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It would have been impossible for them to sit up and talk long after six o‘clock bedtime if <annie had not been sent away; although, of course, if Nannie had not done that for which she had been sent away they might have had nothing to talk about. But Nannie had gone, with her trunk and her little brown satchel and her big greenâ€"black umbrella that could sheiter her and the chilâ€" nies around its walls, and Budge, whose real name was Hester, in her white iron bed in the room that had a border of Mother Goose characters done in pink and gray. They were supposed to be asleep, but they were not. The door was open between them, and they were sitting up in their little beds, talking. beds; Buster, whose real name was Irving, in his white irou bed in the reom that had a border of blue bun The two children were in their By FAITH ELLEN SMITH â€" A story of two children who sat out to follow the Star in the East. The Young Magi f Mother, of course, was at a party; she had come in to kiss them good night, all done up in her big black coat with the gold dragons worked on the back Of it; and Father never came home any more. So they were lqnue alone and could talk right out loud as much as they wantea to "He‘s Juet a weenly, teenty baby,‘ said Buster She sat serooched against her pink wall so that she could see Buster sitting scrooched against his blue wall. It was quite dark in her room, Buster, who remembered very well what Nannie had eald, did most of the talking cren, all three. And Nora, who had come in her place, not knowing their wiles, had thought, when they lay very still, that they were asieep, and had tiptoed downstlairs to the kitchenâ€" "Weentyâ€"teentier than me?" asked Budge. 1 "Oh, lots!‘" said Buster in a lordly \way. "You‘re a great big girl, you‘re {‘most six. And He‘seâ€"He‘s only a wee little Baby. ‘Bout so big!‘" Busâ€" lter measured with his hands. "And He hasn‘t got any bed." Buster took up the story. "He hasn‘t got any bed. His mama had to put Him in a manger." "What‘s a menger?" asked Budge "You know. I‘ve told you ‘most a hundred times. Iit‘s a thing the lhorsas eat their dinners out of. It‘s Irull of hayâ€"like we saw the zebra jeat in the Zoo." "I know, now," eaid Budge. "And â€"what else hasn‘t He got, Buster?" "He hesn‘t got any nice warm room, opr aby train Of cars, Or any rocking horseâ€"" though a ray from one of the street lamps shone on Buster and Budge, although she tried to be brave, was somewhat frightened. ‘Or any wabbits THB WATERLOO CHRONICLE Enanomaaaaaniaaalaanalalalalalalalaaaiaaaalal ie y al e a n v e e e x a n ael & i Suddenly there was a rustling in the next ro0m and a pgdâ€"padding of bare feet across the floor. Budge came to the door, with the woolly bear hugged tight against the breast of her little nightgown, yan: "There was a Star," said Buster. He scrooched up his eyes, trying to remember. "They followed it, and it was right spang over where He was." "1 don‘tâ€"think . . ." Buster was s lent so long that Budge spoke sharply _ "I do so, Buster. Why can‘t 1?" "Well," said Buster thoughtfully, "first, Nannie said He lived long, long agoâ€"and then she said He lived now. And 1 asked her if He widu‘t grow up, aud she said He did; but He came again every Christmas time, and we could ask Him to let our father come home, and maybe He would. because He could do anyâ€" thing at all He wanted to. It‘s very strange, Budge. Prob‘ly that‘s why she oughin‘t to‘ve told us @bout Him." Budge was the more energetic of the pair. Also, she was persistent. New York, we could find Him. Busâ€" ter. ‘They found Him before, didn‘t they ?" ‘ "Rabbits, you haby! No. . . . He basu‘t got anything. Poor dear little Baby, He heen‘t got anything!" ‘ SBuddenly Budge began to cry. "I want to give the little Baby my woolly bear, Buster. 1 want to give Him my ringâ€"withâ€"aâ€"peariâ€"inâ€"it." "You can‘t, silly." "Why can‘t 1** "Iâ€"I don‘t ‘zactly know." "Doesn‘t He live in New York, like us ?" But if the little Baby is here in Strahl‘s Music Store ocpoonnnneranert Half and threeâ€"quarter size YIOLJ complete ... ..... ... Full size VIOLINS from ........ As usual our stock of Musical Instruments and accessories for gift giving is very complete, and we have been appointed sole agents in this district for all CONNâ€"LEEDY wind and reed instruments. These are famous for their tone quality. They are gifts your friends will appreciate. Choose one or more from this list. What More Fascinating Gift Could You Possibly Give Musician Than One of These Beautifullyâ€"Toned Instruments ? Half and threeâ€"quarter size YIOLINS with case and bow eomplete ..... ... 222222222 l l l u u2 Full size VIOLINS from .................. $4.50 up t« TENOR BANJOS from ................... $7.00 up t« GUITARS .....;....:seasus¢scscscscssenss $7.00 up iC ACCORDIONS ......222 2222222222 5.00 ta SAXAPHONES, complete ...3........00.0 0220220 00 00. CORNETS ......2.2.2.2..2.2.2..2.2 222 ul ul l sR It was a pleasant night, clear and comfortably cold. The trees in the Park, which was directly before the children, stood up sharply black against @4 greenishâ€"blue sky. The Star, they saw now, was a little to their left,. So they walked along in the shadow of the Park wall, until they came to Fiftyâ€"ninth Street, where a policeman was holding up ‘ths east and west traffic, and crossâ€" ing behind the old woman with the cane, they paused to look up at the 'sk)'. Their Ster seemed to be a little to their right now, so they turned west on Fiftyâ€"ninth Street. When they icnme to Sixth Avenue, they stopped to look to right and left, as Nannie aiways did, before they crossed the street. A girl with a queerJooking The children were standing behind the actoryâ€"looking person with spats and the old woman with the cane, waiting to cross the Avenue. The lady passed on, with the tender smile still quirking up the corners of her hgs. She thought that which ever of the two people the children belonged to ehould have paid more attention to them, not let them lag along behind like that, in danger of getting lost in the crowd. But, she reflected rather bitterly, people who bad children seemed to take them as a matter of course, where us peoâ€" ple like herself, who had none, would have given almost everything they poseessed for the right to look after them. . .. While the lady was thinking these things, the signal lights all along the Avenue changed from green to red. and the four who were waiting to crose, did so. On the opposite curb, the old woâ€" man with the cane turned left and the actory person right, never so much as glancing behind them. "Sweet children‘" thought a lady with her arms full of bulging packâ€" ages. "I wonder if they belong to the «ctoryâ€"looking person in spats or the old woman with the cane." She amiled at Budge, who carried the ‘woolly bear pressed tightly against the bosom of her little blue, furâ€" trimmed coat, and at Buster, who was clinging e0 tightly to his sister‘s arm with one hand, while the other grasped a small toy engine. At the corner was Fifth Avenue, a5d just as they had passed unques tioned before because there was no one about, so they paseed unquesâ€" tioned because there were o many people in the street. Hand in hand, the children went down the front steps, past the two little stone lions that Budge secretâ€" ly feared, because they had their mouths open and looked so fierce, aud turned to the left. There was no One but themselves abroad in the block, for many of the fine old houses were dark behind their closed shutters, their owners being away for the winter, and in the others people were at dinner. Quite unnoticed the children walked to the corner. hind the two, Budge gave a little aliver, part excitement, part happiâ€" ness, part fear. "There‘s the Star," che whispered. And there, sure enough, was a very large, very bright star, right, it seemed, over the end of their very own street! OPEN EVERY EVENING UNTIL CHRISTMAS 28 Queen St. S., Phone 818, Kitchener Good Music for Lovers of Seventh Avenue was terrivle, and Columbus Circle even worse! "I‘mâ€"â€"I‘m â€" afraid," said â€" Budge, with her lips trembling and her blue eves brimming with tears uNt h h o Nh ht e t h o aU M 4 t M e 0 00 M C M C 0 0 C 7. The girl thought: "Looks queer to meâ€"â€"two kids dolled up liz> that, pokin‘ around alone. Might be a reâ€" ward in this; but, lord! It‘d be my lick to be pinched with ‘em before 1 could turn ‘em over to a cop!" And while she was thinking these things, with her very red lips twistâ€" ed to one side in a smile that was not particularly pleasant, Buster saw that for a second the street was clear of traffic, and tugged at Budge‘s arm. and the children went ACDOskc. hat and very red lips stepped up to them and said: "Oh, no," eaid Buster confidently â€"for, after all, was not the Star leading them? "Are you lost, little boy?" a shade too sweetly. BELTS TIES .. SCAREFS SPATS . Pajamas and Nightgowns, $1.75 up WOOLEN GLOVES 75¢ up. BATH ROBES,â€" So many women complain that they "Never know what to give men". We‘ll end those problems by showing the things men would choose themselves. Things that will appeal to the most modest gift budget. $1.50 to $1.95 up. KID GLOVES Lined and Unlined $1.75 up. Collars attached or separate. R. Braunlich Men Would Choose $4.50 up to $7.00 up to $7.00 up to .. $5.00 to SHIRTS $5.00 up IRRRR® Gifts $1.00 50¢ to $1.00 $8.75 up. o $300.00 o $175.00 o $175.00 o $375.00 . $125.00 $£114.50 up â€" WATERLOO The «treets were darker now. Even the people were darker. Many of them, in fact, were quite black. They looked at the two wellâ€"dressed white children strangely. A motherâ€" ly, fat negress, with a little pickaâ€" ninyy about Budge‘s size clinging to ber skirts, eaid, "Whar you gwine, koneys?" But Budge and Buster went past as fast as they couldâ€"for how could they explain where they were going when they didn‘t tightly know themselves? And the negress, who had a sensitive soul for all her great size, muttered, "Stuckâ€"up white trash!" and let them go. teased her. ‘"You just hang onto me, Eudge. "I‘ll take care of you." And, all mixed up with the crowds of peoâ€" ple who were going home with their arms full of packages or going downâ€" town to the theatre, or going heaven knew where, with a wild desire to get there as quickly as possible, the children crossed. And while sche was saying this, the children erossed Ninth Avenue, unâ€" (Continued on Page 8) $7.00 and up. Fancy cord trimmedâ€" A delightful gift. MERCHANT TAILOR Phone 7 HOUSE COATS