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*HE McHENBY PLAINDKALBR, THURSDAY, DEO. 15,1927 Ij A*'l ?£K 3£ Get out Miniter A Jaet i KTESTABLK people," said Helen, wasting a glare mi ;lie crowd milling about u bargain ttjble. "Each on- In search of the very ob a at trying to get." "Impossible," returnee good old Cyrus from over his lading of l>un dleh. "Some are men and cat.not It In pursuit of the articles On your list,' Helen wanted to retort, "Stupid!' but laughed instead. "I don't mean they are looking for step-ins and ted dies," she returned. "But w;> all wain a 95 gift for 40 001.ts. ftoi sr tired * I guess I'll go home." . * And went, just li!;e thai. She wh* that kind ol a sudden person, which was why Cyrus loved ber, but had Bever found tfme ;ir,d plnre ris'-ii fo; telling her eo. Helen frll Into • waiting jun«jj» Oh, but rhe wns a weary. And nov. long since the nightmare sorted? It began in the summer, when conscience •aid Ehe Ditr>ln't crochet what she wanted to crochet, but what would li-* Useful come Christmas. Then c;tu)»- the slogan, "Shop Early." Helen had •hopped ently. but that did not moan •he was aide to avoid shopping late. The spirit of Christinas--low* good will, i>eace. Where was It? Her eyes closed. "Detour!" exclaimed the driver, as he turned on a side road. He was an **«ttra" earning Tor college. During Christmas season he, like the rest of the world, overworked and underslept. After driving 18 hours, he hnd taken tliis "trick" so the regular man could go and buy things. All the wives made all the husbrv.ds do the snujLv Tnerefore Olpy Hamilton, who had no wife, drove the titney. Drove it on and on. i'orlMMs i.ny.ed o!T. A wheel skidded. Something careened and something else smnhed. "Where enn we he?" asked Helen, gaslng at n black highway, The man laughed grimly. "1 dim" even know where we are," lie re •ponded. Both turned to meet the old man who hobbled from the nearest house. "Well," he cackled, "this is Middle ton, the town folks forgot. Years ago trains stopped running. We got no garage, no phone, pretty nigh no In habitants. Me'n my sister live here 'cause we ain't able to live nowhere else. Mrs. Gould is bedridden and hei daughter stays to take care of her Come in. You can't move on tonight wheel all crumpled up. And you ciTn't walk if you've hurt your foot, as 1 •aspect." Inside the quaint house, with his •hoe cut off,~ Clay made apology to Helen. "I could kick myself," he said, "to* jetting you Into such a scrape. I inusi have dreamed that sign 'Detour.' The truth is, I shouldn't have been driving. It's the--" "Holiday rush," Interrupted Helen ••J understand. I won't complain though a roll of red tissue paper an : cussed everything but Christmas. The next day came, bringing a blizzard. For a little they spoke of a search being made for the jitney, but it became evident "detour" had indeed beeu a dream. Never mind, Clay's ankle was getting better, and Helen, felt like a child out of school. In the afternoon the two hobbled and tripped, respectively, into the kitchen entry. Through the half-open doer they saw their hostess and the .daughter of the bed-ridden woman. What was it they bent over? Helen's parcel, with its bunch of scarlet tissue, its bolt of green ribiion, its sprigs of artificial holly. Bat with what wistful eyes were the women regarding these gewgaws. "They say," whispered Miss Gould, Hirely touching the pretties with finger tips discolored by iodine, "that in lots of places one never has a Christmas gift not tied np nice. I read it somewhere--the wrapping fs half the gift!" "Maybe so," said Miss Ellot.%^ never had a Christmas present" "I d'd have some good times," returned Miss Gould, "before ma took sick. Hung up my stocking and always got some little tricks. Wasn't contented, though. Csed to hanker for a tree." Helen turned qoktly, not to be ••alight eavesdropping. In the parlor For the Living Room Well, if it is a splendidly "worth while" Christmas gift you are In search of, take note of this adorable cushion and footstool set. Both stool and cushion are made of black felt, this material being strongly featured for home decoration Just now. The decorative flowers are made of felt in all the gay colors, standing out in bold relief against their black background. Nothing handsomer for the ifcrtae room than these sets! rr Neck Ties Silk Mufflers Silk Handkerchiefs' Fancy Hosiery Slip Over Sweater*. Kid OIOVM Garters ** Arm Bandi Belts Suspendeft fine Slippers l)ress Shoes Bath Robes Night Gowns Fine Shirts Hats "You May Say It," h *..••• . Helen "I'm Reconciled." bolt of green ribbon aren't very eltl f4fnt provisions for an overnight stay apt--doesn't that coffee smell good?' ••Rather. If It wasn't that « know you are anxious to «et home and fin lib your Christmas preparations, I' • •ay, 'What larks!'" "You may say It," returned Helen "Pm reconciled. Glory be. there ar« "Sf signs of holly In this house." •'Perhaps," said the young man f«s letting ber mood, though rathe •mazed, "we'vfc reached a I ami when Christmas ends. A test! Miss Kliot. addressing their hoetess as she en Itred with a tray, Tan you tell u* the date of day after tomorrow?" "Day after tomorrow is the twen ty-flfth," she said calmly. Then sliv went out for more food, and Helen grinned at Clay, as If they were ol < firlends. The twenty flftb of Decern |M)r was Just a datef Tliey had actually got away fr»ii ""CSiristmaii." * . It proved ii delightful evening p:v lenged ns° il:e two youn^ fujMte V- T)ie Cremona VteHh flie three greatest makers of the Otomona violin were Nicholas Amatl, Joseph Guarnerl del Gesu and Antonl- Stradivarlus. They were simple, For He Pulled Birch bark From Stick* in the Wood box. she confronted Clay Hamilton with1 the air of one about to reply to a loud-spoken objectiou. "For goodness gracious' sake," she exclaimed, "don't say whatever you were about to. Stop right where you are, and help me. I have to contrive a' Christmas present for at least a dozen people, and deck a tree for two. And nothing to do It with--not a tiling. And it's already late and night closing In." Right here was where Clay scored above any possibilities of Cyrus, who would surely have observed the Inconsistency. "Let It close," said he, "The local shops aren't closed. They never open! How would a branch off that hemlock we ran into do for « baby tree?" "Splendiferous," said Helen. Then she wanted to know what became of the wishbone she had seen oh his plate at dinner? He had saved it, for good luck. And what was it one used to do with a wishbone? Why, make a pen wiper, to be sure. So Helen made one, and dressed it In red telt cut from her overshoe lining. Clay painted the rhyme: Once I wan a little part , Of a little b«n, Now I'll be a little slave • ' ' f And help you clean yaw pen. "it has all the earmarks of the perfect gift," quoth Helen, "for I doubt If any one here ever usest much less has occasion to wipe a pen." Then she sent Clay to gather the alder berries reachable from the porch, Later she strung these for a necklace on a bit of colored string from her parcel. After the Eliots had re tired she went as eagerly to work as If she had never forsworn Christmas. Twisting the strands of hay she raada dainty baskets. ; She also constructed candlesticks of cornstalks, trimmed prettily with fringed husks, in the meantime Clay was not Idle, for he pulled birchbark from sticks in the woodbox and borrowing needle and thread from the Eliot workbasket, sewed tiny hemlock sprigs Into "Merry Chrlstmases," making objects that Helen asserted would be considered "Just wonderful" If discovered In • gift shop. All was at length completed, but the two had little time for admiration of their bandiwork, since the parcels must be wrapped with all the wealth of the tissue, the ribbon, the holly, and the seals. And was Helen "tired • to death" when all was complete? Nay. standing beside Clay on the little porch listening to the cracking Ice as trees swayed in the rising wind, she felt as If swaddled in the comfort of a great Joy. Vainly had s-he though: herself "sick of Christmas." At her first chance to forget, she had worked Jier utmost to bring holiday to the for gotten town. With dawn, she knew the extent of her success. Clay, who had been limping about, told her that in every house some old body with trembling hands was unwrapping a gift sure to be treasured for yean. "And nothing for either of rm," langhed Helem. Yet a few moments after, when Miss Eliot entered the room, K wa» to say, "My dear, I never before noticed the pretty ring on your Oncer r Two golden hands clasped, an oldfashioned betrothal token, which Clay Hamilton had from his mother, and. because It was always with blm, had quite providentially taken on detour! ltlt, WMtwa WlflDM* 01 0] *pd working artisans who sold their »• that man who has assimilatedto 7^ _ kla n«tilAMtani1lno tha vPAStflM tp#iks of genius for a few florins. The Shy Child [ A > ffeyness in a child Is not a vice. It e result of temperament and will Itself natnralt.v In time. To force a shy child will merely make It very Freak Sea Ttrrtie FlshermeiTat Montevideo, Uruguay, - nr >• ww • j§ -i' v4McHenry, I1L V ' " V; recently brought to port a sea turtle weighing more than half a ton. and' ' with a beak full of sharp teeth curving Inward, though sea turtles ai a species are toothless Do Vour Christmas Shopping Early ill, his understanding the greatest MMfrer of facts.--Edmund Burke. Man of Eminence thi wisest in council, the ablest, te debate and the most agreeable companion In the commerce of human life m Everybody Likes Everything Electrical GENERAL Refrigerator £ % The whole family's gift this year--and many more! /TiRULY this is a gift that keeps on giving. A It means better living, better health. It means comforts, conveniences and real economies--all the year round. - Fresher milk for baby. New desserts that are so simple to prepare and that make those little parties so successful. Plenty of sparkling, clear-blue ice--made from the same pure water you drink. Fewer trips to market. Plenty of room to store food--and just the right temperature to keep it '• in prime condition. No food spoilage. LoWcr running cost than the cost of ice. The General Electric Refrigerator is the one refrigerator that never needs oiling. That has no exposed moving parts. That is extremely quiet and unusually roomy. All in all, it's a Christmas gift that every home should have! Why not come in today and see the various models? The New Pierce-Airo All-Electric Radio la Here--See It Today CAREY ELECTRIC SHOP Street McHenry • '-H ~rCC£?Ci? by Sc'lprM ;:?„•- A I; „. wVr'inpf :i a li tr: i• ;«?;»• Tinr* .*!»»*#»« tr* i., ii.- a *v -ii*?. v f&., j m- ::¥ A, t. iMik