Heppner Gazette Times, Thursday, December 23, 1954
Page 3
riTto unsk v,ou evcrikappmcs
at Ckn'stmas time
ani through tke vfar ahead .
FARRA'S SHOE SERVICE
T
fjere no fime quite
like
Cffrisfmas for rcmemieimg
tlje frienfeljtps m cljeraf),
mh ffjere are wo msJjes like
le oto friei ati& true une
ristraa
IVlerr IL Jf
STAR THEATER
.Afewuj
In this simple, and time-worn
phrase we include our genuine
thanks to you whom we have
had the pleasure of serving in
the past. fk ti
i pttB
f
AIKEN'S
Frank and Hazel Hamlin
reetm
ai fins
dhrisfmas vm
all IKo precious ftiings
of life; aifh
Iappincss
and 6ndurittg
Friendships
CASE FURNITURE CO.
BEARING
mm
I .l.i.IfT
IMS
s V res w i
By Bruce Shelly
rH NO!" said Brad Carr. "The
" Simpsons! We've completely
forgotten the Simpsons!"
He plopped himself into the easy
chair, still holding the precariously-balanced
stack of gifts in his
arras.
"Who?" asked his young wife.
"The Simpsons. The couple that
used to livi next door to Dad. You
remember, last Christmas they
gave us that candy dish and we
were so embarrassed because we
hadn't bought anything for them.
And now this year we did it again!"
Margie Carr scowled, her pert
face filling with little wrinkles of
child-like concern and attractive
ness. "Oh dear!" she said. "Wouldn't
you just knowit." She slumped'
on the arm of her husband's chair, i
"What will we do?"
"Too late now to buy something '
for them. Stores are closed. We'll
"Oh, dear!" she said, "wouldn't
you Juat know It!"
just have to give them something
we already have here in the
house," Brad said.
"We can't do that, Honey. I
wouldn't feel right about it."
Margie pensively chewed at her
lower lip. "What do we have?"
Rising slowly from his chair,
Brad walked around the small liv
ing room. "Whatever it is, it
should be on a par with that candy
dish they gave us last year." He
tentatively examined several of
the articles that filled the bric-a-brac
shelf.
"How about this one?" he asked.
"Which one?"
"This green vase the small
one. It should equal a candy dish
any day."
Margie crossed the room to
where Brad was standing. "It's
very pretty, all right. I guess
maybe it would do. It doesn't look
damaged no chips or anything."
"Why don't you wrap it, Honey,"
Brad said. "I'll pull the car out
in front and load In the rest of
the packages." '
None Too Soon
A few minutes later, as he was
climbing out of the car, Brad
noticed a pleasant middle aged
couple heading up the steps of his
house. He gulped as he recognized
them. That had been a close call!
"Hello, Mr. Simpson!" he called.
"Mrs. Simpson! Merry Christmas!
We were just heading over your
way."
The couple turned to greet him.
In Mr. Simpson's hand was a
small, neatly-wrapped package.
, "We were just bringing your
gift by." Mr. Simpson said. "Merry
Christmas to you."
"Won't you come in?" asked
Brad. "Margie has your present
inside." He crossed his fingers.
He HOPED Margie had wrapped
the green vase bynow.
As usual, Margie had taken care
of her little task with wifely dis
patch. The vase was wrapped and
waiting on the living room table.
Inwardly feeling a great surge of
relief, Brad handed the package
to the Simpsons.
Truth Awakens
When the thank-you's had been
exchanged and a few moments
properly dedicated to small talk,
the Simpsons excused themselves,
stating that they had a number
of calls yet to make.
As Margie closed the door be
hind them she burst into giggles.
"Golly! That's one time my hus
band was on the Job. We would
have felt just horrible to slight
them again this year. They are
sensitive. I'm glad you talked me
into giving them the vase. I won
der what they gave us?"
"That's easy to find out," said
Brad. He tore eagerly at the
wrapping on the Simpson's pres
ent. "No, he said when it was opened.
"Oh no!"
He held up a candy dish.
"They gave us the same thing
as last year."
"Margie looked thoughtful.
"That's funny," she mused. "I
wonder why they did that."
"I don't know," said Brad. "Un
less ..." A grimace of pain
crossed his brow. "Unless they . ."
"They did!" cried Margie. "I
just remember now, they did. It
wasn't the candy dish they gave
us last year. It was the green
vpse."
By Norman A Disher
THERE was little doubt about
it; it was Laura. I hadn't seen
her for five years but I'd never
forget that exquisite face.
Laura and I had been engaged
about five years ago but it hadn't
worked out because she'd decided
one day that she wanted to do
things before settling down. Go
ing to Spain was one of them and
I had been in Europe during the
war so going back didn't appeal
to me. I was ready to call one
spot home so when I told her
about the house I was building in
Carmel she wasn't pleased. After
that she avoided setting a definite
date and finally I saw what was
going to happen so I let her go.
This all came as a shock to ma
and I didn't know what to say.
It was a hard thing to do but it
was the best way.
She looked my way and saw me
then motioned me to come over
to her stool.
"Hello Bob, it's been a long,
long, time."
"Five years Christmas, remem
ber?" I looked at her eyes, they were
softer now, kinder and older.
"Yes, I remember. Still single?"
"Oh yes, yes," I looked out the
window at the grey afternoon.
"I figured I'd run into you one
of these days. How come you're
still single. A nice person like you
shouldn't have trouble getting
married."
"I've never found anyone I
liked well enough. They all seem
sort of anti-climatic after you
Laura."
Her Surprise
She looked at me and I thought
I detected a momentary flash of
fear in her glance.
"We did have something pretty
wonderful, didn't we. I've regret
ted spoiling it more than one. I
guess I was just too young."
She smiled in a funny way so I
thought I had best change the sub
ject. "I thought you were In
Europe?"
"I was Bob, but there's nothing
there any more, Just nothing. San
Francisco has more of a flavor
than Paris and the rest of the
places. Maybe it's just me. I wan
dered around for almost five years
and I still didn't find anything."
"You seem to be a more ma
ture person now Laura."
"Five years have done that.
What are you doing now?"
"Still writing a column, same
one." I replied.
"Bob, do you understand why I
left?"
Her Secret
I winced inside. I had hoped
she'd let It pass but she seemed
to want to open the old wound.
"No. I don't."
"Well, it was because I had to
find out where home really was I
had to find what love really meant.
I met a person over in England
that I thought was what I wanted.
I thought I fell in love with him
until we went together for awhile
and I began to notice small things
about him that I didn't like; oh
things like the way he contradict
ed me on small unimportant mat
ters. One day it all blew up be
cause I had remarked that you
and I had never been so tense
together. Then it dawned on me
that you were really what I had
wanted after all but I was just
too dumb to see it. That's when I
came back. I had to grow a little
more to catch up with you. Do you
see now?"
This all came as a shock to me
and I didn't know what to say.
"Why haven't you tried to get
in touch with me?" I asked her.
"People change."
"Not me Laura; not where
you're, concerned."
"I wasn't sure Bob there's so
much I want to say to you."
I looked at her soft, pink face
and her. wheat-colored hair and
the way she felt for me with her
eyes. Our eyes met and I took her
hand.
"Let's get out of here," I whis
pered. As I pushed open the doors that
led to the sidewalk I could hear a
group singing Christmas carols. I
turned to Laura and I kissed her
while we stood In the grey eve
ning light.
js
MSB
-L J-
'ft. -y
.sc.
4
S we pause in the gaiety of Christ
mas, let's think first of the Nativity of
Him who is the hope of the world today,
as two thousand years ago. He alone can
bring about the peace of mind and con
tentment which we eagerly search for
and need. May we follow His teachings
so that the true spirit of Christmas can
remain with us through the day9 to come. f
HUMPHREYS DRUG CO.
THE REXALL STORE
May your Yuletide glow brightly with that
njt v YcV 9od old fashioned Christmas cheer that
yWTX makes every heart lighter, every friendship
llal llll u vfir wcrmer, every hour richer in happiness and 1
.m tlj contentment. . '
Heppner Lumber Company