The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 23, 1928, Page 15

--A-Different o Kind of - \ A \Q\BLPAHEN(:FEDEF Perhaps she was a little bit selfish. Just a trifle Anyhow, she was extremely hored. Parties where there was no one she cared about! Bridge p s she loathed and gave to the cook next mogn- ing! Late hours at night, and nothing to do when she got up at noon but decide which of the seven dance invitations she would accept! Tons of flowers she never wore, and seldom took the trouble to arrange even in vases about the house. And at Christmas it was worse than ever. She ser- jously considered running away. She'd like a new set of exper- jences. Something more rugged, nearer the true vitality of living. She would come back with a lot of amusing stories to regale the crowd with. Two days before Christmas Cynthia Norris told her maid and cook they could have a vacation “Lock up the apartment. I'll let you know when I am coming back. I'm going away for the holida; She scurried into a taxi with a new feeling of excitement, the best part of the whole thing be- ing a sense of something entirely untried. She had no idea where she was going. She’d select some queer person in the crowd at the terminal, follow her to the ticket window and buy a ticket for the same place. Then Cynthia re- fused to think further. But she did not select a woman to follow. She saw a rather thin man with a nice smile who was burdened with bundles. They bulged in every pocket, ‘and he had difficulty in doing anything at all competent with them while he was buying a ticket. In fact three fell to the floor and a fourth hit a child on the head during the process. Cynthia watched this young man with growing interest. Why in the world was he permitting himself all this trouble? Surely it wasn’t necessary. The young man apolo- gized to the child, gathered up his fallen packages and went, un- disturbed toward his train. Cynthia impulsively bought .a ticket for the town he had men- tioned to the man behind the window and followed. She was excited already. She had no idea where she was going and she didn’t care. That was the fun of it. She sat in the common coach and was obliged to share Her seat with a woman, who wore a sha over her head and had a sad, foreign-looking face. The man was three seats ahead of her, competely buried under his bun- dles. 1t was a four-hour ride. People came and went. Cynthia tried to remember how funny they all were. She would imitate the way they talked, and enter- tain the ‘“‘gang” later. This was the way to get a kick out of living—do something different. At Hawbridge the young man leaped from his seat, jammed on his hat and plunged out of the door . Cynthia stumbled over the feet of the woman with the shawl and jumped down from the train steps just two seconds be- fore it began moving again. ‘A dreary, wooden station with a faint flicker of a lantern hang- ing from a hook. A few snow- fiakes began falling. There was no one about. For a moment Cynthia suffered a pang of loneli- nmess. But even this was a new sensation, so she accepted it. However, she could not stay here all night, and she had a bag. She heard the explosions of a car about to start. Hurriedly she ran in the direction of the noise. She could dimly see a machine with a driver. “Could you tell me if there is a hotel here where I could stay?” agked Cynthia a little breath- lessly. “I'm afrald Hawbridge is a bit y of hotels,” replied a man’s ice. “But if you’ll jump in take you to one possible boarding house.” , Cynthia flung in her bag and c!ln_lud eagerly to the seat. The ear gave a deafening roar and shot off Wwithout rning into kness. It was a ind the driver pald I%i atte | 1L tion either to ruts or his compan- Cynthia ventured a ques- tion or two about the village and was answered with polite brevity. This was not the way in which she was accustomed to being treated, and it piqued her. “I live at this boarding house finally admitted the driver. “I'm a printer on a newspaper in the |next town. I could live where my work is, but I like this little village. Know a lot of kids here and have a great time at Chr mas. Got a lot of stuff for them | today “Oh,” said Cynthia, and smiled in the dark. “I noticed you were having some difficulty park- ing your packages while you bought your ticket.” This gave her companion some- [thing to think about, but he said nothing. The girl made a on. he would her exit from New why. This she proceeded to do. The |man chuckled once or twice but made no comment. He was a very self-possessed young man. Finally after a long silence, he said cas- ually: “Good Lord, I chucked the whole werks three gears ago! Couldn’t stand it. Too darned boring. Same old faces. Same old crowd. Same old parties. 1 bolted. Got a job on this new- paper. Keen about it. Get near- er to marrow of things someway. ion sudden de- ate in full York and = S I feel free as a bird and dop't give a ‘hoot what anyone thinks. It's great.” “Oh,” said Cynthia again. “Want to come round with me Christmas eve?” demanded the extraordinary man. ‘“Looks as if we might have snow, I take a sleigh, dress up in a silly Santa Claus costume, waggle a white beard and deliver gifts to the kids in town.” “I'd love to!” breathed girl “Please let me.” “On one condition. That you won't go back and make vaude- ville out of our village.” “I promise,” said Cynthia. - e OBSERVE THREE YULETIDES WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS the There is one place where Christmas is kept three times a v -in the Church of Nativity at Bethlehem, the reputed site of the Stable of the Inn. The Roman, Greek and Arme- nian-Greek bodies have each their respective section of the church, but their Christmas celebrations do not occur on the same day. The Latin Christmas is celebrated at the Roman Catholic altar on December 25. Thirteen days later the Orthodox Easterns perform the Greek rite. Another 13 days later the Armenian church keeps its own ceremonial of Byzantine faith.—Montreal Herald. —— - CHRISTMAS IN ITALY Assembling miniature models of - Christ’s birthplace forms an important part of Christmas ob- servance in Italy, where the lit- tle manger is called a “presepio.” Rigid fast for twenty-four hours befcre Christmas ever marks thé religious observance. — - CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN In Spain the Bethlehem manzer scene is a necessary feature of the keeping of Christmas. THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, SUNPAY, DEC. 23 | “You loved him cnce and per- (hay she bit her lip as she said lunde her breath, “no perhaps tabout it, I still do.” Annoyed at having voiced a sentiment even to herself which had been |trying to stamp out of her very soul for two years, she from her reflection in her dre ing table mirror and seated her: self near the windows Confusing? It was maddening! Conflicting emotions were aroused which - refused to be put down leven by Setha's pally intrepid, fine, buoyant spi It was the aftermath, the letdown reaction of the rush and tumble of Christ- st she just fate that I should| have out both time when | Livingston phoned. After two| Now he surmises that this is a pretty little hoax set for him. But this letter is the most baffling of all. To think of a man having the presumption to |ask you to attend with him a, wedding of one of his friends| when you hadm’'t coresponded, met or otherwise conversed after a break of two years' standing.” Setha gave a deep sigh and {reread the postseript again for |the forty-fourth time. “Setha, please arrange to meet me so that {we may have about half an hour to, well, ret acquainted again.” As Setha prepared to finish |dressing she mused to herself that Livingstow did presume a great deal in ing her .to at tend the wedding of one of his friends—and om Christmas day at that. The dress which had received so much favorable com- ment on its becomingness was instinctively selected and put on How queer, thought Setha when she bought that dress, the day after she had arrived home, in making the purchase she had sald to herself, “Wouldn't Livingston just adore that color.” There was Livingstone. She stopped and admired his immacu- late trimness and fine physique before entering the room of the church house and revealing her presence. Livingston, however, felt her glance and turned quick- ly. “Setha, how glad T am to see you. You did not let me know whether you would be here or not, and I was in hopes you You,” He Said. come. How lovely you Come in and sit down.” would look. Setha could only beam and’- inarticulately murmur something| or other about a long time. | “Livingston, you, too, are look-!| ing splendid. be abated at once. What about the wedding? Who is being mar- ried? You know I am frightfully, behind in news after being away long Attending bridge ties is not conducive to picking! up the lacking odd bits of gos-| sip.” | “To be very brief to take part, T hope.” Setha's well-controlled facial muscles could not help but show | their shock. Why should he tor-{ ture her like this? It was un- bearable. After having adjusted her marcel she said, “Why, Liv ingston, you are to be congrat- ulated. T didn’t know “No, of course you is a wild venture cn my may precipitate failure, but, I hope not The facts of the mat- ter are I have waited a long time, too long a time, for this day to come. Don't you think, Setha, we were very foolish to quarrel as we did? You were twenty-one| and, I not much more, and neither one of us would give in and ad- mit his or her love. Isn't that about right?"” Setha only nqdded, afraid to trust her voice. Was this all a bad dream? Would she at any minute take wings and fly from the room? She couldn't. Her feet semed weighed to the floor. Livingston didn’t care to fly| away, he became more vivid and animated every minute. “‘Setha, have you changed your about loving me? 1 love you more than anyone in the world. The world has been empty without you. Today is Christmas day. I want to have you for a. Christmas present. Setha, the parson’s waiting in the church auditorium for you to say ‘yes.’” As the door of the church auditorium leading from the church house softly closed, a young man proudly escorted his adored one to the parson at the altar. | —— { 0 didn’t. It t and mind —— - ORGINATED CHRISTMAS CARD, - | In 1846 Sir Henry Cole is said' to have originated the idea of sending Christmas cards to' friends, and Joseph Crandall was' the first publisher, Only apout| 1,000 cards were sold the first! year, but the idea soon spread| to other countries and millions' are now sold annually. il THE MISTLETOE BOUGH Brittany is the place or origin of a great deal of the commer- clal mistletoe for the foreign mar- kets. My curiosity must| 1 am going 1928. To our friends and customers we most cordially ex- itend our best wishes for A Very Menry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year . ToOur M any Friends and Patrons-— SNOW WHITE LAUNDRY We are unable to meet all personally---we can’t clasp you by ‘the hand and wish you the Season’s'Greetings, so we take this means jof saying GREETINGS Merry Christmas ., For Christmas and the New T0 ALL Year ---- and we would not forget to thank youfor your patronage of the past and Frye-Brubn tell you it is our hope to serve you.even better. MIKE AVOIAN iy %, ’§/ W iy, N To:Our Friends and Patrons: THE SEASON’S GREETING May this Chs istmas be the merriest you 'have ever had and the New Year we are about to enter contain inore success, prosperity .and health than you have .ever i before beenifavored with. THE LEADER STORE =z U i All of Us extend The Season’s Greetings and the Best of Wishes to all.of The poet never rhymed Nor the essayists never Penned a better ,Ilhmlne than our Merry ~ Christmas and a Happy ew Year to all. . J.B. Burford & C s S whg