Sharp County record., 1881-01-13

'em creep out ut midnight, and creep in
again Just before daybreak. Joe, you
won't tell the governor, will you, now"
they say to me sometimes. Lord bless
you, sir, never told about 'em, but
many's the warning word I've spoken,
for | hadn't patience to see 'em going on
that way. Yes, indeed, sir, it's all kind
of things as comes under my eye; and
as all the faces, young and old, up and
down the street, get to be familiar, it's
natural | share the joy and trouble what
comes 10 'em. I've seen pretty brides
leave their fathers house, and while
their friends was crowding round and
wishing 'em goodbye, I've stood on
the walk, out of sight, and given 'em
my silent blessing. I've crept by houses,
too, where l knew some one, whose 60
inc out and coming in I'd seen for years,
was dying inside. Each house is lit
tie world, sir, when you come to know
about it."
As Joe stood on the sidewalk that
bright ChristmaS-eve, | noticed that he
was much more serious than usual and
less inclined to talk. After my greet
ing he turned and began to move slow
ly up the street, letting his club fall on
the sidewalk with dull thuds as he
walked. At this instant the door OF the
great house was thrown open and q
bright stream of light came out, in
which stood sweet little girl.
"Joe," she cried" Joe, are you
there?"
eyes, Miss Nell" he answered;
"that's me-"
Here, Joe," she said; "rm not to
ask you to come in now, because that
would be off duty you know, but l
found this on the very top of the tree;
and see, it has your name on it"-hand-
ing HIM a neat little package-"and it
such a splendid tree and everybody is
so happy. We're not strangers to-
night, Santa Claus and /, are we, Joe?"
And with a merry little laugh, she van
ished.
BLESSED little miter' said he, in a
choked voice. Then, after going a
block or more without speaking, he ad-
ded, "Sir, if you don't mind walking
up and down my beat little I'll tell
you a story as makes this the merriest
Christmas-eve of my life. 1t isn't any
family secret, or l wouldn't be the one
to tell it. It's history as everybody
knows and tonight it's over, happily,
blessedly over, so far as it can be, con.
siderinU him that's gone"
| walked quietly at his side until he
was pleased to speak.
The gentleman as lives in that great
house." said he, sis Mr. Chauncey.
He's one of the richest men on our
street. When | first came on here,
thirty year gone, he was young man
with o handsome wife and two as pretty
children as ever you saw. Miss Alice
she was the oldest, golden haired lit
tie beauty. aud Master Frank he was a
fine boy, almost a baby then, sir. From
the very first Mr.. Chauncey was kind to
me. When the family would be off in
the summer, he used to give me the
KEYS and | was to look in every night
and morning to see that nothing went
wrong. When the family came back
1 always got handsome extra, for Mr..
Chauncey never was mean. 1t wasn't
his love of money as brought the trouble,
but his pride-his pride, sir; for if
that old gentleman was King of En-
gland, he couldn't be more stuck up
about his name and family than he is
now. When Miss Alice was about ten
years old Mrs. Chauncey died. re-
member the night well, sir; but that S
many year ago. After that didn't
see the family much, for the front shut
ters they was always kept closed, and
when | met Mr.. Chauncey he had his
head bowed and never seemed to notice
me. | used to talk with David, the
butler, sometimes when was passing
up and down O nights, and he told me
as how Mr. Chauncey paid no attention
to anything but them two children, and
especially to Master Frank, and how
he d always have the little fellow on his
knee after dinner, finding out what he d
been learning in the daytime; for they
had a governess, them children did,
although twas Miss Alice took all the
care of her brother, who was three
years Younger than she was. They said
it was touching, sir, the way she'd play
little mother to him.
"Sorrow always has to give way be-
fore sunshine, I've noticed, and it
wasn't so many months after the mother
died that the great house was all thrown
open again, Just as I've seen happen to
dozens of other houses in the streethere
and then | begun to see Miss Alice and
Master Frank. | used to see great
deal of them children after that, for the
boy he was wild one, and would often
scamper on the street at hours when he
should have been home in bed. He
didn't mind nobody but his sister; but
she could do most anything with him,
for he was soft-hearted little chap
when you knew how to touch him right,
but headstrong and self lf-willed, as boys
are, sir. As years passed them two
come to be as handsome pair as you
ever saw-Miss Alice with her sweet
blue eyes and lady-like ways, and Mas
ter Frank with his fresh, eager face.
The only thing that troubled me was
the boy never would stick to anything.
His father sent him to college-fOr there
was nothing he wouldn't do for Master
Frankfurt he was back home in less
AN three months. Il didnt like it,
| loo ba covc tC p,o opo ninht What G