T HAD been a strange Christ­ mas Eve. The falling snow had changed to sleet and the sleet had turned to rain. The disappointed children bad hung their stockings by the chimney with fears that the reindeer and the sleigh of Banta Claus would not be able to bring him over cne muddy roads. Their dreams were disturbed by visions of wreckage and bundles scattered about. At the church party there had been a Banta Claus, but when his mask slipped down and be put up his hand to fix it they knew that he was not the real one. There had been three wise men, following a star, too, but their white whiskers and pointed sticks bad frightened the girls who were the angels so that they could not sing. And now it seemed as though the real Christmas would be a failure, too. It looked that way to others on that dreary evening. It seemed to two travelers who were making their way towards the farm house that they could not keep their closely wrapped bundle dry much longer and that the night was very dark Indeed. They were very glad to pass the sleeping house and find a refuge In the old barn and a bed on the fragrant hay. Their long and weary journey was forgotten In the dreams that came to comfort them with pictured hopes, and they were all unconscious of the peace and brightness that had succeeded the storm. In the house, however, unconscious­ ness had been suspended. Ears strained in vain for sleigh bells, but a gentle voice had fallen upon them with a happy Christmas greeting from Mrs. Rosebud (for so they called her) and she had called them to the joy of a beautiful Christmas morning. In the colder air there lay a light snow over all the bareness of the day before and it was all ready to sparkle back the merry glances of the coming sun. But first there gleamed in the pale blue sky and gathering dawn the light of I ALL PRICES REDUCED Effective December 2nd, the Ford Motor Company an nounces new low prices on all Ford cars — a reduction of Twenty-five Dollars on the Fordor Sedan, and lower prices on all other types make Ford Cars—even greater value than ever before. NEW PRICES Runabout ........ Touring Car ... Coupe................ Tudor Sedan ... Fordor Sedan .. Chassis.............. Truck Chassis .. o o o o e $260 290 520 580 660 225 365 (All Prices F. O. D. Detroit) I rtwo pounds of pecans I promised to take down the street, Ellen; I will go right away." The doorbell rang vigorously, three times. “B. B.” hastened to the door. “If it Isn't my first lieutenant”— a pet name be had for a member of his class. "Won’t you come up.” “No, thank you, Mr. Baxter, I can’t right now. The girls are planning a class reunion while they are home for the Christmas holidays. They want to By Eleanor E. King know if they can't count on their teacher for one of those humdinger lessons—like they used to have before we were scattered to the four winds." (®. ISIS. Waatani Newspaper Unia».) "B. B." surprised, dated and happy F SO ninny year* all In the same breath, just chuckled i bad not already the way be always did wl.cn some- ■wept over bls head —sorrow, great' worries and time i whitening his hair —one would have declared him too good to live. His kindly deeds had made his kindly face. Ills every act, thought or deed, was for someone else. Yet, "this man of God" sat with bls bead on hla hand, deep in thought. In these lust few momenta he had lived over ten years or more; had seen twelve little girls grow to womanhood. Mr. Baxter had taken a class from the beginners' department, Every Hun- day these twelve little girls had been a delight aa they sat listening with eager, attentive faces to the wonder­ fully Interesting things they were told. All too soon came graduation from grammar school. The lessons had to Here I« Something to Sneak Upstairs go f little deeper for the high school With You." students. The teacher was fully equal to the task. Finally college took its thing pleased him unusually. "Tao toll, until only three of (jls flock re­ surely can count on me,” was all ba mained, and those few left in the fell could say. His “first lieutenant" camo doner, to start their college career. Mrs. Baxter came In. Interrupting pretending to whisper, "Now, don’t lot his reverie. “Ellen,” he began, “I your wife know about thia,” and aha often think I had such joy In teaching slipped a box into his hand— “here is those girls; I wonder If I did right in something to sneak upstairs with you. keeping them under one teacher so Merry Christmua!” “B. B.” stood dumfounded, alternate­ long. I suggested that I turn them over to some woman to teach; I ly shaking, turning, rattling, smelling and fondling the box; he took It ui>' stairs. He dropped into a chair. Bib was the first time any of his girls had remembered him on Christmas, beyond a card, through all these years. He had always made it a point to toad to all graduations and Christmans«. The girls had appreciated it. Thia was the first time, but, he hastened to tell himself, it was quite all right—he had never expected it to bo otherwise. Unwrapping the tissue paper, the box disclosed a leather bill-fold with a hand-tooled design. “Ellen," bo shouted In his happiness. "See what what for, and to keep trace of all rev enues derived from the farm. Whet*»c the lad remains on the farm or er. professioi ters some other trade this simple little study of bookkeep ing is bound to be worth somethin to him in after years. It also assist in teaching lessons in fractions an- in profit and loss—studies that are : . bugaboo to every boy who looks int • an arithmetic. We are passing th The Star Was Resting Just Over Their idea along the rural teachers aroun , Barn. Vernonia in the belief that, since i is proving successful elsewhere, i the morning star, and as the children might be well worth looking into mor looked out of the window of their That’s the winter performance you’re looking for, the kind that makes comfortable motoring pos­ sible. Get a tankful of the new winter “Red Crown” to­ day at any red, white and blue pump in town — at Standard Oil Service Stations and at dealers — “in every way a better gasoline.” UTrvrrnw STANDARD OIL COMPANY LN EVERY (California) WAYA better gasoline Quj& farting O JDO^opowcr Motorists discovered C-T-C’s ! \*7TiEN you drive a car day ’’ in and day out, it doesn't take loot to discover whether or not there is stamina in your t tree I Since 1923 motorists have boon making thia gruelling teat of C-T-Cs. And -aa a reeult—C-T-C's are the best­ selling tire of any exclusively Pacific Cooat factory. When you buy a C-T-C you get high quality material and workmanship. One fea­ ture ia the massive non-skid tread—long wear and safety. In our stock of C-T-C tiree you will find the most suitable type for your car. We carry cords, balloons and heavy duty C-T-C truck pneumatics. Drop in and let us show them to you! CORDS and BALLOONS («vithoni rim or wheel change) Dealer’s Name room they saw that the star was rest­ ing just over their barn. Perhaps there never waa a merrier Christmas morning than the three wise children enjoyed that day. It wasn’t merely because the stockings had grown big and bumpy through the night. It wasn’t only because they could even smell the Christmas tree through the crack tn the parlor door. It wasn't the new hair ribbons, the Dutch apron, the small pair of scissors tied with blue ribbon and the small pair tied with red ribbon, the angel cake, the box of “Creole” candy, th« new skates, the extra doll “Fancy.” It wasn't all these or the play hous% or the pencil sharpener, or even the writing case that made one of the ec­ static youngsters say, “Next Christ­ mas. when old Sant' comes down the chimney. I'm going to make him kneel down, then Hl whisper in hie ear: ‘You old Santy Fatcake 1’” And It wasn't every blessing of the day that made them thankful enough, for, pull­ ing an orange out of her stocking, one of them was heard to say, “Santa, you're giving me too much fruit" But it was something sweeter, greater end more beautiful, something that was ia the under thought of all their hearts and that was presently to be tn their experience, for, as they ran down to the barn, carrying their new treasures along to play with them oa the barn floor, they beard a movement and a strange cry behind the barn door. And. when they opened the door, there upon the hay were the travelers, the old man with the kindly look, the lovely one who seemed to be his daughter, and the unbundled baby, smiling so deeply and so sweetly. It was the baby that was the best of all. It was the baby that sat by the table In the high chair, with little gifts before him. It was the baby that made the feast so great­ ly good for them all and caused these to give thanks for the star that, ds- spite the storm and cloud, had lad them to their barn. It was the baby that inspired the prayer at one et th« children that Christinas sight, wbsa she said, "We know you seat your little baby Jesus for us to lore. merry Christman, God I" Maud Muller es a Christsaas day Helped harvest presento, by the iterili« Bat