Mohave County miner., 1889-12-21

then is looked right at the Jumping
jack and asked "Why haven't you
gone TO sleep. too?'
I'm waiting for Santa Claus" an
swered the iumping-jnck.
waiting for Santa Claus. laughed
the old clock; why. you don't suppose
that Santa Claus l. going to bring you
anything. do you?"
II need 1t bad enough" said the
Jumping jack; II fell into the wash
basin three weeks ago and by the time
| was pulled out and dried lost all the
beautiful red stripes and yellow buttons
of my coat, and this left eye OF mine
faded from a lovely purple into dirty
lavender. 1 have been the sicke,t
jumping-jack In town ever since"
..Oh, phsawr' said the old clock;
"haudsome is that handsome does;
tick.tock! tick-tock!"
'.But shall be all right In the morn
ing," said the jumpine-jack. FOR my
little mistress Bertha put me here by
the fire to-day and whispered up the
chimney: Please. Santa Claus. bring
new eye and new suit OF clothes
for jumping-jac and please, Santa
Claus. bring me nice big box OF
candy"
80 you like Bertha, do youP" asked
the old clock.
"No, not very much. /" said the jump
ng-jack; she dropped me in the wash
basin, you know. and then. too, she
makes me Jump when / don't want to.
Last week she pulled me so hard that
the string broke.
'Sque-ea-ea-eak r said another
small voice and the little blue mouse
peeped out from under the wardrobe.
..Soue-ea-ea-eak and don't like Bertha
either!" she said.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock." !" said the old
clock. and why don't you like Bertha,
Mistress Blue Mouse ?"
..She frightens me-" answered the
little blue mouse. land she pets that
horrid old cat No, ! could never
like a child that keeps such bad COM
pany. Depend upon IT, no child that
keeps company with cat ever came
to any good end--soue-ea-ea-eak !"
Now, while the old clock and the
jumping-jack and the little blue mouse
talked together, Bertha lay fast asleep
In her crib, and the old clock and the
jumping-jack and the little blue
mouse were still talking and Bertha
was still fast asleep when there came
the sound Of sleigh bells and then the
noise OF some one slipping down the
chimney.
But instead OF Santa Claus there
came out OF the chimney and stood on
the hearth a very fat and very sleepy
looking boy. He wore fur clothes and
fur cap, and the first thing he did
was to yawn. =.
YOU'RE not Santa Claus, are youT'
asked the jumping-jack: :.
.'Of course he isn'tr' said the old
clock. II know Santa Claus, for I've
seen him twenty times!"
mo. I'm Santa Claus boy" said the
boy, and he yawned again. for he was
very sleepy.
"What on earth are you doing here
at this time OF night?" said the jump
ing-jack.
boy, ..that he sent me down here with
this box OF candy and this box OF paints.
One OF them is for--let me see-he
said 10 give the candy TO the jumping.
lack, and-no that wasn't 1t! ! am tG
paint Bertha--no, I'm sure I don't re-
member what he did tell me TO do. but
here is the candy and here are the
paints!"
You see he had forgotten all about
what he came for. Wasn't that just
like boy?
Just then wicked thought came to
| the iumping-)a He winked his one
eve ct the little blue mouse. as much
az to say. '.You help me out In this
story and I'll make II all right with
YOU" Then the jumping-jack said to
the boy. II know all about this, and
will tell you what to do. The box Of
candy Is for me. and you are TO paint
Bertha. You'll find her In the crin
over there. Put some red stripes anu
yellow buttons on her, and don't Tor.
get TO give her new purple left eye;
That's right" squeaked the little
blue mouse. :,
The old clock was so surprised that II
could only .tick-tock, tick-tock. over
and over again, and these ''tick-tocks
were SO sad that tears OF sorrow hileo
the ewes Of the needles In the WORK
basket on the table. !.
The boy was foolish enough u
believe the wicked iumping-jack' 90
/ ~ h,cdad over the box OF candy, and