b'THE GREATEST GIFT BY PHILIP VAN DOREN STERNWITH ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS doorway. And the windows looked asDidnt you know a feller named Martyhad a terrible effect on him, too. Took though they hadnt been washed inJenkins, did you?to drink, he did. Its too badand hard years. A light was still burning across theon his wife. He married a nice girl. street in Jim Silvas office. GeorgeMarty Jenkins! Why, he George was dashed over and tore the door open.about to say that Marty had neverGeorge felt the sinking feeling in his worked at the bankcouldnt have, instomach again. Who did he marry? he Jim looked up from his ledgerbook infact, for when they had both left schooldemanded hoarsely. Both he and Art surprise. What can I do for you, youngthey had applied for a job there andhad courted Mary. man? he said in the polite voice heGeorge had gotten it. But now, of reserved for potential customers.course, things were different. He wouldGirl named Mary Thatcher, Silva said have to be careful. No, I didnt knowcheerfully. She lives up on the hill just The bank, George said breathlessly.him, he said slowly. Not really, that is.this side of the church Hey! Where Whats the matter with it?Id heard of him.are you going? The old bank building? Jim SilvaThen maybe you heard how he skippedBut George had bolted out of the office. turned around and looked out of theout with fifty thousand dollars. ThatsHe ran past the empty bank building window. Nothing that I can see.why the bank went broke. and turned up the hill. For a moment he Wouldnt like to rent or buy it, wouldthought of going straight to Mary. The you?Pretty near ruined everybody aroundhouse next to the church had been here. Silva was looking at him sharply.given them by her father as a wedding You meanits out of business?I was hoping for a minute maybe youdpresent.For a good ten years. Went bust.know where he is. I lost plenty in that crash myself. Wed like to get our handsNaturally Art Jenkins would have gotten Stranger round these parts, aint you?it if he had married Mary. George on Marty Jenkins. George sagged against the wall. I waswondered whether they had any here some time ago, he said weakly.Didnt he have a brother? Seems to mechildren. Then he knew he couldnt face The bank was all right then. I evenhe had a brother named Arthur.Marynot yet anyway. He decided to knew some of the people who workedvisit his parents and find out more Art? Oh, sure. But hes all right. Heabout her. there.dont know where his brother went. Its There were candles burning in the windows of the little weather-beaten house on the side street, and a Christmas wreath was hanging on theglass panel of the front door. George raised the gate latch with a loud click. A dark shape on the porch jumped up and began to growl. Then it hurled itself down the steps, barking ferociously.Brownie! George shouted. Brownie, you old fool, stop that! Dont you know me? But the dog advanced menacingly and drove him back behind the gate. The porch light snapped on, and Georges father stepped outside to call the dog off. The barking subsided to a low, angry growl. His father held the dog by the collar 20AMERICAN BLUES THEATER'