nEcfiMliEliji. 11341 T111LCH15BIJUV1YBTPZVS 9 UABLDIAN n ELEYEN m} S. A. MacDonald wane GREETINGS ' Three Traveled East -_-—-- l7 arm! AYIII 1 Author a "um nu Al met-uni". mum-t". “Drafted n: new __________________-_ CHAPTER XXX The? were dressed end ready early, Connie and the little boy. Cu yes-no morning {hut-eye W141 l8- flhree-year-old squirming ‘lulu-mi; "$14118 questions, making such discoveries as that about the 33y] which wooied and wggged it; But she loved hlm,wa.g happy, more tranquil than she'd been for l- 1°1\B time. And she had an answer when he asked, looking out. the window on the streets below where the holiday traffic was al- ready snarling a. special Christmas eylflphony oi its own, "Where is we now?’ ' “we "Were on our way to your ‘I tthlnk the hardest o e p over." ChVlSlZIIIAStldG l5 her’ Constance was reconciled, y} once more, and again we would thank you 311 for your patronage. We would bring to you best wishes for a Merry , Christmas and a Happy New Year - -- and the assurance of continued high quality service throughout 1942 — and all the years to come. , Best Wishes and courteous Jerry came. she would know he loved her-and after all they had been in love once, and perhaps could recapture it a sin. If Jerry didn't arrive, she would deliver Skippy and go home, back to The Sentinel. During the long night hours she hud settled many things in a mind Whillh couldn't be at rest. One story didn't make a reporter. She WOlIlL go back to work, not counting on the magic Dawson name-not trying to be 11"’ Glamor Kiri of the staff. And some day she'd write to Pat. per. 11‘-\iis-tcil him she hadn't walked out on him all the way. Bags ivere packed, breakfast over-and still no phone call or familiar tap on the door. “We go now, huh?" Skippy tugg- ed at Connie's skirt. “Very soon, Skipper." She wore the diamond clips; watched ilrem sparkle as the sun- light bezan to fill the room. But derp in her heart, with every pass- inu minute, she was sure that Jerry had made his decision, too. Per- ll£1“S he understood t-hey were not the some two who had been in low. and was taking this way to lot her know. So when the telephone did ring e! nst. she hesitated a second be- it: she lifted the receiver. Was ihl to be the answer/r’ It was the operator informing h -—"II:ere‘s a gentleman in the lodby to see you. Miss Dawson." "I'll be right down." Rirhaps it was Jerry. Perhaps he we: waiting downstairs, ready to drive her and Skippy to the air field -mady to fly back through ihe bright blue ceiling of the wul- tcr sky to Pittsburgh. She took Skippys hand. sud walked slowly out of the room She wisrrt sure yet—she wasn't. even certain whether she wanted it to b‘: Jsrry. when they reached the lobby she looked around. No familiar tall figure here now—no remembered flashing smile. In fact, there vrrmrt anyone in sight whom she knew. ilze started to walk to the desk when someone touched her arm. Skippy let out a welcoming hoot, nnd in somewhat garbled fashion said, "Is Easter cards man." The drummer! Yes, it. was the drummer who had been on the lms, inseparable sample case in one hand, cigar held rather nervously in the other. He stared at Connie as if he didn't quite recognize her in the smart tailored clothes and the Jaunty fur Jacket. Then, "Miss Dawson. i! I may have the pleasure." She smiled and sold, "Sit down ~it's nice to see you again." And it was nice. too. He was one of the very people she had tried to describe to Jerry Marsh the night before-one of the simple, everyday, men-on-the-street people. He wasn't important, he didn't do big things but Connie Wu remem- bering the way he'd ransacked his sample case that day in the school- house for Skippy. "Didn't. expect to find you 116W. Skippy." he said. "Im taking him to his mbtliol‘ h! Pittsburgh." The drummer hnzarded s. puff on his cigar. nodded. “Guess I have no business bothering you like this," he began, "but in my line we have to be go-getlers and it The drummer puffed again and through s big haze of cigar smoke said, "On account of it being Christmas, I thought maybe Wud have time to stop in and so! 119110 this morning so he could be home for the holidays." "Oh, yes," and Connie felt her knees weaken. "For the holidays." In s city of some seven million holiday people, how could {L0 ever find the Christmas Spirit, Inc? She turned to Skippy when they were outside. “We're really she made some quick calculations by telephone and timetable. “To the bus station at West Forty-second street] she said when she and Skippy and the red toy fire engine were finally in a. cab. “And there isn't any hurry." "Is Christmas awright." Skippy observed. And it was. The bus station was stmanilinol" was loading. Connie's ' a.» JFOR MANY, the bountiful blessings of Christmas 194i will be tinged with sadness and mxlcty because gallant sons, husbands and brothers are far away facing danger and hardship. To these we sny—bc of good hcnrt and chccr. Our boys would want it that way. The] will be happy in the knowledge of our happiness and safety. And the lovely tradition that is Christmus is onc oftlic things we must not lose. heart stopped still for a minute as she looked into the windows and then it began to pound. Put Patterson was there, sitting alone. A little thinner, a bit more and the shabby, but the same Put. Elle lot aboard. Bus leaving!" Connie lifted Skippy into her lap and settled herself ‘oh’. ‘Then she reached for Pat's l . - the one still swzithed in lmnd. s Skippy get on first. and run to him-and then she followed. He looked up. Connie!" - ." lling with people home and "Yes, Put-it's I." . . i ‘ll makes us kinds nervy. I've seen “£1333 fgénaoxtgw She n“ - , _ , ., _ - __ , gathered hnmcivard bnunrl for Christmas. In ‘You came dow to ay good- ‘Were going along, too she s: .. TAKE culLLy wlwmn (fir; 11:33:}: colbtluievsailgbleorli? war Y°\1}‘ plctpnes tin bthe 31:11:51 1813(1): bags and bills and bellhops lo- this crowd, pOlllflpS it would be bye?" n I a smile tugging at hr!‘ llpi. _——— megs Thgv ere giving up Dart of youth: 5o ngn o e m ' gether. She took off the clips and hopcl . Bu: she and Skippy were She sank down in the seat beside Strange, how she and Pat had LEEDS England (GP) Minors the mllomgroal" they fgcoiye a5 glxawgagy onfiganks rrhavs kind of put them in a box with a note for bait. ‘ooih of them, at such n him. put hor arms around him anci- hoili thought they wanted m 1'. . —— '-~ i i \ , . n < . .- ,. ‘ ___ . , i _ , . . . . ' ‘maven, Yorkshuc mums Wm cw PM,‘ payment m‘. the“. won“ you" v Jerry. Happy lflllldylllg always, ime. id hi, 1..st_ they stood on c1 1rd foals of lmppmcs» undgroni fur places. She had given up a V‘ Jerry dear. Good-bye. And then the plnliolm whole n big sllvri icllef. He bent and ins-ed her, the 10b for him~nnd 1n i110 end, .1 smne gentle tender kiss-but this had given it up, too. Yet here they 1 tithe, posseasi never let her go. And then the driver stepped on t! So, Christmas Greetings to elL Our good if jvishes and thanks to many friends and customer: l’ 1 for their patronage. Our thanks to our employee: ' for their loyal services. We look to the New Year with confidence, secure in the knowledge that Victory will eventually crown the unite-ll cflorts of all frcc peoples. PRGZI! Ytsexnttcz. IONOTON CANADA u M13 ve, too, u if he would were, content end at pence. Even Skippy) lltzlo upziirncti face wan l announcer called “All bus bcgtn to move slowly ‘hr ‘on, ozzt 11110 the 00111501" a: TRLIE THE TOILER-Hurry, Hurry! ‘By lbvoslovfl _-.- _-- - _._ __.-_- -, "Ilii to Pat-just for old bus time's ‘ " . Ql-LLETKS alarms. "mai/ on: vou HEAR ABOUT ow QUlRKLEV. _ - ,, IS MY LUCKY new, suRE, MlS$ y t _\ U . \ I-fiéi. i» am r Hettrszgils/“ss '12:. know I'm here. And he wouldn't 0F His "mm" WAE ME A Plvi? / ti". r7 want you to know where he is. But ‘WW6 g / he never went on that 10p ea news- l) paner correspondent. Hes been in l hospital, way downtown. suffer- ing from an infection which start- ed nfter his hand was frostbitten up there in the mountains." "What hospital? Please tell me, The drummer told her. "See, he hm g newspaper phoibsfflt" 01 you. He didn't mention your name —snd I didn't either. But you know. ever since that morning up in the Alleghenlee when I M16 that Pat had gone to town with our life histories in his pocket. I felt as if I'd sort of talked out of - turn-maybe sot you steered on ' the wrong trail." "It doesn't matter." Connie said, stsnding up. "You're mod-WW" very good to oome and tell me this Of course I'll see him-I'll make him see me." _ m ‘It’; being GU tmas and sli. the drummer was going on. but Connie didn't hear. She was el- nuq nsqa v. 121-214 f7", l ~. mi. :1-@r-.i.»-s\».i...--. mmn-v: my" Nihnl ii Miss JONES, THiS IS Your; ru- HERiTANCE PRoM ‘THE QUlRKLEY .. [F OUIRKLEY YES. He THOUGHT I. ‘ LEFT s; I0,000 SAVED HIS ‘TO ‘A MAM wHO I ouu/ SAVED Y r _ ~-.~ - ‘ our cllfilfifi ‘DI’ mrflfgpllll." she said, and em the driver the hospital address. Holiday traffic halted them- holiday shoppers got in their way- And when they did reach the hospital at last holiday visitors - stood a mile deep in line. Connie pushed past them-got to the in- formrilon desk. "I'd like to see Mr. J. J. Patterson,‘ she said. The information girl checked and then smiled. "Mr. Patterson was one o! our patients TURKEYS- GEESE DUCKS — CHICKENS . BABY BEEF lJfg-Mfflfs vuoji lam-ran