Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 61, Number 301, Decatur, Adams County, 23 December 1963 — Page 15

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1963

GIFT . } Waw < w WKI OF mWa • Ik *v * JHb * 6IFTS ' WHII Mary gives I *JI tousher /W'OJ So-.. May He bless you, everyone! \ I V GILLIG & DOAN Funeral Home THOMAS N. SEFTON, Manager

l” I ■ ■/ * >. rs A A < \ j) Il aa II gAj&X >»l| AaffiEr (Lal It Jill ItTII It ihl Vr. i Zz>"\ 1 jrV «S7I v tw WB jziiJ*« oifeifeir V W/7 pT > yA, /a\\ &wW ■' JLx / 1 11 1\ w\ \N1 Z w \® • - W r?)Ww 11 11 o® 1 " 7^ gyouaU S////M B the happiness <y / that can come jl / Il ‘ - with Christmas. . Smith Pure Milk Co. 134 S. 13th Street Phone 3-3016

■ • . -— — Wishes to Ail! ' <v ”* Jk % .Tjiq-^ 7 .-**• • ssss •* * 'WE ; x.sK * jTxA * ’ ** x£• x * W i'■ Tw’ * * y Y w *s,.&* Vs*’ * * In great sincerity, we express our appreciation for our friendly association. May you and yours have a holiday season abundantly filled with joy. KIESS ELECTRIC 226 N. 7th Street Decatur, Ind.

X frr JOYEUX Parkway "66" Service Hi-Ways 27 & 224 Phone 3-3682 « - V.

I. «-./ .FAMILY 4 TREE> BY MIKE BENNETT ’*VOU’LL FEEL different about x it, Bill, once you see how pretty an old-fashioned tree will be. What on earth are you stopping for?” Dad opened the car door. “Jack, you and Eddie stay in the car where it’s warm.” I wasn’t about to get out in that cold. Eddie was fast asleep. There was silence for a long time. Then mother spoke up, “I’m sorry, Bill. I guess my idea is causing a lot of trouble ... Now what are you stopping for?” “Everything’s fine. Just fine. Fine and dandy... except we have a* flat tire.” Time Out I don’t know how long it took to change the tire. I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were parked in front of a farm house and dad was on the porch talking to someone. The man pointed across the road to a steep hillside.

The rope broke and the tree slipped forward across the hood of the car. Mother got out of the car. “I’d like to pick the tree.” « Dad frowned. “I may have to go a long way up the hill. It’s steep, and slippery. I wouldn’t recommend it” “But I have walking shoes on, and I’ll be careful. Honest I will.” “Well, all right then. Come on.” “Us, too?” Eddie was awake now. leaning out the car window. “Sure, why not Everybody help get the tree.” We examined every tree on the bottom of the slope. Dad made-up’ his mind several times but mother would say, “Let’s find a better one.” We looked, higher and higher up the hill. We were almost to the top when it happened. Accident Mother was following the three of us and no one saw it. Suddenly we heard her gasp, looked around, and there she sat, looking helpless and frightened. Dad dropped his axe and rushed to her side. “What happened?” “It’s my ankle. I think I turned it.” Dad muttered something. I knew it wasn’t, but iit sure did sound like he said, “Merry Christmas.” It took several minutes to get mother down to the car. Dad had to go slow to keep from falling himself. Often, he would start to slip and he would look like an acrobat, supporting mother with one hand and trying to find something to hold on to with the other. The three of us were silent the whole time dad was back up the hill. When he returned, he had the axe and what looked like the most beautiful Christmas tree I had ever seen. He tied it to the top of the car with some rope and soon we were oh our way homeward. still silent as church mice. It happened just before we got back to the main highway. The rope snapped suddenly. The tree slipped forward, across the hood of the car. Forgetting the windows were closed to keep out the cold, dad tried to reach out and catch the tree and in that split second, the car began to slide sideways, the two rear wheels coming to rest deep in the snow of the ditch beside the road. Dad walked two miles to the nearest farm house and a kindly old man brought two old mules to pull us back on the road. J*he car wasn’t hurt, but mother’s ankle had really begun to swell and by this time dad was talking to himself. Dad insisted the old man fake five dollars for coming out into the cold. He did, reluctantly, wishing us a “Merry Christmas/’ t Last Straw Nothing else happened, believe it or not, until dad was putting the last few ornaments on the tree, under the expert guidance of mother, naturally. The footstool crumbled. That’s dad, sitting there by the fireplace. Doc Smith says it’s a back sprain, nothing a few days off his feet won’t cure. That, Christmas” sign a * hea<l he P ut there him- • E<Mie, mom and me know it actually means “Don’t Disturb!” Mom says don’t worry, though, dad will soon get into the*spirit of things, especially when all the neighbors start coming in to see our tree. She called them all up to invite tljem and they'll come Mom stfy» folks have to sec for themselves when yqu tell them you have the “most expensive tree in town.”

Tfflt MCATOB DAILY DEMOCRAT. DECATUR. INDIANA

/ f'- /< ' /1 / aUM fils - \ / 7 7 T IK KJ / - ffIRIBHAS/zF= Roth's Radio & TV Service 104 N. 13th St. Decatur, Ind.

'CKRXKTMJkg Gunurot; 1(k take this opportunity to extend warmest wishes to our many friends. Hope you are heading for the happiest holiday season ever! HI - WAY SERVICE STATION FRITZ ELLSWORTH , < „

ktsw V Wag the f\ f | l[ season bring 1 great joy to you. Riverside Garage 126 E. Monroe St.

ft! EBBMMMj- . ■KZXjiS, titd/ Kl*fe CkjthUA J I SINGLETON RADIO and TV SERVICE 11th I Adams Streets •'.. Decatur, Ind.

Iwil { ■Y T. C. POK E PLAY Santa Claus? Ward- • LVA en, you are a funny man. You kill me. The rockheads in this place would laugh me to death. And; that’s a fact.” , Warden Sam Hawethorne chose a cigar from his poeket and lit it thoughtfully. “No one would know. They don’t have to know. We disguise you as Santa, suit and whiskers.” “Look at my record, man. You don’t want me. Blinky Smith, alias, Blinky Adamo, alias John Jones, alias—so many more even lam no longer sure what my real name is. Ana the rest of it—theft, arson, robbery. My record is as long as your arm, warden. I’m a hard case. You know that.” “That’s why I selected you, Blinky.” Blinky inhaled a puff of cigar smoke that wafted his way. “What are you trying to pull on me, warden? Your own rehabilitation program? No dice. So I got thirty years, minus the week I been here. If I pull the whole stretch, I leave here as myself, not some imitation Santa Claus or anything else.” The buzzer on the warden’s desk sounded three short times. He flicked a button with his finger and, without taking the cigar from his mouth, said, ,1 0. K. send him in.”

Zrjfflw/Jr l ~ v Without taking the cigar from his mouth, the warden said, “Send him in.” Blinky began to fidget. The warden eyed him curiously. “Relax, Blinky, This is an old friend of yours.” “Maxie!” , “Yeah, it’s me, Blink.” “I told ’em. I told ’em, Maxie. The boys said I could rot away for thirty years and never set eyes on you. I told ’em.” The big man smiled. “Probably not,. Blink. Not now, even, ’cept for the warden. And not for long. I’m on the way out, I’m a free man.” “You’re kidding me, Maxie. Don’t , . .” “He’s not kidding you, Blinky,” Warden Hawethorne interposed. “I was there, Maxie, I know how long you got to go!” Maxie just stood there smiling. The warden took advantage of the silence to grind his cigar into the ash tray on his desk. “Surely, Blinky, you’ve been arognd long enough to know about time off for good behavior.” “Yeah, sure, but not Maxie. Don’t tell me about Maxie. Me and Maxie grew up on the Waterfront This guy I know, believe me.”

Old Santa The warden chose another cigar, studied it thoughtfully, then put it back into his pocket “You don’t know it all, Blinky. Shake hands' with our departing Santa.” “You're kidding me again.** “Ask him.” “It’s true, Blink," the big man' said. “You rehabilitated, Maxie? They made you ovfer?” “Call it what you like, Blink. I’m through with the old life. I’m not even going back. Got me a good job, downstate, repairing things in a cycle shop.” The big man walked over, gently placed nis hands on Blinky’s shoulders. “You don't understand, Blink. 1 know. But, someday you -will, I know you will. Won't he, warden?” The warden had lit another cigar. With a ceremonial flourish, he placed it in the ash trav. “I’m sure of it. C’mon, Maxie, I’ll walk you to the door. I have something in the outer office I want to give you.” Blinky stood up. “Can I go back to my cell and go to sleep? All this rehabilitation has worn me plumb out!”: , „ Doubts As the door closed behind v Blinky and the guard. Warden Sam Hawethorne puffed thoughtfully on his cigar. Maybe this time I picked the wrong man, he mused. Christmas came to the prison, just as it comes everywhere. Ward-_ en Hawethorne, making his late afternoon rounds stopped at Blinky’s cell. •. “Well?” ' “You’re right, warden, The job is fun.” “You said it was only a trial." “I guess I found out something. ■* It’s fun to be a ‘giver’—even If you're acting like you’re somebody you ain’t.” Sign me up for the job —for life.” "For life, Blinky?” “Naw I didn’t mean that. You know what I mean.” "I lyiow, Blinky. Merry Christmas.” “Yeah, warden, same to you."

— l _ j II II >*■* Big J® I To °"“ Md \\ W. R. MORRIS GENERAL TRUCKING 429 Winchester St. Decatur, Ind.

"wy Jfly Tfl M., < YU OUR VERY r Uy I ■ffy* U* F 'WISHESI MAZELIN'S COIN-OP LAUNDRY 633 N. 13 th Street

—>° CHRISTMAS 1 ™ M GREETINGS JL TO ALL! JB . iwlW' THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE Morris Barber Shop 508 N. 10th Street Phone 3-2714

IVA 7 ■f . Am /i n/ WI vr Til i 41 I lu T1 lIIAM Al MR ,j WCXt X VWw I It 111 1 Alfllll 1A I ' B) W vw/i ■J/ If y IZ/ This sincere Huk «/M nA wEh we heartily r i extend to you, our loyal friends * W it ’>» and customers. FRANZ ELECTRIC 317 Winchester St. '■ Phone 3-3781

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