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euutriefl snub jjfiu tlv ii khmu now hud iwen j il d in u drift uj on tin window 1 lr wud wa blow in mudly throui h tin ccspeight urn christmas goods silverware in tableware tine van tj albo fine cutlery hardware tlnware gramte- warc in variety pandora stoves and ranges famous heaters small stoves oil stoves many rttchs suttahlc for ccspeight mill street acton christmas gifts we offer one of the x as ortmtnts of jpft for xmiis hi it can ix had 5ucli ns rockers jardiniere stands pictures childs sets parlor tables morris chairs etc oranytliinsintablc fur ounjj or old in the hon u ruriiisjunj lincit ciiy pkicrb johnstone co mill st acton christmas sugge 1 make exceedingly ac ceptable christmas gifts we shall be plea el to look after your want in thr lim artistic and satisfactory work avurel have tour itting mac early a txj u i litre i always a rn li at chri tinns j bauer acton erin ucll kill y j ilfirrio btit li iowrie look out und tin icclnij of lonelinc which bad p a n hnn all day uai in ten aficd clin tmu hi uiid half aloud and hcrt i am without u friend to wh inn w ii willi nobody o m whether 1 am ntcrry or iad und with no one to whom i may hc 11 off r a friendly rn t tin i i up o tin lxy in tht i levator or the port r would ik hid enoii h to exchan a word or two with m if i mad t worth ulnle but m si i odd nl j cnied to think of hit lont lm i and i uwwl in a h trnmj- attitude in tlu adiouuni room a woman ia rmj my lh note j w ru fuint but iwe t and clear yet tlu re wui a patho in liu m that ktrontly appeal d to him ilr mclint d hi head to hi ar the word lead kindly i ijd it umid the encin liitf loom kead ihou me on i w ni lit ii dark and i nm far from hoint lead thou ox on the mnprr uwd and low no i lood lookui out lit the whirhnt snow which was folin thickly that tlu li hi of day wai ulmn t shut out the afternoon m wll riikanrid soon tin it cine hi hts would ttcfin to jdow m the and tin candlt on tin chnrtaui jrcnr would lxi lighted 11 ap i v children would uiout with glefl fond parents would join their little ones m iiv inp cxprvk ion to the pint of the 4hmaiuon utter- lovcrt would lc y r c c 1 1 n j cadi other with dcludit ajid he would be kittinjj down to uit lui chru tma dinner alone with no one but u waiter who ex peeled a tip to- 1ivo inm a uord of cheer hctween hir room and tho one winch voj occu pied by the ruifcr there was a door iuiwimf nium wiuwni evidently to ih opened only in cum the two apartimntu w re uu d ati part of u i uitc ijwnr who was far from home and ulonc in a bij hot 1 for the fin t time in hii life on chrirtmau day look d cunou ly at the door for u moment and then wenl over to it and puttini hi ear cloe to the panel hi tenrd jftcr a little while he could hi ar n faint i ound ni of some one rocking on the caqvi ted fhwir nnd prcrtntly very t oflly and radly the uord and for ivonnic amiu fjiune i d lay me down and deo then there wa i ilenco a am i owrio t tnuj btened up wnlki d to the window and uftcr hwikinj out for u moment turmd back with a kmile taking one of hit cards from inn pocki t he wrote on the back of it merry chru tmu and pmhed it under tho door lie drew a chair over near the door and uit down to au ait develop ments u wai randly prowing dark but he forgot to pity him idf for lac lonclmc and ncjdected to turipbn the ilict lifht wan wondennj if in card had lcen seen ami trying to picture to himulf the kind of woman hi i neu hlwir mijjht bo perhaps be thouplit the n i tout nnd ban yrtiy hair sho may even have grandchildren well in any event uio hai a i woct voice and it is a certainty that i he ii lonely he had cloned bin oyei while be war mm inj nnd hu uiouditn wmjncd away to the place where bin mother nnd 1 1 ton wore probably entcrtauunk their fncndi and wiount he might be with thuii at length 10 cam out of t reverie and lookinjdfjwn at the nlafo where he liad pu bed hi card under the door raw homcthtnj i mall and white he picked it up eaj i rly turned on hu lijht and read thank you and may your chrifitma i lie a thouumd fold merrier than mine it wa a woman ii wntinp in tho fuiiluonnble kcrnwl but no name was siiiiod to the mojice she had merely um el a i trip of the paper furnished by the hoti i ro there wai no hint of lu r identity iowne n interest w a around and he decided topunuo the ndv nturo on the i tand in hi room were ueverul i htf tfi of paper in nddition to pen and ink he bat down and wrotu i am here alone a i tranper ttt it fnir that u chri ilinn i hould be frlcndlerji on chru turns w 1 lui mciit war put bed tinder the door nnd nlmoi t mtmrdrntcly the corner that bad iwen left protruding on hm t tdo diuippeurcd 1 vidcntl the lady had expect d a rontmiuuice of the correi poiulonce iowno forjot that h wan lonely farkit that a bii hotel fnr from home was a di mal place to imj in at chru turns time llo wan bin wondf r mj whether there would lie an imf wer tolui not nnd what it would bo he wai not kept loif in doubt mid the thntl w inch hri cxp nt need when he saw the fold d piece of palter entlj piu bed under tho door was one of dutiuet pleasure willi nervotu eaernetu be pick d it up and went over to tin table under tho chandelier an he opened it the world i uddenly iwcame tin mal iij am it unit hm own nolo that had been returned to him hut bit diuippnuilm tit wan brief under ins mcuuii o the lady had writt n the one word ditto after be had uudied the matter fur atuiiulowrie uit douu and eprcadlho patpcnmrtmforrhmt- hfloolced itttirriirjoudlynnd bkm- tned to picture to himielf the al in the ndjoinmi room pshaw i he thouhl at lai t she m prolwudy a jood plain dd e ul who ir oie v ictini of home i ueb coinbmution of eireunn tuuet i as that wlueli liih placed pie in my pr w fit preihramnnt if shn wore younj and libautiful ih would n t lie alone and uedect il a young and beautiful woman never baa to t ijdi for alt nlion or compnnionrhip yet why lihould i permit her to r main there alone and unhappy merely wcuums nho n unfortunate enoujh to bo unnhlb to claim youth orlteauly tlu i is a time when ood will should prevail a tune when every one rhould make an effort to imi kind rheii he took up his pen niain and wrote may i lc pcrvattoil to offer the jrootmjf of a well wisher and to hope that i bhall not imi com idercd too iwild if i mi t that it mifdit be possible for us to have a tittte chrlitmiui festival of our own though wo are strangers to each other there is no reason why wo should not at such a time an this e friend i 1 ihott i owrin ho pushed tho paper under the door and listened with hut ear fainst the jiancl he heard tho lady cross the room to j t the in acion i iwh pukss ukclmihr 1010 nit it hi in hi r ai i hi pu ki d it up and ixpnmd a eunoin f i imj h n nhxl d that tin y wi r im j urali d only by an tin i or two what curious b ut w are b thtnij lit and how w shut oirdve ut fr m one an oth r we i it in lnnehnerc nnd dikpair win n hivond the tlyn wall uj ainrt win h w liaiithtr may b oth r who if lb y km w of our trouble or ut rt awan ofourxi u nee mil lit m it in tin tr pow r to it nd u happini or re em u from mi u rtum it i all 1 miu of the fmi h eouv ntionahty by wlueh w art em laved i hoi i i hi may at li a t w ar her hair in fi bi eonimi fa ln n ainu t any woman an in attraetiv if tin knows how to wuir hi r hair lie heard thfrlndy toawuy from the door and crou tliu room ni ain and fauryin her i ittmj at in r table and dipping lit r pt n in tin inkwell he went to tin window 1 in lit lit win j lowuii m tho ilnet tin mow wai comuij down in a i liintiiij deluj c ami a few j oph with upturn d collart and bowed lieadi were hurrying aloni fur teow ai lu i tood lotikmy out it oceurr d to him that a warm re om in a hif hotel was not a bad place m wlueli to it even at chri tmiu tmu and far from honi the am w r lu ixpiettd was waiting fnr him when ho turn 1 from the window 1 hu u what th huly had written i hank you for your kind jteetini i iiojm i i hall not imi con i id r d too bold if i uj j t that you propomi untie way in wu h we can determni w lit ther we i hall care aft r wt havt u n each otht r to hav a chri tmas fitival of our own it would ik awkward if wt i r tudeeitli to hav a ft rttval ami then you wer to find oiimtinj ac ions churches me that you did not cure to i a on with it or if i w n to have a i nmlar ft i hnj after i eeinir you w oii lit to decide upon t oiuu plan which will leavi t at h of tin free to advanei or n trrjit without making it mbarrn unj for the oth r you cinni to lie rekourceful i have it to you to i ii j ei t a mod of pro t ihir coin tnnro ilallock it hud not pr viom ly oeeurn d to 1 own that the lady mli ht nil r m i ni him im mclmi i to wn h to eoul nine to tr at him an a i trauj r ami he wai di po d at unit to imi a btth nkintfu bit am the had hind tl at i ueh a jx i ibibty it wan chru tnitis- tune howuvt r and ho t u rum ly for ave her after huvirtj donti that hi b an workui out a iilun in areordauc with hi r i uj ei tiou in a f w iiunutt hi had it formiiluttd it all cimii to inm in if he had be n myi li nou ly in ipind and hi math ha tt to write it out thu my dtar mi or mn hnltot k in a bill ululi tin ft w unfortunate people who ar t trnndt tl lit r wiuhtjinni mhhii in tin lining rt om to partake it inch chri torn cheer u may lu had tin re i projic e tlmt vw join them if you will takt a m ut at out of ih i mall table i at hit t in 1 1 id of tht room i will watch for you ni you inter in uiv id for afn r mi inj you lompltt tin ar rati m nt which hai been i uj t t i i w ill enter i hortly aft r you i w ill pret ml to have forj ott u i inm tlun nutl jm t after ttui m id the room turn to o out itcforc leavin tht room how v r i will j latil ov er at you and pan e for an in tant if you imw to me i will know that th chrintmas f f tival t to proce tl and aft r i hav one out for a mom nt i will return j re t you ni if you wero my dt arei t friend and i it down be id you in ca e you do not bow to nm win n i naiim before i oinj out i will not rt turn or d wh n i have w en you i do tu t w ii h to j o on w tth tin proj rnmme i will not enter the duuni room at nil 1 hu we i hall both i ape any inliarra mi nt if thu plan meet with y uur approval i will o down tnin in fiftet n imnutt u ant tukf a po ition from which it will 1m po ibl for me to ieu you as you direct th head waiter topiv ou a i it at tht eat t ntle of tho dtninf rroni ilhott i owne in u little while thin am wer wai returned your idea m a very ui entotii omi but innko it tw enty minuti s uistt atl of lift en shnu need that much tune to tit ready mik constance llullock iwtnty miniitei later i owne rtood mar the door of the tbnnip room only four inditi had entered and they had all ben accom named by men 1 hen there tame a woman who wai unaccompanied sho wiiu vry tall very animlai er much made up and ilio liontowetl upon him a i illy i milo as she jia ed nttr vvhuro ho ntood with a fcelui uklil to liomt mckbein he wntclietl her as she lin lrc er tli- ontmjict until the head waiter approached i owne saw her point toward a i innll table at the t at t side of the ronin and uid at huait hu turnutl away hardly rtmhint what hir did bo rualiod ovoi to lliu ilnvator aitcuuiturmod to thu lif i hen -still- dnwncni t and complololy obbv iquii of tho fact that it win n tune wh n iood will nhould have prevailed he httrrud alone thu hall toward bin room intonilini to i hut hlmi otf up there until the next morning when it would be pos ilble for him to e cape from tho hat fill place an ho wan half blindly fumbling at tho keyhole thu door of tho atijouimj room oponi 1 and loeiklii up he behold a tndy youhj pracoful iteautiful and taiitefulli drer etl sho loometl to imj surprt led to tt o him and pnut t tl for a moment an if i ho intend d to rotreut hut nho thought lietter of it when i owne took oil hm hat looked nt his watch ami m nil in jj m u way tlmt must d all her doubjn to fhu tialtl you are ton mmutu late mini ilallock nud thoio ten minutes almost cauned nm to mill what i am i are n pomj to be tho mo t do hjhtiul experience of my life a yir loter they occujnod theie rooms ajam and the door imi tweon thorn was op n hut tlmv wore on their wedthuj jourrtoy then he always ready of touao to strike the iron while it in hot but be ready alio to make it hot by utrlklnjj m v 1 1 i li a i 1 j w m hai itr lilir i i as it i i o tl i u h r i i i