The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-11
leen" Bill Ph.bbs is chatting the

asleep" Bill Ph.bbs is chatting the
child hands. Hc drops them, looks at
the shining barrel of his revolver and
murmurs: "I'll have to wake him."
An old man returns with Mr.. Phibbs,
exclaiming rs he does so: "And you
thought | wouldn't come. Why, bless
| your soul, sir, was over anxious, sir
Even before you stuck your pistol IN the
window. sir" Mr.. Ph!bbs points to the
child and the doctor hurries to the
couch.
Through that hot summer night a
burglar chafcd the hands of child and
4 worried docto; watched. All night
long burglar watched white, delicate
face on pillow, and when the morning
sun had come, the doctor gone and the
white face life-like again, burglar
thought h. saw a smile on wrinkled,
carcworn face that bent over o cradle
fa ,h oncd only in memory.
MIR. Phibbs moved the next day to an
other quarter of the town. Several men
who had called on him scowlcd at the
fair child playing with the gamin, and
said that MIR. Phibbs must give up keep
Ing 1ounutlnS asylum.
The child was very young and could
not tell is name di tinctly. As near as
Mr.. Phibbs could make out til" cc::",e was
Willie Grounds. 1t did not seem to mind
it's new home much, and played and
romp,d as merrily with the galnin as
though it had known him all his life.
Th, next day Mr.. Phibbs put this mott
in the newspapers:
"personai-A hid wearing plain
gold ring found; parents or guardians
who claim the sane may have it by iden-
tifying it through tn S: columns
On the followin morning Mr. Phibbs
read that he woulI r cetvc Il liberal re-
ward by restoring tn, child to No. -.
West - street lie went back to his
home.
Come, Willie" he said to the child,
81 am going to take you to your mamma"
and very tenderly he patted the curly
head as he sp Ike. The chihds eyes
Frightened. lie was anxious to go, and
aftr kissing the gamin many times he
anG Mr.. Fhlbbs set out. He had grown
acoustic ned to Mr. Ph bbs and was not
surprised 10 see the crat ksman W, airing
big black whiskers as they left the
house. Mr.. fhibbs and the child were
within a block of the residence when
Mr.. Pbibbs paused. A gentleman was
coming down the stoop and Mr. Fhibbs
knew him. He was the Superintendent
of Police.
"Ah, my hearty" calculated Mr..
Phibbs,. $50 that's your game" and be-
fore the child was aware Of the fact he
was sitting by Mr.. Phibbs's side in coach
and rolling down town.
Allen street is no longer broil:ng and
baking in the SUM- The thristmas days
have come! Christmas Eve with all its
legend, its ringing bells, its stories Of
ghosts and 90 Inns! Christmas Eve,
bright and CHEEKY: Christmas Eve, like
Il bcncdi, tion OH the land!
Mr.. Phibbs sits before his CRATE; the
gamin plays on the floor and q lost child is
playing at burglars knee. Slowly but
surely the drys are Living from ch Ids
mind the mtmory of an early home.
There were his tin soldiers on the floor
and his rattle by the hearthstone. Mr..
Phibbs was very much changed. There
was solemn, settled look on his face.
lie ne, er smiled except when he held the
child on his knee. Very sag ly the
o imin shook his head and to d the cd
gentleman with th hooked nose: 'Pops
going" rointing to his head.
Mr.. PhibCs went out that light. There
had been rumors of an over active Police
Superintendent and Mr.. Phibbs was lo~k-
ing for another boarding house. lie
found one and turned back to the lodg-
ings. The hallway was very dark ard
the stairs crcaked Never before had
hallway been so dark in the mini OF Mr.
phibbs, and The stairs creakt as though
they were saying: "Phibbs, PhiLbs,
Phibbs, I've got YOU now. Phibbs. lie
turned the knob of the doer, swung it
OF. and stood still. There before him
sat the Superintendent of Police with the
child on his knee. The blrglr heard
the last words of the child: 'And oh,
papa, papa, he's so good and so kind,
yoa W II love him. The gamin was in
his corner. Mr.. Phibbs's revolver was
pointed at the rolice Superintendents
hart.
"Don't move" he said cor III bore
you through" The child clung to its
fathers knee. He had ne:er seen the
over lip as now being gnashcd by the
white teeth, nor the gray eyis g cam Ike
a-panthc RS before. He had never seen
MIR. Phibbs 80 cool, so deadly and so
b'oodless as he stood there, holding the
life of his father in his hand.
''Kid," said the burglar, ''rack that
big an get down into the street, The
boy did so. "And now, said Mr.. Phibbs,
as his clear, gray eye ran along the bar
rel, 81 am going, too. You have your
Christmas present in your arms Only
for second the eye wav> red as it fell on
the face of the child. "Cood-bye, Viii.
lic!" said the mans voice. The door
swung shut and locked, and when Police
Sur erinterdent Brown and his child were
IN the street they saw only the driving
snow flakes wrapping up the city in a
white mantle, and covering all its sins
and its SORROWS and it's crimes beneath its
folds.-Mew York Graphic.
CIo,>bonfo Soarol nv LITTLE ThinrS