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* * â€"%, " o l uon v iLc d P 7 00 l Ne ‘to ‘the kitchen to make hérself a C ds en : meal, admltting for the first time that :.»it”wgs rather . lonesome in , the old house. Sh’e heard rappings on §thg old . brass knocker, and went to the door rather timidly. Bfit her timidity gave ‘way to anâ€" noyance There was her older brother, Tom. who had started that morning ostensibly to pass the holiâ€" days with a group ‘of bachelor friends. And here he â€"was, back-â€"-wlth five young men in tow! They were heavily . e 'aupefiislo"n. > ; ‘For the past two years, Kate thought. there had really been no Ghrhtmas But this vear would be diffetent. The brothers, all in boardâ€" ‘school or college, had accepted invitaâ€" tions to spend the holidays with roomâ€"mates. One sister was visiting an aunt, d the other had gone south with her exacting but youthful grandâ€" father. And Kate‘s father was spendâ€" ing the seasonâ€" with a thoroughly capâ€"< able widow who, It.had been whisperâ€" ed, he ‘was consldertng as possib1° second wife. â€" gllg“’flid not mélif 'fil’lls p'nvielge mker of ias soon ‘as: the last. irpad hg ).’g:-.,'_,adéd down e told. Martie â€"and Sam to cA / j e@df‘. back tm%spe,qcl Christmas by . herself. She~ran Finto the‘ capacious. living> room~anc A,w?lt hâ€" completely * vhersqlf hfie drive~ _ > Kate replied,. ~_myself beneve” that dfifi‘ig 1t WE tyr WV Wws m ied # EP Ame There, above them, hung the mis- tletoe â€" and â€" Bill did not: neglect. his privilege. ‘ . "It isn‘t just because of ‘ the misâ€" tletoe," he told Kate, holding her still close to him. "I loved‘ you When I first saw you. â€"It has been. . outâ€" rageous for us . to im‘pose on you this way." 5 4 "It‘s all been nworthwhile Bill I‘ve â€" Made aastad 9 «uP A d AS W RO P W teet protrudms from one of. tbe btmdlas. : *"Well, we began: talking u over. ‘Tom said, "and ‘decided Christmas at the : club wonldheatrost Bo ‘Asked the fellows to come: home with me. â€"I was afraid you wouldn‘t. Have things for the feast, so. we stopped and got. what we thought you‘d want. Bill, nere, even got mistletoe, though I told him there‘d be no pretty girls!" _ Bill alone of the young bachelors noted ‘the look ‘of disapnointment on Kate‘s face; Later, after. shey had prepared an impromptu _ Chris Eve supperâ€" and laid . aside â€" her ;smock she heard Bill Lsa,y from the other end of the table; "L tho’gght Tom said there would be no. pretty girls ‘here. Boys. let‘s‘ drlnlc»* tdast jto pister Kate!" â€", .. _ It was past . midmgh}, bhat night' when Kate. left the kitohen. ‘The boys had helped_. with "the. dishes aundéer Bill‘s orders, but there : would be pies and puddings to make for the next dayy| and Kate knew she would have her hands full, She was up early to prepare the festive breakfast,â€"and all day she worked in the kitchen. It was late Christmas night when she had finished ‘the last work â€" in the kitchen. As she paseed through the hall, Bill â€"stood waiting for her. There, above them, Aung the misâ€" tletoe â€" and â€" Bill did not: neglect, his . Then, ‘turning to one of the young men whom Kate had never met, the tactliess brother went on,. "Bill, this is my . sister. Now run along and get the car in the garage And, sis, you might take the fenows up and show ‘em where you wam <em to sleep!" f o all for you â€" alonge!‘~ .: *#% 5@ I x a 8 5 * o i MR * :« \ t tC , S n F4 * PMz y . e + S 1 . ' M v ness, loyalt.y and . e n | to: highest principles ot God ami ‘*man It is "those .qualities fwhich ; make Christmas the most joyogs season of ‘all. * / Tmly, there : is "joy â€" to t.he world" in abundant evidence of selfâ€"giving, of hands clasped in . mendship, of hearty good How insighif- icant : are~ the * little troublesome things of® the world ‘in ~the light‘ of the Christmas spirit that prevades the world!~ ‘> And "80 We again join in the glad- ness: of the season t,o wsh all our friends and*s‘flbsc s * * AME‘RB,Y .'tSTfiIAS §