma
tian. F1ame assigned the parrot
head. arrogantly beaked. gorgeousl!
variegated. altogether querulous.
For Lopsy, the crafty setter, sh
selected a white rabbits artless
pink-eared visage.
Yet out of the whole box Of mask
1t had been the bengal tigers fercel!
bewhiskered visage that had fasci
mated Flame the most. Cooking he
head toward the woodshed, Flam
could not be perfectly sure whethe
she heard a twinge of cat or twing
of conscience.
"After ALL" she reasoned. "it woul'
be easy enough to set another plate
And pile a few extra books I'm al
most sure I saw g. black plush bal
in the parlor."
TN i've minutes the deed was accom-
plished. The astonished cat foun'
herself slumping soggily on a grea
pile of book staring down as best sh
might through the bengal tigers ca
at the weirdest assemblage Of animal
which any domestic cat had ever beel
forced to, contemplate.
Very automatically Flame brok
another doughnut in two and drew
all the dogs attention to herself.
Thus it was that the master Of tn
house, returning unexpectedly, stun
bled upon scene that might hav
shaken the reason Of q less sobe
young man.
Startled by the unwonted illumina
ton from his kitchen windows an
by the unprecedented aroma Of fl
balsam that greeted him at his nev
front door, he groped through tn
dingy hall and beheld the gallows
like structure reared in the kitche,
doorway.
my God" he calculated. Barre
is getting ready to hang himself
Gone mad, probably-or something"
He forced himself"to the object t
note, with increasing bewildermen,
the cheerful phrasing: "'Christma
Crossins'% he repeated blankly
"Look, Out for surprisesr Shop
Cook! Glistenr" Throwing all eau
ton aside, he passed the buffet an
plunged into the kitchen.
"Oh, do hurry!" cried an cage
young voice. "I thought my hal
would be white before you camel"
He stopped short in his tracks t
stare at the scene before him. TIL
bright tablet The absolutely forms
: food! A perfectly strange. blindfolde