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A MEMORABLE TREAT HB colonel tat comfortably In hi* chair . and gated dreamily through a basy cloud of Har* aua at the' ChrUt tuas crowd. "Ha-ha! colonel. At last I've found you looking Had!" And a friend who bad come up from behind and flapped btu? ttffectionatuly on the Bbtiiilder pulled a big chair alongside and sat down, me coionei loaned farther back In the enveloping leather and a volley of expaudlug rlnga poured from beneath the.carefully trimmed while mustache. "That," he said, with a wave of his band toward the thrones, "sot me to thinking of how In my country school days we big, bad boys sometimes locked the teacher out to make blm gtvtf us a Chrlstma?. treat. At the precise moment you soaked me on the shoulder I was thinking of the time we locked out our teacher. We notl ted him a week beforehand that we expected him to glvs us a nice, sub stantial treat when school 'let out,' as we said, on Christmas eve. He had been a good-natured fellow and had succeeded in keeping on good terms with us scamps In spits of us, ao as we w*nt(i?^i for thft him off as easily as possible we Specified only a box of oranges and a box of Sandy, " 'I'll think about It/ he said, laugh tag, and we supposed It was as good as agreed to. "80 when on the morning of Christ* mas Eve day Mr. Teacher arrived without anything that possibly could contain a treat, we were hurt ? doubly feurt to think that a supposed friend would treat us so. We silently waited till the noon hour, and when lunch eons had been hurriedly gulped, two of us were detailed to get him away from the school house on some pre text, or other. Ttiey succeeded, but be didn't stay long, as It was a cold, lay and there was snow. When he found the door locked he rattled the knob and called: " 'Open the door, please! It Is I, Mr. '"Sorry/ one of the- boys replied through the keyhole, 'but you'll have to give us a Christmas treat before we let you in.' u 'Come, boys, come,' he said stern ly. 'It is too cold for joking. Let me in at once!' " 'We're not Joking; we yelled back. 'We want a treat. Qo to the store ? and got a big box of oranges and a big box of candy and have them here for us this afternoon, and we'll open tho door.. Or, if you'll promiso on. you.r word of honor, we'll let you in.' "For answer he pounded on the door and thundered: " 'Hoys, I order you to open this door! Will you obey me?' " "frcat!' was our ultimatum. "Followed several minutes of silence and suspense, then he 'called to us: " 'Well, boys, I suppose the be sieger instead of the besieged will have to surender. You may open the door. I will treat.' I "The door was opened slowly, cau tiously, for we were doubtful, almost distrustful, but he was mlllng. " 'It is all right, boys,' he assured us. 'I have promised. We might as well close now till after the New Year's holiday. While I am going for the treat I "Want you all to got your books ready I bo I can lock the I school house. 1 I hope to be baok ; with your treat | "within an hour/ "Then he start ! ed in a .? brisk ! walk toward a llt 1 tie country town about three miles away. "It was a few minutes after two o'clock when a bobsled, drawn by a big, iron-gray 1 horse,, gay with sleigh-bells, glided up before the schoolhouse door. Mr. j Teacher, looking as pleasant as any of us, jumped out and said: /? " 'Here you are! I am going to leave you to yourselves to efljoy your treat,' he explained, as he hastily fastened tho window shutters and shut up the stove. He then locked tho door and put the key in his pocket. By that time the boys had unloaded the bojces, and Mr. G at onfce resum?l his seat on the sled. "'Merry Christmas to all!* he shouted. - "'The same to youl' we chorused.) "We, immediately assailed " the boxes. The lid came off tho box marked oranges first, and one was grabbed and the tissue wrapping re moved. Then there was a wild yell ? Potatoes! Nothing but old potatoes!' "We glanced sheepishly at the big Kirls' who were holding their breath. In a tremor of dread we took the top oft the box labeled candy. Oh, utterly shattered hopes! The< box was full of nice ^hite candles!" Tho ample ahoulders and girth of the colonel's friend shook freely. "ITm," ho said. "He was some teacher." "You bet," agreed the colonel. "If we hoys had had money enough I think we'd have come pretty, near to him ~JE watch." ? T>elroit Free Pro."::. , CHOOSING CHRISTMAS GinS FOR THE MEN By JULIA BOTTOMLEY. When it come* to selecting thing* fortnen two facts should be borne in mind. Men appreciate whatever adds to their personal comfort and they ure attracted by things that are conveulr cut and useful rather than by mora prettlness. Here are pictured a few of the many attractive things, mude of crotonne, which will be appreciated by the men folks. The closet bag shown in the picture Is made of cretonne having a white ground with red roses and green fol iage. White tape serves to bind the edges and fasten the compartments to the back. A yard of cretonne is re quired for It. It is fourteen Inches wide and the remainder of the yard will make the oompartments with enough left pvir to cover a pin cuphr ion or mako one of the other small pieces. - / ... ? The waste paper basket is made by pasting cretonne to a heavy paste board foundation and the lining may be of cambric or paper. Four sides are cut out and covered with cretonne. The lining is pasted ove't in one piece, holding the sides together-. Or the pieces may be covered separately and afterward tied together with narrow ribbon. The small box for handkerchiefs or ties is made by pasting cretonne over a strong pasteboard box. The top is padded with a sheet of cotton wad ding. A set of three boxes for ties, gloves, handkerchiefs, with a larger one for shoes, makes an elegant pres ent where one wishes to give so much. But one single box will be appre ciated. The traveling case is cut from rub ber cloth first and compartments are sewed to it for the wash-rag and soap, tobtli and nail brueh. White tape is lived to bind the several pieces. The case is then covered with cretonne hound to the rubber cloth with tape UM*chinCr6tltcJhed over the edges. This convenient ca*e fastens with a snap fastener such as is used on gloves. CHRISTMAS SURPRISE By THOMA8 L. MA88ON. WANT you to prom ise me that you woa't give we any Cbriatinaa present t h 1 a yaar." Mr?. Whlttler looked si her husband em phatically. "I moan It," she asserted. "Absolutely." "And you won't give ine any?" rt* piled Whlttler ex perimentally. "Poaltlvely, Now is it understood?' VYbittler, w b o w#? juhi going out, snut me aoor, ' came back, and sat down In front of bis wife. "My dear girl," be said, "I am glad I that you have brought this up. because ' we way aw well settle It now as at any other time. You know that for years we have been doing this sort of ttalbs every Christmas. About this time we both declaro that we won't give each other anything; then, Just before Christmas, we sneak out, and each of us buys the other a present. Thin year It will be the same. We will promise faithfully not to do it; but, just as sure as fate, we shall break our word." "In view of this alarming fact, that I we are apparently the slaves of a yearly habit, what have you to sug gest?" ? "Simply this ? that we eaoh of ue agree now to buy the other a present" "I know that you will get me some* thing 1 don't want!" "And I know that you will do the same; but isn't that what we have been doing all along?" "Then I don't gee that we hare gained anything." A "Haven't we? Why not? Aren't we doing it' openly? Think of the moral uplift!" Mrs. Whlttler shook her head. "I don't agree with you," she said. "I think it would be much better for us to select ourselves the presents we want H you like, you can come with me while I get mine." "Nonsense! That jwon't do* at all. It [ Is absolutely necessary for us to carry out the element of surprise. There la some sneaking, contemptible trait In human nature which makes us want, once a year, to surprise others. That is at the basis of all Christmas giving. It's a kind of Impulsive, irresponsible attitude which impels us to buy some thing that we delude ourselves into believing the recipient is crazy for; while all the timo we ought to know that it's probably the last thing on earth he or she wants. Would yau rob us both of this fiendish pleasure? Never! The only thing to do is Jo be natural. I therefore announce tt> you that I am going to surprise you with a present; and you must promise to do the same with me." Mrs. Whittler considered. ??Well," she said at last, "I suppose that is really the best thing for us to do, and 1 here by agree to do it." When Christmas eve came, there for e ? t h e time when the Whittle? were accustomed to "spring" their annual surprises each of them bore that perfectly con fident and identically joyful air which usually preceded the presentation ofr something we think the other person has been longing for. ? - Whittler advanced with a smile. "My dear," he Bald, "I -have the sur prise of a lifetime for you." "Oh, do tell me!" said Mrs. Wbittler,. with a hypocritical air of gaiety and anticipation, although inwardly she shrank from the ordeal. f'I know it Is something that I want!" "What do you suppose it is?" her husband cheerfully Inquired. "Haven't the least idea." "Well ? it is ? it is ? guess!" "Oh, I couldn't! Tell me, quick!" ' "Well, it's absolutely nothing. Now, isn't that a surprise?" Mrs. Whittler burst into tears. "You horrid thing!" she exclaimed. "I shall never forgive you!" / "But?" "Don't you know that it isn't the value of the thing. I might not have liked it; but the thought that you had tried to please me would have been everything. 1 didn't do that to you!" Whittler, beside himself with sudden remorse, sprang to her side. "I was only Joking," he exclaimed breathlessly. "Honest, I was only Jok ink. What have you got for me?" She drew from a neighboring closet a dressing-sack, over which Whittler went into raptures, all the time feeling like a criminal. Then, with a solemn air, he drew from his pocket a twenty dollar bill. "If you don't ^ike it," he said, "you can exchange it for something else." \ Mrs. Whittler shook her head. "You didn't intend to give it to me, and I'm not going to take it now," she said. "It was an afterthought." "But?" She folded it up and put it back into I his waistcoat pocket. i "I'll forgive you this time," she smiled; "but remember, my dear, that ; 1t Is very much hotter to go on year rafter year giving each other things that we don't want than to attempt to j r-renk up an old habit; which, after all, ; foolish a* It seems, is founded upon a j genuine human sentiment." j (Copyright tvy ih. FrunV A. MnnKT <N>.) WHERE RELIGION IS OPEN Ill ObMrvance In Public la Con mpn Among ?d?tern Christiana, aa Among Mohammedans. The UlRhop of London baa bean pralatug the opennern with which Mo htuntnedans practice their religion, Me would like to have mats In the athe nneum for bishops to kneel on to say l help prayers in public. Baft em Chris Hans, aH the bishop must* have ob served when In Hussta, are <iulte as open In religious observances aa Mo hammednns, Nobody thinks It ecoen* trie for a man to kn<?*) down In a crowded street in order to way his prayers before soma icon. Passengers cross themselves when their train or tram starts. No man ever passes through the (late of the Havior, lead lit K iuto the Kreinliu at Moscow, without uncovering. In Poland the common greeting of the country people one meets on the lonely rpada aeroaa.the sad plains is "May Jesus Christ be praiced," and it is the ens torn to reply, "Kor ever and ovor." In Vllnia people are to be seen kneeling in the street before the Ostrabramska gateway to pray before the picture of the Virgin snd child, seen through a window high in the gate. This shjrtna Is a Catholic one, but oven the ortho dox bare their beads to walk up the narrow &nd crowded street leading to it. tj The classified page throws out a drag net for your lost articles. Out of many hun dreds of these ads an nually printed, scarcely ten per cent of the finders claim rewards. ?JThere are many honest people in the world. fj Don't mourn youjr loss until you have tried the one best chance for its recovery. Qiristmas ^hoppers A visit to our store will prove to you that we can save you money on your Christmas Shopping. You can find Nt\W GOODS here in either of the follow ing lines (splendid Xmas gifts) at special low prices. <1? . ' .i) ' - Men's Dress and Auto Gloves !> >. ?"! Men's Shirts ? some beauties Men's Neckwear^ ? a full line Men's^Jilk and Lisle Hosiery Men's Hats, Caps, Etc. Ladies' Silk Hosiery Ladies' Kid Belts Ladies' Collars and other Neckwear Ladies' Handkerchiefs, a Full Assortment Ladies' Long Silk Gloves. We have just received a new lot of All Wool Plaid Blankets which are splendid values. Come in and let us show^them to you and while' herejtake a look at our Rugs and Art Squares ? they will make ideal Christmas presents. Respectfully, ENTERPRISE MER. COMPANY SPECIAL PRICES ON We are offering one hundred pairs 10-4 all Wool Plaid Blankets, in a fine assortment of colors and patterns ? filling and warp guaranteed wool. Worth $6.M Per d?0 QA Pair, Our Price-- ? , Be Sure and Get Some of These Bargains While Tl^ . t&Hk* * v ' rA r * ? ? ? ' i ? \ -? . ? . - , ? We also will have in next week a nice line of Sen- 4 ator and Congress Rugs that we will let- go at a | . ? - low price. We will save you money in all House- .1 furnishing goods. The way to prove it is to give us a trial. We cordially invite your inspection. Camden Furniture Co^ * ... - . , V * > ? - . . i<6