Evening star., 1927-12-13
The Magic Seals.

"HE wind slapped at Mary's thin
satin skirt, winding it about
her pretty knees. 1t caught
Il her cheap coat, and blew 1t
unashamedly hack, to bare the
poverty of its sleazy lining.
Her feet. wet with the slush of the
streets. ached unhearahly. Red hot
streaks shot up and down her shapely
legs
1t hadn't been SO bad. though--not
30 bad. The sheets Of Christmas
seals she'd taken from Miss Adams to
sell had dwindled and shrunk. Pretty
little things they we're with their gay
colors and merry Greeting-pretty
little things, And where would she
have been now, had it not been for
them?
The white plague! Didn't have 10
tell her anything about that Two
years in a free sanatorium. A nil
lionaire couldn't have been better
cared for. Land knows she was tired
enough! All day behind ribbon
counter. Christmas shoppers paving
and clawing.
An hour or two for all they had
done for her and were doing for
others - those blessed little SEALS
Why, an hour or two might buy a
life,
christmas seals. sir? Christmas
seals, madam? For the good of the
cause-to fight the plaGue-to save
the children. Christmas seals
There went a crowd of girls home
from the matinee Such nice warm
furs they had-such pretty shoes.
Fun to he like that-nothing to do
hut have a good time.
Wouldn't ii he nice-if these seals
L. s.-1No H.
carpet? Suppose she'd rub one and
Of a sudden a great hig car would
draw up 10 the curb right here beside
her and out would pop handsome
young man. regular fairy prince,
and he'd say:
as this Miss Mary McPierney?"
and she'd say:
"Yes. that's my name" And he'd
say. I'm from Hollywood. Calf, from
the Mammoth Studio. ard I've been
sent to find the prettiest Girl in this
city to star in our next film. Would
you like to try?" And shed say
There was that fellow with the
plaid coat trying to fiirt again What
did they think she was? These curb
hounds-they made her sick! Funny
II girl couldn't sell Christmas seals
without being bothered,
Nice men now-she could tell a nice
man as far as any one. There VISA
that funny young fellow from the
West she'd waited on that afternoon.
Friendly. Made her think of an Aire-
dale pup-sl1aggy and wistful-eyed.
He'd told her his life story while
she picked out some ribbon for him
and tied his package. A ranch out in
Wyoming In with a shipment of
cattle. A present for his mother that
he wanted to send home.
Scared, She was petrified! SO many
women around. And grateful. You'd
thought she'd really done something.
Didn't see many men like that in
citv.
What was the word they said in
fairy tales when they made magic?
"Aba-aba-a adabra!" That was
it, How smooth the seals felt as she
rubbed them with her cold fingers.
"Abracadabra. Abracadabra! Come
on. Prince-come on. Prince.
Such a mob. Would they never stop
pushing. All in a hurry for their
suppers, she guessed-worse than a
lot of bargain-crazy women. Look st
that old lady, Trying to plow through
against the light!
The crowd parted, backed and
changed. A fire truck whizzed along
the cleared path. and an old woman.
yanked to a place Of safety against
the curb. gasped terror-stricken as
Mary uprighted her with vigorous
young hands.
For cats sake. LADY," she scolded-
"for cats sake, Trying TO kill your
self? One more inch, Just one more
inch"
A lean brown hand touched Mary's
arm-a laughing voice drawled in her
ear:
Good work. kid. Just grabbing for
grandma myself when you got her.
This your business, eh? Rescuing
folks in distress! Aren't you going to
let me help?''
Looking up at the friendly eyes 10
close to her own, Mary blushed in
pleased recognition. Her shaggy man
once more. Her Westerner!
"Tm selling Christmas seals" she
stammered a little neutrality-suspicious.
almost through-and"-- down
At the wrinkled ungloved fingers that
ciutched so frantically-"I can't leave
this woman here--she's scared stiff
and crying. What'll do?"
Do? Asking a man like that what
10 do? Two jerks of cats tail and