The evening world. Newspaper, December 11, 1922, Page 24

ERE is a story with a double purpose. stories are, for the entertainment of readers selected for publication just at this season because of the thought it seemed to carry to every reader—kindliness for all children. No one who reads seriously can doubt for a moment that Johnnie was richer than any of the millionaires with whom he was on terms of friendly intimacy ‘No reader can doubt that any little poor boy ér any little poor girl may be made as wealthy as Johnnie. ristmas time. j The Evening World invites its readers to make thousands make them so is right now, at of children happy. (Copyright, 1823, by D. Appleton @ Co.) CHAPTER I. The Wicked Giant. I WAS ten. But his clothes were forty, and many times too large for him, so that they lay upon him in great, overlapping pleats. His kitcben apron was worn with the strings tied at the back of his neck. From the apron in front, the two legs that led to the floor were scarcely larger than lead piping. His arms matched the legs, and had hardly any more shape than the poker, They did not end in boyish hands. His hands wore like those of a hard-working girl, because they knew dishwashing, sweeping, bedmaking, cooking, scrub- bing and laundering, His head looked much too large, for the reason that his halr added to it a striking circumference. He hated that hair, It was yellow, and boys had taunted him about it. What was worse, women and girls had admired {t, It stood away from forehead and temple as if blown by the wind. It was uneven, this through the poor scissoring of Big Tom Barber, his foster father. Below that hair was a face that, when clean, could claim attention on It-is printed, as all But it was Barber,"’ she eek can I have] ver ages for some of + his ttmidiy, Out ar-Old | ivy tye , Slipping away the The best time to his sight and Cis hud a quaint face (framed by light brown hair) that ended She seemed It also assures them that it's well worth the while of the busiest to read “The Rich Little Poor Boy” BY ELEANOR: ATES “THE POOR LITTLE stove swung| “thinks for the punishing of Dix hurrying tn from] ‘Tom, each of them ending in the de closet—this her}sertion of (hat gentleman, whil Johnnie rade n joyous, triiimphant her young volce}departure. Which. of all those r: would be select this morning 1 y Jolinnle caught bis breath s eyes dilated. Te had deelded. that sam font @ chan quite a good ¢ atly shod feet, wit! to right and left « ringin went up for him whi he awaited the lessening of the pleas int tribute, his hands stuffed tnto . of his new, Hght-gray|¢ Knee pants A change hud also taken place in Nglete, satistac- instead of the ragged little taller, R ae p ERT i ereupon the ampion Philistine and that youth » was ruddy and of a falr counte- nance \And after a deal of hand- Johnuie told the tale of that ceriain celebrated fight-—told it as on who had witnessed the whole now I guess we're ready t’ start, ain't * ho observed as he , Jed. David, would you and ur friend like t* come along?—Only Tom, he's go t' stay behind, \t the stove, the untidy heap in {the wheel chair stirged ag@in. A? small lead, blanched and bewhisk- i, reared itself weakly. “John- nie,’ quavered old Grandpa. ‘John- nie! Milki"* The boy's lips ceased to frame words. Ho swayed slightly, and nis big too began once more to curl and uncurl. 'Then, as fancy was displaced by reality, Barber disappeared. The silx-hatted gentlemen went, ‘too— long with the young English Prince, that other Prince who of Israel, snd @ tall person with a bump on his forehead. The goldand-green walls faced; go did the carpet, the curtains, an that light-gray sult. ‘The ble- topped table and the fat chairs folded themselves ont of sight. And all those delicious fruit pies dissolved into thin air But one thing did not go: A cepse of satisfaction. Having met his enemy 1 ered him; having spent his own anger and loathing, his gray eyes held @ pleased, proud look. Once more {n the sofled big shirt and trous- he could put Barber aside for the day—not brood about him, harboring ill-will, nor sulk and fret Now ho was ready for "thinks" of a entered at once the b% RIC JO H™N LO HN ST. prune was gone. Then, the repast’ CHAPTER IV. over, ho fretted to by away, whirling hia chatr and whimpering Johnnie had eaten throvgl a per The Four Millionaires. OHNNIE always started his own fect Hs lie Giaiieaed Buckle daily program with a quarter of with a thousand-dollur bill, and the an hdur out of doors, taking tw 8 were off, Johnnie mak- it from the sill of the kitchen dubtor, in the Barber flat Th cupboant was Carthage,} Resting upon his midriff he swelled the Albany, and tl stove very properly Pittshurst But Pittsburgh left behind, and But jo (the woodtox)? grin their wheels, neither G ara, With loud h and guttural announc ing at the sink. And now came tho most exetting moment of all. With ¢ he rapped t -the lead pipe which, leading through the ndpa's cane, ceiling as a vent to Mrs, Kukor’s sink, debouched in turn into the Bar- ber sink Some one began to cross the ‘loor overhead with an astonishing sound of rocking yet with little udvance—in the way that a walking doll goes for- ward, This was Mrs, Kukor her- velf, who was motherhood incarnate to Johnnie; the pure essence of ft in a fat, round package, The ttle Jewish lady never objected to this resular morning interruption of her work. And so the next moment, Lake Erle began to empty itself; and with splashes, gurgles and spurts, the cat- aract descended upon the pots and pans in the barber sink The downpour was greeted by a different sort—adventures that were delightful. 3 Ahead lay fully nine unhampered hours. He pivoted. His arms tossed. Then, like @ spring from which a weight has been lifted, like a cork flying out of a charged bottle, he did a high, leaping hop-skip straight into the air. “Wow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"" he sang out. -r-r! ree-ee-e0 “and explos- ively, “Brt! brt! brt! bing!"’ CHAPTER III. chorus of delight. ‘Oh, Grandpa!’ cried Johnnie, ‘Ain't it fine! Ain't it fine!’ And ** e!'* chimed tn the old man, “Fine!! Ono long half minute Niagara poured, Then the rush of its waters ceased, except for a weak trickle, and the ceiling gave down the sound of n rocking step bound away. The train returnéd allently to Pitts- burgh, the Grand Army hat was taken off and hung in ‘ts place, the blanket was pulled up about Grand- pa's shoulders, and this one of the chair with its greasy] his nostrils. cook- once—on the . and his back heaved and fell, so that he was ike a giant Iiz- zard sunning on a rock. ing under] The Barber window looked north, ndpa nor] and in front of it were the rear win- Johnnie could withstand longer the temptation to push forward to Niag- toot-toots, ments, the wheel chair drew up with a flourish dows of tenements that faced on the street There was a fire escape at every other one of these windows— each escape draped with blankets, mattresses, pillows and bables. Somehow Johnnie did not like the’ view. It was beauty that drew him. He scanned the sky. Above the roofline of the tenements was a great, changing patch which he called his own, and which he found fascinating. At any moment what might not come slipping into sight! A window went up in front of him, across the area, and a volce began to call at him mockingly: “Girl's hair! Girl's hair! All he's got {fs girl's hatr! All he's got is girl's hair! He started back as If from a blow. The second his feet touched the splintery floor he caught up the tea- pot, went to lean over the sink, and poured upon his offending locks the contents of the pot For Cis had told him that tea was darkening in its effect, not only upon the lining of the tummy, but upon hair. And while he did not care what color he was inside, darker hair he longed to possess. And now at last he was ready to begin the really important matters of the day.” But just which of many should he choose for his start? He stood still for a moment, considering, and a look came into his face that was all pure radiance. He headed for the morris chair. Under its sotled cushion was a ragged copy of the New York telephone directory. It was his only book. Once, while ana made ttm forever | m by the simple method of jit ‘aphing each on his brain-—page by page And it was lucky that he did; for Big Tom took the be morning and Kp ont with him onc 1 them. The directory meant more to John- nie than ever had ¢ Among muny he owned whenever he felt Ike it, whi automobiles or animals, cash or as But what thrilled him was the list at subseribers -- the living, breathing thousands that awaited his call at the other end of the wire—the world-cele- brated. the weuslthy, the beautifully and the socially elect ! There was a clothesline strung down, the Kitchen. Pushing the kitchen , chair to that end of the rope which was farthest from tho sleeping ald man, he etood upon it, and having considered whether he would call up Mr. Astor, or Mr. Vanderbilt, or Mr Carnegie, or Mr. Rockefeller, decided upon Mr. Astor, and gave a number to Central. He got his number at ones, “Good mornin’, Mister Astor!” he hailed breezily. “This {s Johnnie Smith— ‘Oh, good mornin’, Mister Smith! How are y'?'—I'm fine!—'That’s fine!"—How are you, Mister Astor?#— ‘Oh, Tm fine.'—That's fine!l—'I wan just wonderin’, Mister Smith, {f you would like to go out ridin’ with me.’ —Yes, I would, Mister Astor. I think it'd be fine!—'Y’ would? Well, that’s fine!" There now followed @ confidential exchange of views. This finished, Johnnie rang Messrs. Vanderbilt, Carnegie end Rockefeller, sparing these gentlemen all the time in the world. (When any one of them did indeed call for him, what a gorgeous blue plush hat the millionaire wore! and what a royally fur-collared coat!) There fell upon his quick ear the sound of @ step. In the next instant he let go of the clothesline, sent the telephone book slipping from the chalr at his feet, and plunged lke a ewim- mer toward that loose bell of ging- ham under the sink. BScarcely had he tossed the tied strings over his tea-leaf-sprinkled Yair, when the door opened, and there, bulgy eyes darting to mark the con- dition of the flat, stood—Barber! A Feast and an Excursion. pair of travellers wae left to take his} Cis was still attending school, he had thmett ‘Continued To-M 5 A its own account, Jt was square- UT before he could begin the} est: shared her speller and her arithmetic, ( o- Morrow.) i jawed. Its centre was a nose that real business of the day he = seemed a trifle small; but was had to put Grandpa to sleep straight with well-carved nostrils that had a way of lifting and swelling. His mouth was beautiful—not with the soft beauty of a baby’s mouth, or a girl's, and not because it could boast even a touch of scarlet. It had been cut as carefully as his nose. It was sensitive, with @ little quirk at each corner which betrayed its humor. Its expression was swect. He did not seem a pale boy. His brows were a misty yellow-white, and his thick lashes flaxen. His eyes were a mixture of glowing gray and blue flecked with yellow. And when he laughed, what with the shine of his hair and brows and light lashes, and the flash of his eyes and teeth, the ef- fect was as {if sunlight were upon his face—though the sun so seldom shone upon him that he had not one boyish freckle. Such was Johnnie Smith. Just now he was looking smaller and less sunlit than usual. This was because Big Tom bulked in front of him, delivering the final orders before again, This was best accom- plished through tiring the little old man with w long, exciting train trip. “Oo, Grandpa!” cried Johnnie, ‘Who wants to go ride-ride on the cars?” “Cars, cars! cars!"' shrilled Grand- va, his white-lashed milky-blue eyes . saneing. ““WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR! = suwait now!"’ admonished Johnnic. KEEP?’ HE DEMANDED. ‘STOP | He took off his apron and wadded it PULLIN’ YOUR HAIR. PULLIN’|into @ ball, Then he sent the ball AN’ HAWLIN' ALL THE TIME | Whizzing under the sink. ‘“Where'll ve g02" he cried. “Pick out a place, BUT DON'T EARN THE GRUB Y'| \° 80" he ert ute Daas, SWALLOW" “Niaggery Falls!’ “Where's my hat?’ It was the dark, broad ‘brimmed, cord-encireled head covering of the Grand Army man, Johnnie set it atop the white hair, Johnnie liked to visit that Wonder of Nature. Ho did not know why. cried Grandpa the Barber kitchen. Now the wails were freshly papered in a regu! green-and-gold pattern, which, at the 1 t tele Gea HE beauty of belonging to The Evening World’s floor line, met a thick red carpet. |”. 1 chug? : Red velvet curtains hung at the win Shug! chug! chug!” \Grandpe:be “Rich Little Poor Boys Christmas Club” Rae can pac ani n-|san, the moment he felt the hat. 4 i clas, Went ae aaa ‘ er nee ahava mab upped | Byt Johnnie was not ready to set tt is this: You're not just mailing your chec! table was piled with delectable dishes, | 2. The Nttle, old soldier had not yet to some Fund, or to some Organization, with including seyeral pica oozing juice, Te walt bet ce Paes ee a request that presents be bought and dispensed, And the crowd that pressed up to ott rie loos all door! at the conclusion of the trip, . “Oh, grandpa,"’ began the boy coax- ‘ ‘This wan a well-dressed assemblage, | ingly, as he hastily dished up a saucer ’ Ah, that’s the one thing that’s wrong about the strikingly equipped with silk hats of oatmeal, another saucer of prunes, splendid scheme of giving wholesale at Christmas— soing down into the crowded east side (there were no ladies present) and} and poured a glass of milk, “‘beforce the fact that & te. tae gs ble to you"! street, and so to his work on the| @red him, tov. And now listened at-jolder than she was—slim, frail and] gold-headed canes; and every gentle-| we start we got t’ eat our grand ban- further trou tentively as the longshoreman, cutty| still lacking a woman's shapeliness,] man wore patent leather shoes and a] quet!" docks pipe in one fist, dinner pail in the| notwithstanding the fact that it had] vest that did not match his coat, In Barber was e@ huge-shouldered, }other, cargo livok slung to his burly Because there ought to be further trouble to you. And I’ll tell yon why. Up to the table, strewn with what- How can giving mean anything at all, either to you or to any child, long carried the burdens of a grown-| the lead, uniformed in khaki and] wey remained of breakfast, the pair raised, f re * al an’t look down into the wu ise teful eyes of some youngster Jong-armed man, with a close-cropped | Neck, glowered down upon him up wearing the jfriendiiest look possitle | or travellers drew. Then Johnme, if you ci P. grat y' head upon which great hatry ears ‘Git your dishes done," admonished] Facing her stepfather now lid | to a young man who ts cheering, was with the air and the lavishness of a who “thanks you like any and if the child can’t look up into the face Barber, “Don't let the mush dry on} not falter. "Yes, 7 Dlease,"* Royal Highness the Prince of} millionatre, ordered a tasty breakfast of the very man or woman who hes made the gift? stood out like growths. His eyes were | ‘em, and draw the files,” awered, Wales from a waiter tho lke of whom was Personal contact! What's the gift without the giver? It’s a gift with- bloodshot and bulging, the left with} ‘The boy, almost holding his breath,| His pipe was tn his fist aguin, and] ‘rhe young heir appnrent was| not to be found anywhere save in hie : fk thai hat it is. And to you who'll be making the n elusive cast in it, His nose was | fastened his eyes upon a patch of wall| le was chewing wrathfully “T'll) turned toward Johnnie as toward a] own {magination, out the touch of love, it’s wi yo ig aa eck wide that it fairly sprawled | Where the smudged plaster was broken | #« and some laths showed And not a] go. muscle of him moved, except one big * he growled. And waved her to] gift, it’ll mean more than you can ever guess to shake a small hand, to listen to awkward but honest thanks, and to glimpse a pleased little face that evo. And small wonder. For there,| ‘This waitér’s name was Buckle, and upon his face. lying prone upon the red carpet, in| he had served Johnnie for the pas The longshoreman turned heavily as] his oldest clothes, was none other] several years. He was an extraor- ou'll never be able to forget. His mouth was his worst feature, }toe, which he curled and uncurled|i¢ to follow her, but came about vith | than Big Tom Barber, felled by the] dinary ferson, being able to furnish x with {ts great, pushed-out underlip. icon in crack in the rough, worm]y final caution. ‘Don't you neglect | ingle overwhelming blow that Jobn-] anything’ that grandpa and Johnn': His neck was massive, and an angry | !tchen S00 the old man,'” he charged. “Fa nie had just given him s nose| might call for, whether meat, vegets 4 ss ‘ everything else done, tee’ | hain—fix him up—you know.” bleeding (not too much, however) and] ble or fruit, at any time of the yeu red, sprinkled with long, wiry hairs. | vont on tier be } y on Big Tom. ‘You don't scr ov untidy - the breath clean knocked out of htm. | was quick and aoft footed, full of low - F : 7. > ' It fastened his head to a body that | tit! to-morrow, so the day's clea ae eee pe Pci Beene. Lite w the shouting died away, and| DOWS, and wore a suit of red velvet RRYBODY eligible to membership, boys from five to ninety-five- hy was }ike a gorille’s, thick and wide | stringin’ beads, or makin’ And} oral ways old Grandpa was like gt? johnnie addressed the admiring] “Mister Buckle,’ began Johnnie, girls, too—who want to see every child in Greater New York have end humped. And his arms were so Cae ie alte Seeds eeicaen nd) baby, but particularly In this 1 of | Uireng. But his lips moved without | “a turkey, please, an’ some lemon a Happy Christmas. Each member can choose his or her way of ' le sprung out at the shoulder, and so] 5. ty is ioe © chewed once) waking Promptly’ when: he wax|even a whisper “I male up my] ple, an’ some strawberry ice cream keeping the pledge. Send your pledge, TELL WHAT YOU'LL DO. er se ‘ e! e R ou 4S zo."" » ” - ] s vo! t muarzed Ub ot the wrists thet when {hey | Johonle continued nt But his| te ed int his thin, joa lie sage de ‘Barbe pon thragtl : oi a Then do it, That’s all ton! © asked h n. wld vole Cu | give Tom Barber a # rashin’. | ca + inet at the fingers they formed toe moved a shade faste meant Big Tom's mother, dead now is morning T done 1t.* Buckle was wonderful. He trans- t of mammoth muscled tongs that gave “You lear asked Big Tom} these mgny yeu was now that he made Cis one} formed the place, laying down the Iiurber his value in and out of ships. iperils uray eu ed him; this tim Bavturis ‘oxen ‘oiled awas of bis audie dressing her in @ be- aricien: called for upon a crisp red Py t “Us legs w vig, te ood | Sence had). He seized Johnnie by] Johnnie to the whimr old man, | coming pink gown (her favorite color). | table cloth that was a glorious fu ae were big, too. Aa he stord}one thin shoulder and gaye him “Its all right, Pa,” be - Old Grandpa was beside her, hand-| brother to one that belonged to the im over Johnnie now It was plain to eee | rough, forward jc sly, ‘Just Te ly owercoated atid hatted little Jewish lady who lived upstairs iy ingly Jus’ you sleep Thier yomely overcoatet and hatted, " i where the boy's shuggy trousers hud mace , tiptoed through the door, and t Che punishment was complete; his] ‘Here's your turkey,” pointed out The Evening World, New York come from (the big shirt as welly,| The Mod came rushing to Johm-Lafeor him softly. triumph nothing less than perfect, | the boy. giving the old man his first Peeee one th | ‘ nie's face, darkening it so that the]” mye Mintor Princ he said, "1’ wiul| spoonful of cerea) My goodness. . a istmas this year Those lege turned up at the bottom in |inisty yellow-white brows stood out me Ina area anelir ms did y’ ever see such a drumstick! ¢ WILL do my utmost to give some child a happy y great broganed feet that Barber was | grotesquely : sh Shih Now another!—'cause, ges! you'll be : PTER 11 } The Prince expressed himaelf as|? S , fond of using as instruments of pun-| Big Tom marked the boy's rising SHARTER cing equally plea “Mister | Starved "fore ever we git t’ Nigery! I expect to......s5-: ishment. More than once Johnnie had | °!0" W Jo you do for your Pride and Penalty nithe? he returned, “I don't know| Mm! but ain't that turkey fine?" " e : vor | MOC?" he demanded. “Stop pullin’ OHNNIE'S toe stopped working }ian 1 ever ween a bow that could bit} ‘Mister Buckle, I'll take some soda felt those feet, And if he could ever | your ha th! Bice dunenln's camtami tka crac tactsn fac, Ww c and some popeorn,"' went on Johnnie have decided bow pain was to be in-|hund down. ‘Pullin’ and huwlin' ali Sie inal Senan to os (il, 1 eves# Tin Uke Pavid, Mis-] Spooning out his own saucer of oat ficted upon him he would always have |the time, but don’t earn the grub y' BENG Wl er Prince,” Johonio explained mod- | Meal. ‘'And some apples and orang», swallow lessly. M pay him for that i, and bananas and cherries and chosen the long, thick, pliant strap pa “ OF course you know David i 1 Eibaltad iu amd @eld together hie} lust as ane Jer ys led to an-|he promised. “Tl make him w Ako Davies | graben pray Deiter 1p & - other, so one blow was usually the|didn't shove me! This time IN thin Jon 1 m ocd! But that's} Grandpa's oatmeal and milk fin baggy clothes. For the strap left col! pretude to a thrashing. Johnie suwle> awful bad think about ‘ 6s aet me Mire, Kukor, upe| neds Tonnple-Urgnd prEnes Ubon Mim ‘ orful tracks that stung only in the | that he must have instant help. Tak Se They're friends of hers, Well, |“ lgokee at the watermelon!’ he making; but the mark of one of those }ing a deep breat unded his cai] Mink the worst think a {en stile cried, ‘The dandy, big watermelon! — fect went black and ached to the bone. ' for aid—a loud, croupy cous! rm An ug ‘ nd a beckoning © 'e¢ Johnnie hated Big Tom, But be It was instantly answesed. The Me paused to decide Iie n n accomplighed the imvitation, Grandpa ate greedily till the Iast