The evening world. Newspaper, December 25, 1905, Page 8

to him. look in the other, BY F WALTER A, SINCLAIR. of the merriest of merry Chr Masee a one-night stand ever Wulged {n, instead of leaving an mosphere of shocked surprise, a ripe| TMI86 NIXOLA GREELEY-SMITH, ARRINGTON swung out of the ¢Iub-house, éult-case in ‘hand,| and very. leisarely took the di- of the Grand Central Station. had not fully made up his mind here he was going to spend Christ- Yot why had that flendishly allur- little gir] out in Jersey writer. that she wanted him to use his) to get her on the stage? Bhe knew he wouldn't like that. h he had avoided seeing her two years, she must realize the! ing just in front of them, “Come tn hold she had taken on his Why, he had to have the ins in his sitting-room reduced to) so a8 to quit thinking how she She had taken the joy out of smoking | Dis after-dinner cigar would | Wreath itself into so many halos ing symbols of the ring that every ason of worldly prudence suggested he bestow elsewhere, gold it was to be, The suit-case gripped in his firm 8 ieft hand contained what he thought wonld be a very pleasing Christmas offering to her—a tiny Christmas tree he had bought in a toy shop and hung with tiny toys, little fugsy chickens and ducks, dolls, glass balls and tinsel, All because she bad told it Mrs, Madison's that sho hadn't had arreal Curistmas tree since she was twelve yéars old. He was little more than two blocks from the Grand Central Station when he was startled by the violent impact of @ human being rushing in the same) direction and pausing not for apology. wisps of hair wers blowing. It was at once so sad and so dis- tracted, and withal so resolute to the laccomplishment of some fell purpose that in a lightning flaeh of tntuition lit came ¢o him that he beheld a hu- man being on the verge of suicide. The impression was so strong that he quickened his pace and after some seconds was again abreast of her, “I assistance to you?” he said, ‘The woman whirled. He knew that he should consider} “yae™ she said quickly, desper- the brilliant certainty of Joining Jimmie Madison’s house party Ardsley, where a modern little) Marigold, 9 millionaire lass with | short pedigree, was waiting to say ately. “Yes.” And then her voice quivered and broke, ‘‘I’m starving,” she said, scarcely above a whisper, “and I'm desperate and T must talk to some one, I've w and walked and walked because 1 could not go back to my room and+-and to my baby, who's lying awake waiting for Santa Claus to bring the answer to his letter.” “You poor child!” satd Farrington. “You're cold and wet, and I'm sure you're hungry. Won't you come let me see?” His eye fell on the brill- Hantly lighted cafe of a studio build- here,” he said; ‘the head waiter knows me, It will be all right.” “But 1 can’t,” she protested, “What must you think of me?” *T don’t think of you at afl,” satd Farrington. “I want to help you.” The cafe was crowded as always on \Gnristmas Bye. People were supping ‘above her absent face or into mock- him on the day she bade him join her) Farrington caught one glimpse of) her face, against which dark, damp| beg your pardon, but can I be of any | off serving tables and packing boxes, Through the welcoming head waiter Farrington secured a packing box in So Miss Mari-|a remote corner and for fifteen min-| utes devoted himself to watching his companion. “It does me good to see,you eat,” {he said at last. “But how did you come to be so hungry and where were you golig?” “T don’t know,” said the girl slow- ly, "I don't know. To the river, I think. I livd out in Marietta, 0, My folks were poor and I wanted to help them out. The manager of a show Itked my looks and took me as a chorus girl, Six months after I left home I married. He was nobody—a {chorus man as poor as myself, He |drank and beat me, I left him. I jdon’t know where he {s. I don't care, IT went out with a show four weeks ago, got stranded in Utica and it took every cent I had to get back to New | York. I've pawned everything I had jand J just couldn't stand hearing that little kid say, ‘Mamma, when {s Santy Claus coming? So I went out. I couldn't help it, I didn’t know what I was going to do, And you spoke to me. That's my etory. I you don't believe a word of it,” she ended: She looked, straight into Farring- ton's eyes, but for the moment he did not see her, His mind had gone back to the girl In Jersey, who aiso had brown eyes, and the letter from her that was in his coat pocket was like a dead weight upon his heart, |_ A waiter with a trayful of brilliant |favors hovered over the table and \dropped a gaudy black and gold but- terfly at the girl's plate. “Ob,” she said, “I cam go home now. I've got something to take to Jack, Santa Claus hasn't forgotten him after all." : “No,” said Farrington slowly, “he hasn't. But, you know, Jack should have « Christmas trea. And by re- markable good luck I've got one—the prettiest little one you ever saw— Heht here in my suit-~ase, I bought it for some one else, but she won't need ft. My name's Richard Farring- ton, A line will reach me at the Knickerbocker, I say that because you've got ¢o let me lend you money enough to tide you over. do it, Not for me, but for the little girl in Jersey that I'm going to now and that I hope !s to be my wife.” WALTER sesinduain. ap “* epthe EVENING WORLD STAFF. three of as-and Murphy, the manager, sending up rockets for help. upholstery, when a coy gent of some thirty summers and sddicted to a sirupy volce, asked me if he might jhave a word with me, I told him I'd jand in answer to his wireless looks {we adjourned to the attic pigeon-hole | reserved for troupera, | “When we had surrounded our jwant any good people to see him! jtalking with an actor. ‘Cheer up,’ I | says, ‘no one ever accused me of be-| ing one.’ | “Then he prt me wise, He said he {was the superintendent of the local |Sunday-school and the popular choice ‘for the Santa Olaus annual specialty! at the tree-prnning in the Sunday- school hall that night, He had hired the suit and the snowy. Belshazzars, |but he needed a recount on the arm {istic temperament, As a platform monologist he was a total failure |with no assets. He was grieved with “ FIFTEEN-MINUTE turn as an ingrowing yoice when he tried to Santa Claus tn full come hand out his fifteen-minute mirthtul| Ny whiskers, with neat songs melange—and, say, the wheezes he fd dances and a few refined funny had collected beneath the shedding; Malls to catch the vagrant laugh. |chestnut tree were sobby! a a ow'’d think that. that was the mak-) Ist-|Ing in one easy lesson, at- {heart I apoke it. \eplit a word with him ff ft suited, | |selves with secrecy he said he didn't! foll for it easy, “That night he sent me up the alley “As mentioned, I was draping the|from his house to the sky pilot-| house half a block’ away. It was all framed for him to slide through an unlocked widow into the ante-room where they kept the banner-class banner. I jingled the sleigh bells on my belt and our dear pastor gave the jcue, ‘Here he comes now!’ “Was I a hit? Well. with having the way paved by Willie Jones, aged ten, In ‘The Night Before,’ and Miss Hetty Brown in “The Gambler's, | Wife,’ the situation was ripe—for one jbest laugh. The real refined goods! I went on with a funny Duteh stom- ‘ach fall, a good, strong song-and- |dance, ten minutes’ rapid fire only a year old, with insurance réferences, Pa,’ with special Xmas verse. And) the getaway, “The kids and young folks were] jinhaling it with joy, but a draft seemed to tell me the deacons veri deaconesses were buzzing, “As T slid out Into the ante-room 1| |@ot the shock of my life, A shemale voice spoke up tn the semi-dark and| said, ‘Oh, George! Mr, Potera, why ‘ld you dance that awfal dance and ;Sing those songs?’ I could see times jahead for the deak, ‘They are shocked,’ she says, ‘but you did aplen- {did and T will stand by you.’ “Noble gir! mitt in the dark, “She squom back! {eituation. A regular farce T couldn't pasa it up. strong, I thinks, and brushed that bunch of facial excelsior over her complexion “She squeaked, and that’s tableau one second later when the Yes, you'll) ending with ‘Everybody Works but} ,' I says, squeezing her) | “Hore’s where I make the deak! “He wanted me to teach him act-| I wrestled | ii-(with him an hour, and then from the the| Mose Christmas bells!” vaudevillain at one ear with hig hand in style, and after listening inery bells, continued: ey, Mit the slightest hope of giving b to the move-on squad bei roll, Heving delivered this overture, Jim lelsure, Rube scene, Me ornamenting @ doputy assistant chair of the Ho- fl Grand in Squiftyyille, N. J., with- iH Yuletide had passed )tn- Manager made connections The show strand- “ Deacon,’ I says, ‘you were east} deacons and deputy deaks butted } Scandal and copious opinions of the |), play the invisible silence {n tho} rea th . door and let In the light. f-Told-You- 80 Committee. Hark! |mob scene, Never for yours! Your} ont Reinet at her I took--and, oh spiel isto be dead honest—punk!| “Me, taking it through the window! Your volee annoys you and your |and cross lots to Bro’ Peters. He waa handt o ie }walting to slide mo out of the get-up yet ipa ae BuBs on Wronk From | and hustle back to cull the glory, P| where I sat your turn $s about as} “*gtand for it and look wise and for /snappy and entertaining as the comic! you have the of a star,’ I says, column of the Undertaker's pale taking ih fv , a grabbing my suit-| we me m1 dor yense ‘They think you're a seoond Now, I'll tell you what I'll do’ Uliagie ¥oy now’ ears Ul don those chinchillas sual “T hope you made it mild,’ he \the riotous togs and go on {n your|sa 1d, place, give them a patter that Willa, ‘The refinedest ever,’ I gays, ev er let bring ’em up hollering and get awa) |the atmosphere With it, and nobody but you willever) “So saying, foxy me to the depot, | know that it wasn't you, and [')l/and boarding the only night train do it for the V-spot that you offer Abas hesitated there, me to wallop you into shape, You'll) sont ar t vee bY ASL moeniaets ssi) be the local hit. Are you adjacent?) per that there Is an awful seandal in I asks, “It got him. In the suit and whisk- on ef you have ‘em In promise suit is mentioned, I guess He ings to-day but cold feet” the Sunday-school. Brother Pete is/ ealled a Jekyl-Hyde and a breach of could ihe super found nothing in his stock-)*™rely I was ft Mi8$ ALICE ROWE. HE man who was telling the i story put his glass on the table and glanced half-apolo- gotically at his companions, “It's the first time I've ever asked anybody to eat Freddy's Christmas dinner, but somehow when I saw you to-night there was a look in your eyes that made me think of her, and T eald to myself, ‘Bill, old boy, may- be the ladies and the gentleman will humor a lonesome old bachelor and come over and eat a Christmas din- ner with him.’ ” “There’s nothin’ too good for you, and the place is yours,” The woman with the big brown heavy lashes as the speaker looked at her. The Titian-haired beauty op- posite smiled behind anu Oriental per- fumed handkerchief, and the other man in the party endeavored to con- ceal the bored look that was creep- ing into his world-worn eyes, “Frederica was her real name,” said the host, as he brushed a crumb |from the sleeve of his evening coat, whose newness was as apparent as the acquisition of his money. “Fred- erica Delo, but we called her Freddy for short, You see, it was fifteen years ago, Gee, what a winter! 1) had staked all my hopes on makin’ a haul on the Camp Lil mine when a confounded explosion comes up and nearly sends me over the Great Di- {vide for good. “They hustled me down to Durango as quick as they could move my car- cass, and they put me tn the Widow Kent’s hotel, where the doctor was handy. I ley there cursin’ and sayin’ awful things that would) make you ladies shiver. There was one thing I made up my mind to do, and that was to get rid of my bad Tuck that night. TI was goin’ to do it with a pocket-knife when the doc- tor had gone and the Widow Kent was sound asleep In the parlor. “t was thinkin’ a whole lot of wicked things about Merry Christ- A SOUTH | BARTON W. CURRIE. | ILBOA PETDR, the sea-rounder, B pushed the briming bowl of nuts and the empty wine gob- \let from him. He sald: “Probably, mates, it has never been you lot to be cast in the role of tur- key at a Christmas barbeoue. Such was my fate once, and, though my | fondness for the bint has not dimin- ished, | “When I was considerably younger ‘and some plumper than I am to-day, I was shipwrecked in the South Pa- cific Ocean on the day before Christ- mas. “Throughout the night before {Christmas I floated on the still fret- |ful billows, and with some degree of | comfort; for 1 had adroltly managed to ensconce myself within the lattice work of the pig-pen, and ‘only at ‘oceasional intervals was I complete- \ly submerged, Christmas Day dawn- ed brilliantly and [ noticed as 1 stretched my nock up above my coop that 1 was within a mile or two of eyes and yellow hair dropped her) mas when I heard gome one singin’ low just outside my door. It was |& pretty volce singin’ something about ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.’ I wasn't feelin’ {n an angelic mood, | but I called out and asked who was “I wish you could have seen the face that peeked around the door, It was an angel's face; not the kind you see on Christmas cards with china blue eyes and golden curls. “I ain't much on sentiment, ladies, but I never had such feelings as when that Imhocent child with the big ‘brown eyes and the wavy black hair came into the room and sat on the foot of my bed to talk to me. “You poor man,’ she sald, ‘Tt won't be a very! Merry Christmas for you, will tt, all ted up here tn bed?" “When she went away that night she came up and leaned over my bed, and before I knew it she had kissed me good-night right on the mouth, ‘That's what 7 alw: did to daddy before he died,’ she said with a little tremble in her voice; then she crept away real soft, and I lay there thinkin’ about my Christ- mas angel till I fell asleep. “The next morning I'd forgotten all about killin’ myself, for when I opened my eyes there was a lot of silly Christmas stuff at the foot of my bed, and there came my angel through the door draggin’ a branch of fir tree all trimmed with red pop- corn. “‘Freddy,’ I sald, ‘do you know you're the only person in the world who's ever thought ahout me on Christmas since they turned me out of the Orphan Asylum in Denver. Now, little girl, I'm goin’ to got well, and eome day we'll eat a Christmas dinner together that. will make the President of the United States month water, « “Well, a mon’ r that I started out for Australia; and, ladies, that’ the last I ever heard of Freddy—the lyst, except a gold dollar I found in my vest pocket where she had hid- den it. “I feel, though, that somewhere there is an innocent-faced little girl expectin’ to hear from m but Ive | never been able to trace her.” The woman with the brown eyes’ and the yellow hair put her hand- kerchiet to her lips, and her jewelled | hand trembled. | “I thonght first, your eyes were like Freddy sald the man who was telling the story, “but no— they're different, and then Freddy's |hair was black, and yours ts as yel- low as Klondike gold.” The woman with the brown eves and the yellow hair drew back. Her red lips trembled, and she shivered as though she had been struck by |an toy blast, | “You have given us a delightful |Christmas dinner,” she said, with a laugh; “but I must go now. My head aches, and {f you will take me to a cab I will go home alone.” She held out her jewelled hand to the man who had told the story. “T hope you will never loss your ideal,” she said, with a tired smile on her curving red lips. “God bless you and your lost Freddy.” and broke upon my head affording sufficient landward impetus, “At last I was washed bigh and dry wpon a shingly beach and saw in an instant that I was not to be lonely, A reception committee, head- ed by the king, a full hand of queens and a royal group of princes and Princesses was hard alee on the job. 80 was the king’s chef, who stepped forward with a sprightly gait and regarded me with the calm.eye of an expert, “What diinks cook?’—I translate freely the king’s tongue, for in my situation one did not need anto-sug- gestion to understand the quaint phrases that were so poignantly per- sonal, ‘What thinks cook?’ he re- peated with significent emphasis, ‘Wil this do? “Very nicely,’ responded the chef, smiling unpleasantly, ‘with a little |kneading and parboiling it will do excellently well. Tt 1s convenient that he has come ashore crated 80 oe fully.’ Thereupon my pen and six court scullions to the chef's prov- ing ground, adjoining a wing of the royial hut. “reed from the crate I was set at liberty in a rather commodious en- closure (a gort of stockade, upon the tlerleal in cut), The chet informed me in a somewhat fronicat tone that he regretted that I had come ashore {n big collection. trathfully that the merry epirit of Yuletide did not thrill me at that moment. approached and felt of my arms and legs approvingly, nodding to the chef and exclaiming: ‘See that you make the dish a tasty look.’ ‘My palor evidently cong ag pa {0h deo back of the to his den ie a a Rogen “slump ir earlier He offered for cover, of @ tyact et 4 bright, emergd ieland. oe the Sten fet net a Gently but|® oft le A ranged their destinies for the tenth boldly. Janet choleric fire, agreement, man jt was hig inalienable right to persist in demanding the hand of his lady love, saying that battles weren't worth waging again. it” ing hurt and sad as a lover ehould, it were carried upon the shoulders of |A¢ Christmas tree and\ genéral celebra- tlon on board the Margie F, that being wife's fool name Yor ark. Tried to talk her out of ft, No use, Never Is, Ever since old lady got bitten by top timbers of which sat a row of|this new woman bug life om the old a dozen or more silk hats, distinctly |tub las been rich brown gravy, and serve the of shins with palm leaves, as that gives) ones, apd Christmas atill three (8) "Wi MI8S RUTH EARLE. QUARREL over a Christmas gift began {t—or ended it A week after they bad ar- time, agreeing to be “just pals.” They were having tea in the King don drawing-room, when Janet cried, apropos of nothing: “I wish I knew what to give you for Christmas!” “Shall I tell you?” asked Phi}, quite matter-of-factly, “Please.” “Your sweet yourself,” sald he There was a pause while eyes sparkled with a rare “You broke the pact!” she cried, “But you made me,” pleaded Phil. “How?” “You asked me what I wanted for Christmas,” “Philip Jordan, you're incorriytble, and you don't fight fairly.” That was the beginning of Philip insisted 6 dis- at Janet disputed his-ciaim, once fought “But we're never had anything than a skirmish,” Phil argued. ‘Then this shall be decisiy “Very well,” sald he, ‘if you wish And he rose very quietly, look- IRVIN $8. COBB. 1—Fine billiards, First of the month and no bili-col- lector snooping around. Noth- ing doing in the Christmas gift line this year either, I reckon. Depart- ment stores all flooded, Sometimes I foe! lke giving tir cheers for the flood. Dec, 8.—8tufft oft, ‘Wite announced dinner table th would be your Uncle Noah, Dec, 6.-—-Wite kept me awake halt bareheaded, a6 he took some pride|the night talking, Christmas, Told Tam able to state/me—with customary trimmings— ought to be ashamed of myself pe thoy not taking more interest; told me T Nor did Joy stir the cockles of myjought to be helping her think 808 8 heart when two husky young princes|some way to make the lit! happy. I'm thinklgg all ants already have interesting family -two thonsahd (22,000) little yas be Red hat Wbenexer rr, tha en et as hind the curtains and gazing out at ‘exceedingly Tarious for |AAROURERE wind and trousers his long lege and ewkwand, boots, But he had m charmingly thetic way of looking over. bout ninety-nine times & course she couldn’t de sure “Jante, T want all you have to give; ‘but if you aren't willing, all right. 1 won't bother you any more. Good- by.” And he kissed her hand fn the reverential manner most befitting the occasion and left her. Surreptitiously from behind the curtains Janet watched him cross the street to the club, ish white “Phil makes @ nice rejected suitor,” | whiskers nearly eclipsed she thought. “I wonder what time| But Janet felt that bis he'll be back this evening.” kcind because he had read her She sat until quite late that night; “And may be he has @ sorrow reading in a big chair in the Itbrary, |1t in His own poor heart,” she Tt was a most becoming chair, The| muse, and then élip out of ae dark leather set off her shoulders re-| and over the way to cheer him markably well, The lamp glow; generous bill bef his chimney, turned her hair to brighter gold be-| Or it might be that she neath Phil's orchids, and her gown ‘was one he loved. But Philip Jor- idan, esq., did not come to see, ‘The next day went without a wort from him, and the next Janet ed, Anothér day and she began to play Sister Ann at the window. But strangely enough she never saw the familiar Philip either going in or out of the club, hear him ory out to they went by: “I want. me,” hy beth" it eran ga! Tt was the Me | bone hung as ree sadly Into the fire, “And a month ago he °ttrnts was eft for you nla a ‘was left fay you, After a week Janet grew uneasy./a maid, handing her a note. She called up 9906 Cortlandt, “It's from Phil,” she cried, “we “Mr, Jordan?” sald the voice on the! on something warm ant meetéSamka wire, ‘Why, he left town ® week |Clav on the corner,’” } ago on A long leave of absence.” She drew on @ coat and farsantitet “Oh!” aatd Janet very faintly, herself out of the street door. Tn nervous haste she rang for 9800) ‘There was Santa Claus Plaza, “Mr. Jordan hasn't been at the club for two weeks, Volunteered {n, some relief expedition, Ordered his things packed up and put away.” Janet dropped the recetver. ; “How could he?” she gasped. “And | without a word to me!” ‘And, somehow or other, | sobbed. * his chimney and @ messenger boy a cab. As 6he came up he pulled his whiskers, and Janet nearly ed in his arma for the simple you have already guessed that he was no other than Phil. “Just jump in bere,” he eid, ting her into another waiting “To the church around the corner Rast Twenty-ninth street,” he to the driver and, slamming the doer |to, pulled off his Christmas toga, “How could you play me such trick?” asked Janet, bat with delight. ‘T knew 1 ought to leave you, didn't dare, So I took that way, had to find out somehow if you Do you mind being my after all?” . Mong tees in these clothea/* pre Mar 6 ‘tee rehise tox » heap than a mere wedding guess some mistletoe will do for ange blossoms.” Some time later that evening don pere was awakened from slumber to read the bia hgr + wire. Married Phil to-night, Ai Rue Janot | Sa ‘ken ens ei It was the week before Christmas and a pall had fallen on the house of Kingdon, No one noticed !t mach, | Kingdon pere had too few interests outside the stock market to care whether his daughter Janet were happy or sad. Perhaps the servants observed that \ their mistress had turned into a little /recluse, denying herself to every one; that she spent hours in hiding be | test: the club-house over the way; that she shrank from the mere mention of Christmas, If they did see these things it was their business not to, that was all, except in the servants’ quarters, Janet knew there was no one to understand her trouble except thé big | Santa Claus over the way. Ho was an absurd looking re in comically the Atlantle to-morrow, care of Benolt Freres, Paris. Merry Christmas. Roam BSXME yes IYO BS. Cont weeks off, Bet Roosevelt would DROP to drink!” think mighty well of that outt,| Dec, 26—9 A, sts he Doubi shane an cnet’ Chatesioans toh at je sextets are nothing to MT® lean seo. Getting up for a Christmas Florodora Red Ant, tree at 4.30. M. puts me in mind of Deo, 7.—Whole bunch catching the|that line you always find in the ac- Christmas disease, Talking to Ham/|unt of a hanging: “The condem: early and ate @ this morning remarked that I didn’t|}nxtust after which aid see how I was going to tide over tojready for the vlog New Year's with this business com-|Condemned man’s ing right on top of other expense. es Ge Brunette {diet promptly came backjout in Shem's Sctoncbalting Wales with this: “Don’t you worry, dad,/kere—Shem ee Santa Oltoe ane at Yuletide over all right” That ont tha, idiot for two hundred years old if {t's a min-| Every time I think osh Shem a eating ute, his by through a poultice I hai bed Dec. 11—Alas! Also alackaday! |to go out on the kitchen steps of Cruising off Twenty-third street to-/@"k and Jaugh. day struck department, store with) 11 A, M—Stil! orthodox fn all re two top flows still above high tida|spects, Everybody going ar tell and doing n ine of business in holl-|ing everybody else that their day goods slightly damaged hy water.| was ney. Mer ibe SP it All the woiren members promptly | what Gn Rega \ ele drow on pava and went over. I sure/of the dri ae and par couted i yi am glad wo hit this store, (Note-—|that go with the day. Aj Part of above 1s pure sarcasm.) Br acl acbony eel evet thee mae Dec. 12.—Byverything going out|—néver dv. Mexican hairless dog got and nothing coming in—leastwise|a bottle of dandruff cure, Hem 08, {nothing coming in but tin horns and/|trich got a toothbrush, Are Lat ons squirrel-skin eonts and toy drums! Nodén. Feongs pil ching se and diamond earri and those|steer, Two thousand dinky vey pete wit ty te Levated rage ys: he! his cai ures of church steeples and holly |phant ou! ' ovis on 'en, Everybody at our/a set of earmuffs and a dol! house works our old man. 2 P. ae Brahe 4 wite te Pad stood couldn't afford fare her airing % expensive tarted by snyiug ahe alwaye 3 to saying wa fa something useful. She does 0, Last ri el Be ad s 2 s She BBs &fz \ posit a ples ted ¥ , short costume flip-flapping in the JANDT. ‘ ‘