Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-22

! On the following morning Mr.. Phibbs
read that he would receive d liberal re-
ward by restoring the child to No. --
West - street He went back to his
home.
Come, Willie he said to the child, Il
am going TO take you to your mamma"
and very tenderly he patted the curly
head as he spoke The child's eyes
frightened He was anxious TO go, and
after kissing the gamin many times he
and Mr.. Phibbs set out He had grown
accustomed to Mr.. Phibbs and was not
surprised to see the cracksman wearing
big black whiskers as they left the house.
Mr.. Phibbs and the child were within a
block of the residence when Mr.. Phibbs
paused A gentleman was coming down
the stOOp and Mr. PhIbbs knew him. He
was the superintendent Of police.
"Ah, my hearty, ejaculated Mr.. Phibbs,
50 that's your game and before the
child was aware Of the fact be was sitting
by Mr.. Phibbs's side ia Il coach and roll
ing down town.
Allen street is no longer broiliug and
baking in the sun. The Christmas DAYS
have cOmel Christmas Eve with all its
legends. its ringing bells, its stories Of
ghosts and goblins, Christmas Eve,
bright and CHEEKY, Christmas Eve, like
benediction on the land,
Mr. Phibb5 sits beside his CRATE: the
Zamin plays on the floor and lost child is
playing at burglars knee Slowly but
surely the days are driving from a child's
mind the memory 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.
He never smiled except when he held the
child on his knee Very sagely the gamin
shook his head and told the old gentleman
with the hooked nose. Pops going
pointing to his head.
Mr. Phibbs went out that night. There
had been TumOTs of an over active police
superintendent and Mr. Phibbs was look
.ug for another boarding house. He
found one and turned back to the lOdg-
ings. The hallway was very dark and the
stairs creaked. Never before had a hall
way been 80 dark in the mind of Mr..
Phibbs and the stairs creaked as though
they were saying, ~Phibbs, Phibbs,
Phibbs, I've got you now, Phibbs.' He
turned the knob of the door, swung it
open and stood still There before him
sat the superintendent Of police with the
child on his knee. The burglar heard the
last words of the child And oh, papa,
papa, he's so good and 50 kind, you will
love him." The gamin was in his corner.
Mr.. Phibbs' revolver was pointed at the
police superintendent heart.
Don't move" he said, "Or I'll bore you
through" The child chung TO its fathers
knee. He had never seen the over lip as
now being gnashed by the, white teeth,
nor the gray eyes CLEAN like a panther's
before He had never seen Mr.. Phibbs so
cool, so deadly and so bloodless as he
stood there, holding the life OF father in
his hand.
Kid" said the burglar, pack that bag
and get down into the street The boy
did so, And now" said Mr.. Phibbs, as
his clear gray eye ran along the barrel, Il
am going too You have your Christmas
present in your arms" Only for a second
the eye wavered as il fell on the face Of
the child Goodbye, Willie :" said the
mans voice Then the door swung shut
and locked, and when Police Superintend-
ent 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 its crimes beneath its folds.-J. J.
Farrelly in New York Graphic.