Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-12-20

then it looked right at the jumping
jack and asked: 'Why haven't y0a
gone to sleep, too?"
I'm waiting for Santa Claus" an
swered the iumpinG-jack.
Waiting for Santa Claus" laughed
the old clock; why, you don't suppose
that Santa Claus is going to bring you
anything, do youe'
Il need it bad enough said the
Jumping jack; Il 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
off my coat, and this left eye OF mine
faded from lovely purple into a dirty
lavender. | have been the sickest
jumpng-jack in town ever since"
"Oh, phsaw" said the old clock;
handsome is that handsome does;
tick took. tick-tock!"
But shall be all right in the morn
ing" said the jumping-jack, 'for my
little mistress Bertha put me here by
the fire to-day and whispered up the
chimney: Please, Santa Claus. bring
a new eye and new suit of clothes
for jumping-jack. and please, Santa
Claus, bring me nice big box of
candy"
$50 you like Bertha, do you?" asked
the old clock.
"No, not very much, said the jump
ing 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 " said another
small voice and the little blue mouse
peeped out from under the wardrobe.
"Soue-aa .ea-ealx and don't like Bertha
either" she said.
"Tick-tocls. Textbook" said the old
clock, and why don't you like Bertha,
Mistress Blue Mouse P"
''She frightens me-" answered the
little blue mouse. land she pets that
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-eakl !"
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
iumping-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 you?"
asked the jumping jack.
"Of course he isn'tw 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
worry sleepy.
What on earth are you doing here
at this time Of night?" said the Jump
ing-jack.
why father was so busy said the
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
Jack, and-no that wasn't it. / am TO
paint Bertha-no. Pm sure | don't re-
menOer WHdt Tic "tu teii ihS w uO, uut
here is the candy and here are the
paints"
You SEQ he had forgotten all about
what he came for. Wasn't that just
like boyP
just then wicked thought came 70
the jumping-Jack. He winked his one
gye at the little blue mouse, as much
az 10 say, "You help me out in this
story and I'll make IL all right with
you" Then the jumpng-jac said to
the boy, II know all about this and
will tell you what TO do. The box Of