Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-12-20

Chow are you, Tony?"
"Why, all right, Blazer" and Tony
laughs.
Then Blazer laughs, too; his heart is
light again.
The shadows creep up and fill the
room. The two boys never have light;
they are expensive luxuries; but to-mor-
row night-here Bazer's eyes glisten in
the gloom .~
Presently he speaks:
"Tony." .r.. s ~.
"Well, Blazer?"
Chow would you -hesitatingly;
he is afraid Tony will suspect-''how
would yer like to hang up yer stocking,
just fer fun, you know, Tony?" ... .
"Oh!-Tonys eyes grow bright in
the gloom ''twould be prime"
eyer might pertend, you know, Tony;
yer alters wor good at pertendin'."
Yes, Tony, callers wor good at per-
tendin', poor Tony;it was pretty nearly
all he ever had-the pretending.
"Yes"-Tony is quite excited. ''Say,
Blazer, yer could roll up some papers,
couldn't yer? 'Twould be jolly to open
'em in the morning, and make believe
they wor presents.
eyes, indeed!"-how the boy is laugh
ing to himself; he is so afraid Tony will
see or hear him. ''You can pin it onto
your pillow, Tony! I've got the
| stockin'." -..-..r. lax. .L...-
Blazer produces it forthwith, and
Iony's weak, thin hands hang at the
pillow.
''Put in big ball O. paper, Blazer"
says Tony; ''that'll be fur oranges and
oh, dear! oughtn't to tell myself!"-
with a little laugh, for Tony is in such
| good spirits. ~
AS for Blazer. he is almost wild with
excitement.
"Paper for oranges, indeed" he
chuckles, inwardly, in the darkness. He
is glad Tony can not see his face.
After Tony is asleep he will go out
and buy all these things. A popgun,
too; he is sure Tony would like a pop
gun.
And Tony is asleep at last. Blazer,
waiting patiently beside him, slips his
hand from his grasp and rises. It is
chilly in the room-very chilly; ne Won
ders will Tony be cold. It is Christmas
eve, too; Tony ought to be warm to-
night. After a pause he takes off the
ragged coat he wears and carefully
wraps it about Tony.
He laughs again as he looks at the
| stocking. He will not care for the cold.
hand upon the latch he stops. 1t is the
remembrance of the wan, pitiful smile
| that causes him to pause; he is not
lad given to sentimentality-oh, no-but
tonight something seems to move him;
he comes back through the darkness,
and, bending, softly kisses Tony. Then
he goes out, down the stairs, out into
the crowded, weIl-lit street, with a heart
as light as the garments he wears.
Christmas eve! The hustle and hurry,
the shops and windows SO tull of pretty
things-fairy worlds, almost. Christ
mas eve, with the crowds of men and
women-the Santa Clauses of every
household. Christmas eve, with the
light and laughter, and the tinkling
sleighbells, and the JOY everywhere, the
goodwill to men," ...I
Blazer stands on the corner; he has a
bag tightly grasped in his hand.
Give dollars!" He can not help say
ing it over and over; he does not think,
either, that he is saying it aloud.
give dollars!" First the oranges,
then the apples. There is an evil-look.
ing face coming up close to Blazer; there
is a wicked smile upon the face, but he
does not see.
Give dollars-then the pop-gun-
ohr'
Blazer is jostled against the wall;
there Is only time for this cry; then he
stands empty-handed.
Yes, it is gone all gone. For
moment he stands like one suddenly
turned to stone, then, with a cry like
that of wild animal, he starts upon
mad run.
Jostling the people right and left, IN
needing their imprecations, unmindful
of threatening looks, he rushes straight
into the arms of a burly policeman with
a vise-ike grip. ......-. :.
'Ah, ali! young man! Caught at
lastI' says 'SBobby," and ssHold him
tight, policeman" cried another voice.
Dazed and bewildered, smarting under
the sense of his own wrong, dimly con-
scious Of this injustice, Blazer franti-
cally kicks and twists, endeavoring to es-
cape.
In vain. The chains that bound
Prometheus we're no stronger than those
encircling arms. {" -" .'-...
chats him, says some one, in tone
of triumph that's the little wretch who.
stole my my money!" .... s.......+ e.
'"Twas another feller!" cried Blazer,
| thinking only OF his own. '.5 -"
The policeman laughs grimly. Blazer
is marched off to the station-house. He
is searched; it is short work there is
not much to search; no money. Well,
but his excited accuser is positive.
Blazer is shut up for the night. .s.
He thinks of the stocking, the prom
Used feast, the boy who lies dreaming of
the morrow's ''pertendin'. Alas! there
will not be even that. Tony alone
through all the night; Tony alone in the
morning, waking up to find the stocking
empty-poor, poor Tony! In the dim
silence of the night the hot tears roll
down the dirty face, and now and then a
sob breaks the stiffness. q ---'~ a-
Ten o'clock. Tony opens his eyes.
"Blazer!"-it is very soft, only a
/ m