HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1916-12-14, Page 14tt0ewrvl'kt IN tae N.- Two Herald (tv eu.,
an rob e•Prr•..t
ROM my earliest iotaaey up to the
`re.est 1 have always had all end
hetes, tie believe i• Sdt• as...
Iota of people, old sod yMsts�-pat-
Ncularly
some very wise yaw peo-
ple that I know have told tie that
N suck prom exist... but 1 know bettor.
The dear old• saint is to my knowledge a
Very beautiful spirit, sod every time that
Arista*. comes otosg 1 see him •Im.at
everywhere 1 tura, amoag the rich, the
powerful, the faahiu•able, equally •mo•g
the poor sad lonely. I've sees blue beam
Mg frees the comfortable cuebions of •
Me electric motor car apeediag ■Toms the
parkways, ..4 perched happily up along-
side the driver of a heavily fades truck la
tlhe dusk sf s bitterly cold wioters dal
prswtptiug $s compasion to deal geed,
wkh his w.fsry berms ad wader the spell'
et the hair to forget the dreadful co.di-
gm of the highway, the (loggias of the
streets •rad bit poor fro■tbittes nose and
Morels. 8• nu one seed tell me that Santa
(taus does not epi.' or try to push the
glorious old •••utlema■ back i•to the
realm of whet the wise people call myth.
I'ball simplytreat •11 uc absurd rt
■ ■ kk •tt
mewls .a that with a broad grin amid •
stink that allows [bat 1 knew better.
Kut 1 both ehet-Mitiora Blas these for
h4ieviag la Santa Claus, for owe, some
es •iP-I shall not npe•ify the elect
1 ray be muhuah for him oue Christ-
man oohing ani caught him just as be
hV comported Dir work mesa ley slating,
•
hoagies
the chimney_, and made
him talk t
1lufie. i▪ w ▪ I cried; aa.••I-pmepmi out
,tress bebisd't bureau, wtytre_I W bee..
"Yos'r: Ito. dssta Clam. I1ii'I
you v"
Tea," he said, ad a fussy Vette laugh
tial made him .Aake,ob that 1t sloe shoak
tie house. "i may as w`',�1fd.ait it Node-
Mg
ot-M( to he ashamed of, eh
"No, indeedl"acid 1. "8e .pthigto 1K
toed of, -rather, 1 should say:"
'Thank you," said the old gentleman.
'It's very good of you to may so. What
as I do for your'
"1 thought 1'd ask you to take me.back
with you to Santa (`IO utile," I noswefed-
"I'd like to take a peep at those wonderful
workshops of yours."
"Hue! Well, That isn't a bad idea." said
b, stroking his team thoughtTully. "Hitt
• er what would your fancily think about
iii N'"111.111'I they worry over your ells
aRe.ren.a'7 They might think 1'd turned
sapper, 'Ind that would never du." --•
1 shouldn't be gone Mug," I au RKested,
• $. ouly for a day. 1 roeld get a good
[peep a things in a day; couldn't l Y'
'Yes,think you .could," Mid Santa
01am " it the way things go i■ this
Meld there nu cummunicatiou hettraien
Bowls Town, ('Isusburg, as some pen-
gb till it, et it between midnight
(Milkman Kee and .iz o'clock ('hrialmir
mleming. tto if ion eat back with me
t.aight it would be a hole year before
you could corse home ag 'u. I'm afraid
you'd be uwfuliy honest.- b'fore long,
efttt with mi•, mod your Tried would be
o/readfully worried "'%
'V" you only hove six Igllre i which
SO do all yoke work?' I asked.
all 1 have here, said_ Salta
Clete -_ "Tliiir -in why of i:it, years you
find me timing the ni,ila anti the exprem
ciwnpaeiea-was much in the delivery of
ekagp.. "Ebert. are so ninny more
(.,. to be visited sow than there used
•s . forced tohate
f �al [ have -leap t cpJ
aw.itetane'e If i dido't 1'd be .letaiued
.herr me, ito,' th.t 1 couldn't gel home at
s11
for a w le year."
"What!" i tea, "Can't even you get
11111. 1440. edit 7"
• ',\ blush i" r•phet :(Iota Claus. "if 1
alere out.. wood, late in dritltlg rap to
480' late* or my own cuustry 1 should lie
ou 'Me to got 11r"
•ed I'm practically through this Year. 111
tell you short It with pleasure. lust climb
beck Auto epee so's you won't este► cold and
I'll sit down •losgslde of you sad tell you
all abut It."
Lad the dear 914 Saint began.
• • -.t _a _
"It was this ream ago," mid Sesta
Claw. 'There -tris as unusually large
.umber of baba'. 1. be eared tar that
year, and they were just
you over mw,' though between pen •d
THE SIGNAL GODERTCH : ONTARIO
. out • 3anta• Ciaiuo
py JOHN KENDRICK PANQ5-'
couldn't blame anybody either, because;
I'd made the rules myself, •ud in refuse
tag to answer my summons the gatekeeper
was merely obeying q orders."
"I shoed think you'd be glad to see•
people there -you're always so good .a-•
tom.. said 1.
"That's •n very true," mid Salida
Claw. "Rut you don't quite uuderytast
We work so hard for six months of the
r that we have to rot the other
While we are rleepiog we cast see psi;
nee, I think mill babies are pod Moe 1111• you know -we'd be awfully dull con
they don't seem to be as god as they Mal if we did see the., -ad while we
might be it almost •Iwals means there's aye worklug we are too busy to ►e inter
tempted. By the time I get back to Claue-
burg everybody's gone to sleep for the
& Reuel teat, and I would bare hammered
Mx smooths at the gate before I could
have wakened aay me of them."
'-y'I ere,' Mii T Somebody might
ham rt up kW yea, though," i added.
tit's against Mee rules to sit top after
six," said Sesta (bee, and toes be west
on.. "Well, 1 414'1 k.ow what to do,"
said he. "I wandered .beast outside
fair tires or four hours, cad thea re.liaed
that there was saly Doe thing to be dome -
make the Deet of t, cad goback k to earth
■ gals and eon my Irving as best I could
tomtit the gates were open .gala. So bmek
to Chicago I trudged and them
a train for New York, welched
eonnertion that I hadn't thus be bag
ticket. We'd got aa her, I I I(a�15
p
whe■ up comes the cosduct•e\.1a
"'Ticket, please,' he said, stopping is
(rust -of see sod yet tlee kir puarheT ready.
-°1Mlld Ma I hadn't one and asked bow
stag to pay In ea .
-i• Vbietyallj7fsW tee eo.dmctor.
"I had &bout ten thousand in my pocket,
leo this did not worry me. Takia( out sky • sleeping car.' ;14
• pia sticking into them or their diaper
doesn't agree with them or some other
good reps they •tways know.
They did.'t cry such at stigbt *ad they
' pest most of their days .d811g cad col'
fog sad• *mei* their iraade {1M/elle.
iloseebow or etheet while I at. fend of all
babies, 1 seemed to be particularly food
of them Tour little brother Dick, for
aatanee, and Sammy Rroasoa's .stet
Polk -she was just the aweete,t little
I'ollie (bat ever was "
"Yes," said I, "I know, 'pm both, Pol
Ite'. pretty fine."
"Well, there were most a million babied
like that that year, ad I bad something
for every me of thew," Haat* Clam rea-
ti•ued. "It was the btsipst sight 1'd eyes
had, aged In those dayv.1 was doing the
work all by myself. So. when half -past
five Christmas morning come, both my
reindeer and i were dreadfully tired •.d
sleepy, The reindeer were so tired they
'btwnte nervous, and while 1 wee fixing
Tie the stockiugi in • bog orphan asylum
1.,Cbicato,tbey Isoth toot fright at a loco-
tmotive whistle half a mile away aged nm
away. They flew Week to ('Imuuburg and
get i■ all right, hut I had to trudge home
.8 -foot. I got there al half past six and
the gete4 8.ee closed. It was a fright-
ful situation: 1 knocked and knocked
god knocked, butt nobQdy'eame, ad I
realized Milt the case oras bOpelesa, 1
'orders to emery you through to New York
-unless you ride in the smokestack. It's
the only c►imbley ea the train.' "
"Ile was horrid!" said I indignantly
arain.
"Oh, no," mid Santa Claus. "Ile was
Duly dung his duty. Hut it was ver•
hard for ore. 1 got off the thio and made
up my mind W work until 1 bad earned
enough to pay my way to New York in
Amerie•■ skimpy."
"What did you dos" I asked.
"I ehuwrlled snow," said Santa Claus,
with • deep drawn sigh. "It was the
only dishonest thing I ever did."
'Shovelling sauw is not disbotest,
very difficult atrogile for exiat•nce. I
get a position first on the elevated rail-
road •• a guard, but I couldn't keep it
because I couldn't wake people et,y, lively.
1 guess I wax too polite. Instead of call-
ing out. 'Step lively there!' in tones like
thud,r or a ,aReun going off suddenly
and making people 10 nervous that they
o.wldu't help jumping fast I'd we. 'Het
pardon, ladies and gentleu en, but if you
don't mind accelerating your footsteps
just • trifle it would materially aid the
vagineer of this traiu in bla•aeaacientious
effort• to nun through to the terminal oa
schedule time. You'd think being taw
that wee would bring •bout the desired
result, but it wasu't so. Quite the con•
teary. lasted of hurrying. people would
atop to listen to what 1 was saying. sod
Santa," sad 1. "Lots o1 good people the consequence was my train never did
do it." get through oo time. it was always from
old gentleman. "Perfectly awful."
"Tbat is true:' said Santa Claus,"but one to two boors late."
"Whir 1 asked. "Didn't 79.0 want W the way 1 did it was not quite right. •'lad they discharged you for being
There was not ouch snow is Kalamazoo polite, did they?" said I.
give the conductor tem dollars?" f(►at year ad I bad to sake a little go a
1 "Teat wail the real reaand: .aid Banta
"Oh, it wad's that," cull "hats Clmts, great way.. .1 shovelled it off Doe side Clam, hank eke use they gave was that I
'It wasn't that. 1t IMP the quality at rosy walk oro to "other ad then back again was w fat 1 took up the room of three
money. It was toy messy, every cemt of
it, •rad I hadn't any other."
The end gentleman shook his lead sol-
emnly era b7 recalled the embarrassing In-
cident
"There I was," he resumed a menet
Kalenine°
later. "Put off the train at
with ten tbonrnd dollars in my pocket
and not a penny that was worth • cent"
-.Lbw didn't put you off the train?" 1
budignantly. "Didn't you tell them
suis Telt weer'
"oh, ys-I told them," said Banta
ilii t.g bis shoulders. "But they
Noy .ed. The conductor was one of
those .y men who like to make jokes
to make passengers laugh-"
"I'm Santa Chace mid I, wheat he
handed me back my key money.
"'I haven't a doubt of it,' be replied.
'You ought to lsar(i_la a sleigh, sot is a
wallet I counti'd out the necemary thirty-
▪ one dollar bills and ad4ed tea dollars
more., which I told the comdurtor to keep
for/him/telt i1 honor of the season. And
Itl.ah deart- it was awful!' said the
"'My reindeer ten away nod I've bees
locked out,' I explained. _
"'Oh, yes, I know,' said he, With a whtk
at the other pasaeng,ra *sally,
you'll have to get off here. I any
for a week until I bad earned fifty dol-
lars."
"I don't quite understood," said I.
"It was this way." Santa Claus replied,
mapping out a diagram on the counter-
pane
ounterpane with his thumb nail, "iiere was
n umber 92 Main street with snow on the
sidewalk. 1 shovelled that snow off aura -
Orr 92 throwing it upon the walk of
ordinary pasarugera. so that they Mat ten
cents at the very least on each trip. At
the end of six weeks I was discharged
and rompelled to look for ■ new position."
"Poor old Sesta Claus -it was out -
raceme!" said 1.
"Oh, no,' said the hie --era ted-eld
hominess*. I am pretty
ogee. "It was just boat D 7
n umber 94. 'Then 1 went to the people big ■round, you know. Well. the next
living in number 94 and was paid for thing i did was to try being a cab driver.
shovelling it off tbe walk of 94. 1 tossed I got • position am the driver of a hansom
it back on the walk of 92. Then I went rob, but 1 ran lost that. My great, size
to 92 again aged was paid for cleaning was against we there, tan. Yon see, eery
the walk another time, throwing the snow time 1'd get tin into that little seat'at the
again on the walk of number 94. So I rear of the hansom 1 was so heavy 1
kept it up, seesawing that beautiful snow lifted the horse clear off his feet. Only
from oar walk to snottier. backward and
forward, until I had earned all the money
I needed."
"It was kind of queer," said i,
"Yes," sand Santa Claus. "Aad i've al•
ways been sorry for it. But what could 1
do? I had to earn my living. and really it
was just as hard work as if I had simply
"bovelkd the snow into the street. J've
more than made up for it sines by leaving
extra presenta a1 earh of those bowels at
Christmas time, too -.o in • way I Dare
atoned for my mistake. Anyhow, I earned
my fifty dollars and paid my fare to New
York with it. reaching that city about
St. Valentine'. Day. And then I began a
him hind legs mold rench the ground. and
people were afraid to ride with me be- re",nlrant. Ilia attention was attremedt
Obey thought was Uro by the trot that I won so stout. •rad
rauwe the harm.
tow
frisky. Anybody*Mildthink' fbat to ager offerwl me three mewls a day and a piney._
to sleep behind his restaurant if 1'd la
tm ndw-irh mon and walk up and down rhy.--
e treet w ith two big plaronta on me, one Ota
ally bark and the other hanging over Fir -
ehest, with
'1
me a letter of memo mend, i,'n to L
(rh•nel of his in the c.al busiee.r, for
o hieb 1 thanked him, little dreaming why
gee did it and for whet reason he thought
the Boal dealer world Ilks'to employ we,
1 or.•.Putel sty letter to the coal mon the
neat atornint He was delighted with
me, apparently, and told me to call around
the following bloods, and he • would row
me emnh'rmeett at o1er. 'This, of courts
I did. but aIma' only again to be Utterly
d`•. nit,i p t el "
"Did he go hack on ,Is word?" 1 asked.
"No, indeed: lint the work he hod be
nct to di. -dear net. 1 never rotdd thiuk of
such a thiag•',grnttnrd Satlta
"What was It 1 -asked. "Shovelling
oats"
"Nothing half on hoopoe said Sent•
Claus, "Ile wanted me to drive hie wag-
on and to sit in the wages with the coal
o hi!e it wen bens weighed."
"You did here ilk bard time et, It!" i
;tied, as I thought -New the old gently -
=RR el1tMi44K•__-..
"Yes -sad so ,It went all along." be
tigbed. "I tried M.write poetry for ths
n agaxines, but the only kind 1 knew how
to write wa. the little things they put On
candies- little motturs like:-
When (hie you thence to ebew
Reu,emtrr 1 :ore you,
oa t-
1 it I awl O rare vowels goad and truer
But the one i love the heat of all is 17.
"I lent t lot of those out to the UMW
ride. that print Petry, and they all room
back to me by return mail. Nos. of tilt
editor. xee•med to rare for them, and whets
I took them to - randy store and tried to
cell them there they told inc they only soli
candy tool didn't publish it. I was at mj
wide' ends to know what to do. het fortu-
1.tely 1 met a nun one .1:,y who owned w
a hone trotting down the •tame no hu
hind legs and his fore feet waving it eke
air, wouldn't they?"
"Yes. I think they would," said -
"1 tr;r' s four wheeler nett. with very
similar results,' euntiuued the old get.
Heenan. "I weighed down the front of
the cab so far that the people inside had
all they could do to keep from '!i.lieg
out the front windows, so my employer
called me to him one morning and paid
me me wages .ad sent me off. He gave
ae••ei-e1•-e-•e•-e••♦ •'N••N•H-• f�•MNM•N�e�N�MN��
•t•• HM
Daughter of Santa Claus BY Wells Hawks
•e••• -•sees•-• o•s••••••e••••♦•••••++••s-o•••w• senH•-••Nw•e••-••••-••••ew••••.•e.e••-•
dream, hiI friends were overjoyed and :Neuer mid," acid Kiri,. "jump la."
Katie was happy. 1W8•re-it11b11-I ger &eked the inrlak•
The night before Christmax Spencer's ing Gia wheel.
(tends plseeed'•to-return the honor and "Bowe Broadway and » Pulite
give Katie a party of their own that would square sod down the Hower,, 'lien I'll
rue it."
The car shot around the corner and
ioawrlpt by the t1tew Taek IIPratd Os all conductor pounded at his piano whit •'ea_peelally rl ealihWtam-
a.etb-footlights.
Stowaewrvw., 1 blending of mezzos and 'y'rir moora.MtTall and .leader, but of excellent peiie,
OT .in•P the Ilibernians opened teat upou hie 'ears. i'remently some onalshe held her head am if a little disdain-,
their new hall on the day that Isounded au amphibious high note that'fnl. Ilex arms .apd shoulders. were.-nf.
Murr4ny'e bone threw him in the.broke almost before it reached its Iib.•rty. snowy whiteness. - The complexion wag
St. Patrick's limeade lied the block I The director erased abruptly and the girl
known rin•h a 'lenaatiou. Mrs.. began to cough. This stopped his on-
Corrie•n's Katie 'bad gone ou the alaught for a moment, but only for a mo -
stage, and Ale tenements Were wild' with 'tient, for be tuned on Mrs. Cortical',
the news. More than that;ahe bird moved shouting: -
over on the attest side to \ire_with as "For heaven's sake woman, how are
aunt, whore biixlwnd lied mai -a fortune urea.• girls going to sing in the duet you
with the carte and sand, and once elle bad are making'!" a.awer, but that she was Irish, that sbeiand the boy inside threw her • ki.e. well, and they turned into the broad street C -Taus fur fed.. bpd thiol I was rosy
,beea-tltiwm;(tq_reett her mother in an auto- "faith, an' how are yez goiu' toe was Mies Kompton, and that she livedm- an impostor, I•simply went to week
expert I When she paxsedihmuRb the stone door by the park. e
mobile. It was a sure enough ...amnion. people a. come into a theatre if It ain't with relatives 00 the upper writ side• at night • group of girls saluted h..r :- "Do you�N where 1 can get a Christ• and stayed with him for -five days, wiles
Mn. It urrigaa took it mildly. "Katie is clean," retorted Mn. Corrigan, atifl sweep- At all of which Katie laughed merrily i - "hello. Mims Popular!' _ stat tree!" ask Katt. • ( was discharged again. You sada, 1
a pool girl," the would say, "aa' see be ing. Ale told her mother on the visits down "On First arena never could get tined to selling ('hriatmas
She did not undPntaed, brat when she it" ■hswered the boy present -s, w, when people eame is to rmy
dolts' mutt for her mother." and aha would "Now be tensible, woman," said the home, where the boys and girls still reached the dressing room she understum a They whirled around to a proviste afore
.8.1. her head and then go over the leader., "Don't you know tease girt can't trooped out to meet her and where the the foil meaning of the remelt (ler dress- and soon had a tree mind a lot .of wreaths ti'ing° I'd just wrap them up and giro
mantel and with her apron wipe t dust sing while 1 ou sweep?" heads hung oat o1 the windows until she, ing tnbl., the chair and all the space about in the machine. Then Katie took they them away, and one night when the head
fru the phot.Krxph of a tell. slender (ill. 1 do nut," replied Dlrx. CoMgea, was out of sight it were piled high with parcels. It looked wheel and sewn arrived before the door of °f the firth came to round rap the profits
like a Chiristmns Five revel in an express her home. The rushing of hie machine and we hand a trrrihl.. time of it. I'd Rives
"way abort right hundred dollars' worth
office, the sight of Katie brought everybody out
of de,lla and meshfinical toys and Nosh's
"My! oh, my, my!" she exclaimed, and and all the heads to the window. Herein arta and when 6e asked what
of the truest type of Irik)t asaideu- outshine anything io chorus girl society.
bond and her well rounded fore d iraa' Katie was willing and promissl to minx-
hi
in the _raven -black, bele -- she She called on her mother in th.• afternoon down the Lhristmas crowded skeet pint
one in • my shop. Th.• owner of it 1800(bt
Parted in the centre. atlswimg ft ell fall and took her a little prevent. She noticed as Sls•nccr and him friends came from the 1 looked so like Santa Claus that it would
carelessly on either side. So -no weirder in the cigar store under the,flo1 that they remtnnranl. Katie had "fix,•d" the stage be • first rate thing to have me 14 111 Lop
it became the quae:tio., "Who t the had cut her picture out of paper and doorman mud 11, knew nothing. for the lams week before (htietmas. 1
•
pretty Irish heir And there was no pasted it on the window. tie smiled) It was a wild ride, hat the boy was doing never let un that I really was Sante
i
I Fiat
at Ronkerb'rr7'",
1.01;, t filial Street,
I
written on thew. 11e thought it would
le a go+d•advr•rtirnicot of hi. place, anti
1 guess it was, for be kept me busy until
December. 1t we'n't pleasant work, but
it was honest, and I kept at it steadily
meta I began to get thin. what with the
loud they game inc and the •xrn•ise I
had to take. , )Ij clothing hung loosely
upon me tilt. portteree, and finally be da•'
alar(iel t =>L saant wbat 'M
wanted any more," +
Saida (Taus paused tot a moment, draw
deep sigh, and rvs.mpd,
"'11,,n came the last," he said. "To bee"
my clothes from falling off 1 attiffedd
them full of old paten and straw and
looked for another place, and a week be-
fore Christmas had the good luck to Had
who, now arrayed in a g.egelue stage "Shure nn' 1 am awerpiti many a time Somewhere between the footlights and
gown. looked the. beauty that she really when my Katie is pra�a8rt . t ' the front row of the orchmtrtrn teats there
was., Katie ('orrigan ked always been the Thie evidently settled thrmetter, for the is an inpisible fine where lurks that mit
beauty of the ward. • It wax she NI the conductor went hack to his piano and Mrs, chievo u. little chap who meddles with our
boys wanted to donee with the night the
Hihwrnians threw their ball opea. and It
wn. r•ltrrent gossip the nett duty that
Paddy Ryan got one over the head is
(:rogin'.Tor ciliate down Tim Kelly, who
hod tnk.•u all the denen away from the
rest of th.' gang. Aud it was Katie, too,
who had been the soprano i. St. I'iw',
from the time .he left the pariah Reboot,
and Father Shea bad gotten a lot of the
people who had the money to apart to
make up a Rud for the eultivatios of her
voile.
Katie woo very proud of the day she
took her first Ieswu, and Revers' Sunday*
later, when the choir director gave her a
hit of solo ittvoit41,4 her sweet voice went
Corrigan continued her cleaning of the heart.. and many of his well aimed darts
centre aisle. Later in the day the con -tare th.4,•, •that go over the line from the
doctor name through the lobby and trErn. bow of a pair of dancing eyes.
passed Mrs. Qoyaigae, raw_ was poliahingKatje had these dancing eve, but if they
a bas-relief! thing shad ruggeated snme•,I� the darts it was all uncow*ciously
thing about .rel He had a memory, for done. At oily rte, they had been fired
and the girls In the euunpany knew that
the target Was in the front row every
night. Katie did not fully realise It
he remarked:-
"So
emarked:
"So you have a daughter who slap!'
Mrs. Corrigan dropped her rag eid
polish, a.d before the nun had left be until twee night there came to her a lenge
had heard all about Katie and her voice, bunch of roses, and the girt laughed at
and it wan told with all the enthn.iasm her surprise. She only knew it was from
of a mother's affection. It impressed"qtr. Spener," and the front row of girls
the man of music, for he had Katielsaid he wee, • fine fellow and awfully
brought to the theatre, and .he mono for rick. Katie told her mother about it, b Th d f the f
him while Mrs. Corrigan stood behind the and she looked at her for a loud tins
curtain of the boxem wiping away her wallow saying a word. ante came. All of the girl* were in a
into ropey one's he++r anal err tarp beamed tearn with the end of her duet rag. Two "Pretty girls will have admirer*," burry -all bad parties and it was the night
while in nue of the back loos Mrs t'nrri- weeta later a "Mims Katherine Kourp- Father Shea told Mrs. Corrigan- Two of Kati,'" party. She dreaapd and then
Kan wept tears of real joy into the ogees ton' made her appearoncw In the chorus, or three night. later it wax raining, and looked in the glom for a long time. The
genres of her prayer hook 'flit .tui a and the gallery doorkeeper passed Mrs. Mr. Spencer itei,ted that she ride home pretty fare mirrored there did not meet
hundred otb.r eveuM in the life of popular Honen and Mn. Corrigan in to be ores- in hi. automobile. She did, there was ■ her eye", for .hp was linking far away.
Katie wen• being' dir•ussed when the news1Pnt at Katie's, fioe debut. And what a little mapper on the' way up town, "rad into the little parlor where she had first
hone her stocking. The mother would he
there alone.
Katiewent to the door. A big touring
ear waa waiting. it was Spencer's and
there was no chnuffeir. Th. longing for
the old (:hrietmee rye was big in her
heart and it bore an idea.
"Where ix Mr. Spent -err' she asked the
WV doorman.
"11e just stepped around the corner,'"
was the reply There was a messenger
boy ataniling in the doorway.
"Are you busy?" .he naked.
"Nope." answered the boy.
"Tben rnme with me, and be quirk, and
you, too," "he maid, ratline a stage hand.
In five quirk miante. Katie. the stage
hand end the mexarnger boy had carried
all panels from the dr.m.ing rnnm end
thrown them Into the automobile Katie
nert•mt"ly watched for Spencer, and un-
known to ber A* waft drinking her health
Is wine et the whop house near hay.
"('an you nun an automobile"' she said
to the hmy
"A little," he answered; "me (Adder
deserts 48 mete PMI cart."
had be-
came
then her eyes filled with tears pada big cane out of bier aslx,o and waved bis
white apron. There were score. of bandit c me of then and 1 told him -oh, dear
lump tame into her throat. 7`he• oeertureme, he was terribly put out, and xe, was
came •rad then the curtain. Thr Rirh to,carry the tree and the panel, upstairs
and to set it up, and end] a rhnnls of
1. I was pat oat so quick that i atter y/
went on the stage and else wax left alone. knew what happened until I gathered
liolobing with loyraad br' " bel pearl "Ah's." a. all of the beautiful thing.
fiat so fast, ah..liwoked over The wonder- ep u held
tt,-Tegs,�rma, tenth, PYP, pad ether mieceF
fur a"aortment. Suit a lot of presents, th f and wept ,idea of life. No 1,onee were br,u8 ,
and all from Spencer's frieoda every- however, and 1 was conanl.d by the fact
thing in the world a girl would want that only two days remained before the
Then there was a *Byer uomh and brush
gates of Claudine( would to open .gals
from Moe, Hogan and her amsiatonU, and, and I could go home,
to prove that all show girls aro sot jest- "It was thin thought that earth.! m•
nus there were trinket. from her friends through, and when, shortly after midnight
1. the (root row. Then ih'e went on the of CkttMtmee Eve, 1 heard the jingling
stege and threw every hit of her heart belt of my reindeers and 'leigh In thaw
into her vote, r Pe n P per urns- euld, frosty air, you ran be sure it who
a very happy old Santa ('Ian. that waited
until they were within !ailing ,1istanco.
As troop am they heard my voice they
stopped still and then rime prancing
down to my aide, overjoyed to find me
still alive ahllot much the worse for guy
year of exile. clambered into the sleigh,
and when moruhlg came and we reached
the gate* of Clauabtu•g after a night De -
gift tearing i once again entered the
street. of my beloved city and an hour
later was'eomforta-hly lying in my own
little Innndlr bed.
"That," acid Santa (Taus, rising, "la rho
story of the only time i was ever locked
body in the neighborkood came in, and out of ('dausburg, and 1 resolved then amid
much a potty! Ryan brought up ammo rye there that it would be the"
for the hoya and Grogan Rent over a case
of Mer. Father Shen came in and made
a ,perch rot it rloumP, anq every ane
drank a toast to Knt,..
When all had gone Mr.. Corrigan put
her arnt ahn..t the girl.
"Whet'. the matter, child? Yon aged
yea wet goiu' to • party up town."
"i hat couldn't, mother," ahs said. "1
got homesick for you," and the laid her
heal N tM dd woman's mho ildrn.
tlmtslde tM hays were giving her a
se•epaad•.
"Kettle has ease home for Cbrlatmas."
said Pvery'b.1y along the block ,
"Onus Ord 1 got that all night UaeM.,
add (,ries' - •
were sereno ani. Mem: Cerrigse- sot . e. myeel/ - er Mid took RD inrentrRy
e sofa n Mrs. Hogan e
her hand.
Katie opened ■ small box and nearly
dropped it wben she saw a gold bar with
a diamond studded "K" on it. Spencer's
card was on It She opened another ani'
it was a simple little bracelet with a
wribbled card, "From Tim Kelly to Ka-
tie." Site primed It t0 her lips and
slipped it on her atm.
"Oh, i forgot the auto!" she exelaimel.
Picking tip a piece of wrapping paper
the wrote --
"Dear Mr- Spencer:-
"Forgive
pencer:"Forgive me for stealing your auto,
Ida i hail a quirk tall to help Sant.
Claus. Ree you soon, miylrp, Tell them
at the party that this is from
A DAIJ(1IITFR OF SANTA CLAUS.
"P. S.-I'lense pay tpemgng.r boy,"
Katie pnihed the boy late the =.chine,
shouting: -
"Comedy Theatre stage door, Mr. Spen-
"Tbars queer' fiver been I.w•ked our?" ,i her going on tlP stagy fleeted about tb.tnight it was when she came home! All tit.' next day he drove her through the
-.__. n"iglihorit'"d. of the bo,. and girls erre waiting no the pork. }several more dray. there were rides
Mfrs. Corrigan wan a widow,' Pat bad doorstep for Katie, there were bends out in the pare:, for Katie hand expreu.ed a
of every window, and in the pettier of the desire to learn how to run the machine.
(`orrigen flat there was n fine banquet and Mr. Spencer, being accommodating,
"from Tim Kelly to Katie." wam glad to Rive the lesamou. Once in
"([ore." Mid Santa Class, "only once, been a good nun to her, bit there were
and I- .m..111.'1011 itwas a dreadful experi- little 'livings left after he psa.ed awe,
ewer I've Metz particularly careful over
niece to IP• hour on `time, for while I am
Very food of yon earth people I prefer my
awn honk to live in Yue asp !'m a greet
emus berroleeutn .hiring the holidays, but
.R"r Oi:riehuas ham gone I don't seem 14
be quite *e' lropnlar, or St troy rate people
don't think on wrnrh,nhont toe after the
t'hristnus .•'neon 1. over. The), 1,111 their
'.8ntlw0n Aht8bam Lhn•1.Iw end S%, Valen-
tine and 1ieurire W,.hingtan and 8t. I'nt-
rie•k end nfber MOO cvr.•11„ At people and it
�jj� Is•rL•" 1. ri;hd
t they th .add t'te harmy
by end they are entitled no thein."
"TMT int .4 that time yon were lockel
, won't emir 1 pleaded.
beetainly," amid Meats Clans, looking
ntsteb. "lt'a oda five •'alsek 1sw,
poseefully from the hurts and the ahock
he g,'( when he fell iu a trench working •"Oh! you'aitt all so good,- exclaimed a lonesome drive in the park he took het
(At' the Water i1epnrtnienl. The wife had Katie, and then earring the room ehe bond and. whimpered
* WV* done work, brat now "hr had to threat beraelf roto her mother'o firma and "Yoe are making me love you."
have More incoue, so, through the good- 81.104 8rt. I She laughed and blew the hon and he
oras of Airs Hagan, who was the head "ft won't he long, mother. before you said no -more.
v•nd,wnninn at the Comedy Thcssire, Ate will stop working and t eta take care oil Some of Spwneer'm fHenda wrested to
!Attained regular employment, end K.tie Ysu •• .8. contlnnod. meet Katie, and as the "character wom-
kept on at "obwl. And a* the dray" p.amodl "Never united, child," said the mother. •nn" contented to ale so chaperon, she
the little girl who hitt tonhed so sweet J111.1;10 d
to bed, for yea laxed he tired, the way concent . it sus" a midnight affair. and
her *kite frw'h,stid wreathtat tllp? firetyeg ons pranrin' ed jnmpin' about" 'nftcr the moppet there was mucic. Katie
nmmtininn !.'gran tlr4Rrnw into woman-, 'Months primed and ; summer 'bow suns in groat spirits. She told stories with
wood, end the boys and the nen• and 11,e•atirrtved the first Yebabt of .IUmmn and te delightful troop of hrngne end wee es
'rumen, ton, for nil 1h.a1, mato tiled, et the became a settled anceme. Miss Kemp-' witty and foil of blarney as her old dad
twenty of Mr.. ('orrigan'.. butte.
One morning Mra, Corrigan,. was Be eeM.
ing down the centre agate of the Menfolk"f
Thr musical dirretor ons a the pMcu sur- ,pn ted volved prim* demos strnggteel T,rin melodies she had heeled Tommy Welch
�nndeA by n grange of Orin mil atnlg(ling for and neve. reached And In th.se cine at the 8.11 .ner' flerrlly'. poe'v7 the
w itelse music of the next pie In to pro tsar moths how .10• had 'mien and de- night Murphy brought the piper In. ft
diked b7 the management. Mrs. Co►rigms telop,d i. certifier rand nave. but nil one the hit of the erening. sod .he heed 00
swept aed railed • elated of oust. The with a duplicity' of memoir rlr.1 was .1ng •[aim sea sse/a. 8p0same wed in i
tel Wed ateppt'd from the hack lino failure' all h1* kung line of enerwtnn. She
the front, mo that her voice might c.rryl*ang• not song from the mn.Irsl rowdy
Ib lith [mod ot the cnsrmbl, that a .hr was in, but one of thous quaint old
Then s1.e wl•nt bock to the tree. Every -
The sentence was never finished, for
even as the old Saint apnke the clock eli
my mantelpiece began striking six, a.4\
the old gentleman with an exclamation 04
dismay sprang from the bed, flew Ilk.
lightening up throngh the chimney And, 1
prewume, tripod into his aleigh and startej
• t breakneck speed for home, for as I
listened I heard him give the command
In quirk, nerron■ town: -
"Mang there, Viten". (i'Iang, Renneee
and hearer and Pnneer! We've got
three Arwood* to mike the gate! (fiddapr'
Hut he need not have hurried an fat,
end 1 presume he reached home in safety,
for to t•11 the truth my ,.asek was fifty-
five
iftyfive taMtm fse8 • ,
o