December
THE YOUNG AMERICAN
High Point, N. C. Tiiwri
. WALTER CRISSMAN THE
xijsincss Manager -
YOUNG AMERICAN
Page Three
Published Monthly
NADY CATES, Jr.
Editor
/ OL. 1—5c Copy
25c Year—No. 4
Just the Christmas Spirit
Nady Cafes, Jr.
It was the quaintest room in the
whole town; rather odd too that two
young men occupied it—two young
men of eighteen and twenty-one
years. Not quaint because of pict.:res
and drapery, nor furniture and wall
decorations; but quaint for one rea
son, It was bare of all embellish
ments save one faded placard, which
lung over the mantle piece, bearing
this inscription in large, outstanding
letters, “WE ARE WOMEN-HAT-
ERS.”
Herbut Angeles and Edwin Hal-
win, eighteen and twenty-one years
old I'espectively, and inmates of the
room, had been staunch friends all
their lives, and had loved each other
like two brothers, bpon the almost
simultaneous deaths of their parents
they had both taken up their abode
in this apartment house, which was
one of the best in the growing town
of Harrisburg. Unfortunately, in
their early exploits of love, they had
become disgusted with the whole fern-
mine species, and this had resulted
in this declaration of utter contempt
that now h ng above the mantle.
Practically all their lives both of the
youths had been what is termed today
“respectable gentlemen.” Although
they cursed excellently and frequent
ly, they had never entered into the
realms of real debauchery and
crime, and hence they were highly
respected in society. However, they
held not even a wee, little place in
church, nor did they care to converse
along the lines of religion. They were
nothing more than society’s “respect
able gentlemen,” or “tolerable good
chaps,”- as their office comrades call
ed them. This is not .saying much of
a fellow in this age, when it is true
that as men sink too low to be spoken
of as those who have really done
something noteworthy in life, they
are called generally as “respectable
gentlemen.”
In calculating the worth of Herbut
Angeles and Edwin Halvvin, we would
invariably decided that Edwin Halwin
was the better of the two, iin^ much
as his past record was less oiotted
and stained than that of his contem
porary. Of course, as we said before
neither of the lads had ever gone so’
ai as to commit murder or robbery,
but Herbut, being the younger of the
t'vo young men, had led a reckless
life among the snares of “little sins,”
while his companion had been more
watchful .-nd j.:dicious in his pursuit
of ev. meditating always on the pos-
s.ble results of his mi.sdeeds.
It was on the way before Christ
mas Eve that the boys were sitting
m their room in an unusually mel
ancholy mood, Edwin gazing blank-
ly^out the side window and Herbut
E-tt.ng by the window that looked
out upon the street. Both seemed
to be deeply enveloped in thought.
Edwin sat motionless, with his el
bows resting on his knees and his
chn in the palm of his hand; while
Herbut twisted nervously in his chair,
look.ng fiv.st at the placard over the
mant’e and then through the win
dow at the farm horses trudging
along in the snow, drawing the. sturdy
farmers in their wagons, with bun
dles of Christmas toys at their feet;
at the good fathers, wearing the un
conscious smiles that Christmas
brings and carrying packages under
their arms that bore the merry pic-
t res of Santa Claus; and at the
beautiful damsels, who walked with
springy steps as they carried num
berless Christmas presents in their
hands.
The two youths sat for a Quarter of
an hour longer, when Herbut turned
suddenly to Edwin and said, “Ed,
don’t you think it might help things’
a little if we would make a few
Christmas decorations in our room
for the fir.st time in our lives?”
Edwin’s hands dropped from his
chin as he .stared at Herbut like a
frightened deer. “W-wh-what
Why we haven’t turned
meni
you
our
. - 1 1
hands to Christmas decoration since
we ve been living together. You
must be crazy!”
I tho. ght it might liven things up
a little,” e.xplained Herbut.
Edwin sciatched his head a mo
ment in perplexity. “What’s the mat
ter With you anyway?” he demand
ed, as he turned his chair to face
Herbut. “Burn it, you ain’t been half
way like yourself for more than a
month. What’s gettin’ into you, I’d
like to know.”
Aw, it ain’t nothing, Ed. I was
just looking out the window here,
and saw Miss Grayson putting holly
in her windows', and I thought it
mighty help the looks of our room to
hand up something to remind our-
■selves that Christmas is here.”
Edwin was mystified. Was that sin-
covered and lustful heart of his friend
chang'ng its beat from things sinis
ter to those of beauty? Why, his
chum had even noticed a woman!
“Look a-here, Herb.rt,” admonisehd
Edwin. “Do you see that sign up
there on the mantle-piece? Well,
you d better mind how you notice the
girls. You ve got to remember that
we’re still women-haters.”
Herbut dropped his head as a cloud
. ppoaied on his brow, and he winced
from inward pain. “Edwin,” he said,
“I’ve got a confession to make. I
ah—”
Edwin jumped from his seat.
“What! Heibut, have you fell in love
with a woman. Dang it, answer me!
Have you?”
Herbut winced again, but made no
answer.
However, Edwin stormed on, his
face red with jury and his fists
pounding spasmodically on the bed-
po.st. “You durned old^fooirHerb^,
1 t.iought yo ■ had more sense than
that. By Hercules, I’d rather see you
in Hades than marry a devilish wo-