y&MÎSÏÏETOE P M )
/T 'H E Spirit of the Mistletoe
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Her spell about the land throws wide
And eyes are bright and cheeks aglow
Where stirs the pulse of Christmastide
O gracious branch with berries pearled.
What gloried green surpasses this.
Whose magic sways the whole wide world.
The rhythmic sweetness of a kiss?
A CHRISTMAS
A LA MODE.
T was Rose Marie who. marking
the day of my last visit od the
calendar, made the discovery
that I was to belong to father on
Christmas day.
This may sound a bit confusing, for
most little girls belong equally to their
parents, hut I, Willette Warrington,
don't.
Ever since 1 can remember
mother has lived in our nice apart
ment lu Central Park West, and fa
ther has lived down in the Fifties,
Just off the avenue. And 1 belong to
mother year In and year out, except
ing three days In each month, and for
these three days I belong to father.
When R o m Marie made the disoov
ery that my next visit to Fifty-some
thing street would fall upon the 2oth
o f December she was quite ready to
cry her little black eyes out.
Father sent the brougham on the
morning o f the 24th.
"Billie. Billie, dear!" cried mother,
clnsping me tightly In her arms when
she ealight sight o f the carriage which
was to take me away.
“ Don't yon want me to go, mother?”
] asked a little unsteadily.
"W ant you to go!” she cried. Then
she hesitated and added, very calm
and self possessed: "O f course I al
ways want you with me, Billie, dear
but then so does your father want you.
and for the next three days you be
long to him. So I want you to go."
"But tiow—and tomorrow Christmas
day! Oh. mother, won't i see yon to
morrow—won't I see you on Christmas
day?” I cried, clinging fast to her
pretty gown
"I'm afraid not. sweetheart.” she
said gently.
"But I want yon—1 want yon. moth
er. on Christmas day of all days in the
year." I sr.td.
"But don't yon want your father,
too. Billie, dear?" she asked. "Oh. i
know you do—you must! So run
along, dear little girl, run-qilickly!”
She let nip go and pushed me gently
from her. and I knew by the smile In
her big brown eyes that the tears
were very near.
Father was waiting for me on the
steps of Hie Cordova, and when he
saw the brougham halt under the
marquise and Just one little girl step
out his face went all a grin, and he
| eked me up and klssrd me.
•W ell. well, well!
Where's Hose
Marie?" he asked, and then I told him
she had stopped at borne
I wish you could see father’s rooms
In the Cordova
They are ever so nice,
with dark walls and gay rugs and blg.
snbstantlal looking furniture. There's
an open fireplace and a huge old settle
with no end of red cnsbons In bis den.
and It Is here we sit of an evening,
aide by side, and talk until bedtime.
After we had gone up in the elevator
to father's spartment be turned to me
and • asked me about the day’s pro
gram.
“ I’d like to go down to the shops aft-
•r luncheon." I told him promptly.
"Good! Jolly! And suppose we go
I
Yet as the winter, weeping, dies
The charm still masters Cupid to
Whene’er he looks in Psyche's eyes
He sees the mirrored mistletoe
down to one of the more quiet of the
nig hotels and lunch there,” he said.
Lie always does think of the very
nicest things! A big hotel downtown!
After luncheon we entered our ban
tom again and were driven away to
one of the big shops, where, as father
put it. one can buy everything from a
collar button to a steam launch. Rose
Marie says men do not like shopping,
but. then. Hose Marie doesn’t know
everything in the world, and father
| and I had a beautiful time.
We
bought all sorts of gifts for just every-
j body, and father didn't look while I
selected his present, and I didn’t look
while he selected mine.
"Now ,” 1 said, as we came out of
the department store, "I want to buy
mother’s g i f t ”
“ Why, of course,” said father hur
riedly. “ What do you want? Where
do you want to go? I’ ll tell the cab
by.”
"I haven't decided what to g e t ” I
said slowly.
“ What do you think?
Can’t you suggest something, father?”
He shook his head. " I ’m afraid 1
cau’t Billie,” he told me quietly. “ Get
’OH, MOTHER,” I SHOUTED,
whatever yon think your mother will
like I know she will appreciate It all
the more If you select It yourself.”
He put me in the hansom aDd. Jump
mg In himself, told the man to drive
slowly up the avenue. This would
give me time to decide upon the pre*
ent and where It should be purchased
I was wavering lictweeii a set of stiver
for her Antoinette desk and a pair of
green majolica Jars for her favorite
dwarf pines when our hansom was
caught In a block.
Directly abreast of our hansom was
another one. ours going north, our
nciuhbor’s coming south, and aa I turn
ed my head I looked strn'yhl Into moth
er's eyes! hhe was the sole occupant
of the south coming cab
"Mother!" I shouted
"Oh, mother,
mother.”’
“ Billie!” ake cried. We had both seen
each other together. Just as we always
gee everything together.
“ What is the trouble?" began father
when he, too, turned bis head and
looked Into mother's lovely eyes.
“ How-de-do, Will?” she said softly.
1 suw father clinch his bands tightly,
then, "How-de-do, Nell?” be returned.
“ Awful block, isn’t it?”
“ Oh, very bad!” said mother, but she
was looking at me sitting so proudly
at father’s side, and presently I caught
the suspicion of a tear In her eyes. Di
rectly a big lump came in my throat.
I saw how It was. Mother was think
ing of Christmas and of her little girl,
and 1 was sorry, sorry for her aud for
father too. The surface cars banged
their bells, the policemen shouted and
the cabbies swore. And nil the while
our hansom was jammed tightly next
to mother's, and we sat sturiug straight
at each other aud saying not a word.
Just then a policeman came up to
mother's hansom aDd shouted to the
cabby. It seemed that the left wheel
of mother's hansom was locked I d the
right wheel of another carriage In such
a way as to render U unsafe to pull
out. The policeman, who of course
knew nothing of our affairs, said:
“ Step across into tile hansom next to
you. ma’am. Its wheels are safe, and
I’ m thinking the liue will be moving
north first”
Poor mother flushed cruelly and said
not a word, but Just sat there looking
with pleading eyes at father. But fa
ther didn't move, and neither did he
speak, so I took the situation I d my
two small bands and said:
“ Father, won’t you help mother Into
our cab?”
Directly I spoke to father he was all
attention aud politeness. He stood up
and held out his hand to mother and
carefully helped her acros^ luto our
hansom. I believe mother would never
have come only she kuew that a great
many persons had heard me and were
watching us, and so she yielded grace
fully, ns mother alone can.
When she was in our cab and sitting
dowu with me squeezed In between
father and herself, she raised her eyes
and said quietly:
“ Thank you. Will.”
A moment later the line started,
slowly moving northward, and our
hansom went with the others, father
and mother and I were sitting side by
side. It seemed so good just to think
of It. although I knew It all came of
an accident alone.
After we had gone two blocks up
town, father spoke— very quietly and
with tightly pressed lips.
“ Fll speak to the man and tell him
to stop at the next corner. Then I'll
get out and you and Billie cud have th e
cab to yourselves."
“ There is no need for you to get out.
W ill," mother told him quickly. "It Is
I who am the intruder. Have him stop,
please, and 1 will find another ban
so tu .”
“ I wouldn’t have you do that for the
world,” he returned. "1 shall leave you
at the next corner; that Is settled.”
Mother put out her hand and let it
rest lightly on father's arm
"W ill,” she cried, "please don’t make
me feel worse titan 1 already do. I
was forced in your cab, by accident it
is true, but nevertheless, I did allow
you to help me euter It. But that was
because— people were—watching u s -
and I thought—it best. Now that we
are out of the tangle, I tintst thank
you and ask you to set me down—at
once! Else I shall never forgive you.”
And they continued to talk, aud the
hansom continued on its way, and no
body hut myself noticed that we bad
got well uptown and were within two
blocks of the apartment building in
Central Park West, where mother and
I live.
So. quite unobserved, I spoke up the
tube to the cabby, and said:
“ The Strathmore, and quick, please!”
We turned down u cross street Into
another, and before one could say
Muck Robinson” we had stopped at
the door of the Strathmore.
"O h!" cried mother.
“ What Is this?" frowned father.
But he leaped out on the snow cov
ered pavement aud gave mother his
hand. A moment Inter we all hurried
up the steps nnd -stopped In the lobby!
"Thank you.” said mother. "You are
very kind "
Father laughed. "Oh, not at all." he
told her “ This Is not a case of being
kind exactly.”
"W on't you come In—for a little—a
clip of tea. perhaps?" asked mother
slowly.
I don't know what father would
have answered, so I took no chances
“ Oo come!” I cried, and looked at
mother to further second my lnvlta
Hon
"Yes. do.” she said, without raising
ner eyes.
"Thunks. I will!” cried father, and
we all went np In the elevator together
When we were safely In mother's
pretty sitting room and I had securely
locked the door. I slipped away and
left them together Somehow it seemed
as If they would gel along better with
out me Just then. and. besides^ I tbfnk
i I had helped a lot as It was for a mere
dltle girl, don't you?
An hour later—It seemed hours and
hours later, although It really wasn't,
of course—I went back and found
mother in father’s arms.
"Oh. won't we have a bully Christ
mas?” I cried Joyfully. "Father and
mother and l-w h a t a lovely, lovely
time we’ll have together!”
"You can wager anything you own
that we will.” laughed father. "W hy,
It will be a regular Christmas a la
mode. eh. Nell?”
And then be kissed mother, and
mother hid her happy fare on bis broad
shoulder, and I was oh, so bappyl
Merry Christmas, IndeedI—W. C s rej
Wonder I j la Smart Sal,
An Easy to Maks Jacket.
A combing jacket Is something any
woman would appreciate, especially If
It is as pretty as some of those tho
shops are showing. The dainty tliiugs
In the big stores are all but absolute
ly shapeless, two perfectly straight
breadths lieing used to form a sort of
Jaunty kimono sack, with pointed back
and front. The two lengths have the
ends cut bias, this shaping making the
front ami tear points, and the sleeves
are made by catching the breadth edge
to edge under the arm. White tlaunel
combing jackets are pretty with blue
or pink satin ribbon bindings.
FOR DAINTY AND BEAUTIFUL XMAS
Cards, Letters and Mottoes; Hand
Painted Calendars and Receipt Books
THE BOOK STORE
IS THE P U C E . WE ALSO HAVE A U R G E LINE OF PENNANTS
PILLOW S AND POSTERS. BOOKS FOR OLD AND YOUNG. DOLLS
FOR GIRLS AND ENGINES FOR BOYS. ALL KINDS OF GAMES
AND TOYS.
Gift For a Child.
A cute little Christmas gift for a
child may l>e made from a small square
of bright silk some such tiny piece of
silk as almost any mother will find
among her ribbons.
Fill this with new pennies. The size
of the bag. o f course, depends on
tile number of pennies one wishes to
give.
The child's name may also be writ
ten oil the hag with pencil and em
broidered in a color contrasting with
tlie silk of tile bag, though It will give
Just as much pleasure without this ad
dition.
A FULL LINE OF CHRISTMAS STATIONERY
AND PLACE CARDS.
W e carry a large assortment of W aterman’s Ideal
and Parker Lucky Curve Fountain Pens. None bet
ter.
e are headquarters for Bibles. Cor
Book Store for anything in the Christmas Lir
w
H. R. BERNARD,
GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL AT GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
The new $100,000 hotel estab-
lisbed by Louis VV. Hill, of the
Great Northern Railway is one
o f the most novel and picture-
sque hostelries ever constructed,
It is built entirely of gigantic fir
and cedar logs measuring from
eighty to one hundred feet in
length and from four to five feet
in dia’meter. This hotel has sev-
enty-two rooms and many unique
features will be presented to the
tourist public when it is opened
next year.
Chief among1 them
will be an open campfire, built in
the center of the lobby upon a
huge stone, 10x16 feet. A large
hood, which bangs down over
the lobby camp fire, will carry
the smoke up a mammoth ehim-
ney. The glow from the burn-
ing logs will light the lobby
nights. Indian teepes, pitched
in corners of the spacious lobby
will be used as card aud tea
rooms. The interior decorations
will carry out the picturesque
Indian idea. Two canoes are to
be suspended from the high,
timbered lobby ceiling. Indian
boys wearing buckskin clothing
and moccasins will glide noise-
lessly throughout the building as
“ bell bops” and Indian maidens
will be chamber maids.
The
porters will also be Indians.
T o o u r m a n y frie n d s I
THROUGHOUT
W a s h in g to n C o u n ty
I
•
|T 1 E year 1912 will soon have passed
*
and we desire to thank one and all
for the business which has been given
us.
W e all make mistakes, and if we
have done so, we want you to come in
and let us fix it, for it was not an inten
tional mistake, as we try to deal “on
the square.”
W e endeavor to buy the
best goods that
are made, and have
only one price to sell them at,— your
neighbor will not be given a better deal
than yourself.
Wishing you a
Happy
Christmas
and a prosperous N ew Year, we remain
Yours truly,
Goff Brothers
FOREST GROVE,
OREGON
Stores, Forest Grove and Cornelius.
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