Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27

were some Of the questions which the three
children rained upon their uncle in such
tumultuous manner that the good man could
only hold up his hands and cry:
Mercy: mercy, do give your poor old uncle
a chance for his life" and when quiet had been
restored, he added:
| 'And now. first Of all, my darlings, tell me
how you like the unbreakable doll. Are you
satisfied? Is she big enough?'
| why, don't you understand, dear uncle"
cried Martha; "she hasn't come; the unbreaka-
BILE doll baby hasn't arrived"
Hasn't come, hasn't arrived" repeated
Uncle Felix with a puzzled air.
'No and what's more" exclaimed Paula in
dignantly, Il don't believe she's coming at all.
l don't believe that there's any such thing as
| an unbreakable doll baby as big as I am
why, darlings," stammered Uncle Felix, 81
picked out the largest and finest in the whole
establishment-a perfect beauty with real hair,
movable eyes and buttoned shoes"
'Buttoned shoesr' cried Paula clapping her
hands with delight. ''But where is she, dearest
Uncle Felix. where is she?''
And they promised" continued the uncle,
shat she should reach you yesterday after
noon; securely packed in box big enough to
uncle, thought she was unbreakable"
$50 she is, so she is ~ replied Uncle Felix,
absolutely unbreakable when handled with
care. But listen, darlings the delivery de-
partments of the large establishment will not
close until noon. I'll go at once and even il
have to call upon the police to help me. I'll
bring that unbreakable doll baby back with me,
dead or alive. But first kiss all around
please, Lit tie ladies. In your excitement. about
the unbreakable doll baby you quite forgot
that this is New Years day?'
Uncle Felix was soon out of sight and the
| three children returned to their books and play
/ things with faces wreathed in smiles and voices
| full of tones Of gladness.
1 Rnfo< oil. skk1- n. "a
| settle down to state of contentmept. Even
the new toys seemed to have no charm for her.
| Now that the unbreakable doll baby was SO
soon to make her appearance Paula passed
| most of her time running from one window to
| another in hopes of being the very first to
catch glimpse of the wonderful doll baby.
Household duties now demanded Madame de
| Courcy's presence and the three children were
left quite to themselves
Again there was ring at the door bell, but
| so feeble had been the pull that the sound
scarcely reached the children's ears. They
knew only too well that it could not be Uncle
Felix. He always set the bell dancing in the
liveliest fashion. So not one of the little
| maidens left her place. There was faint sound
of voices in the corridor and then the door
closed again.
Paula's curiosity, however. got the better
| OF her. and pushing her playthings aside,
| she ran to the window and mounted upon the
hassock which served to give her a more ex-
| rang out clear and pipe-like:
"Oh, it's my beggarman. Call him back.
Don't let him go away. Oh mamma, mamma!
| l want to see my besgarman again. Call him
back; call him back!' and bursting out upon
| the astonished servant who had just closed the
| door. the child again broke out 80 earnestly
with Call my beggarman back! Don't let him
go, call him back!' that the man opened the
door and beckoned to the poor. pale and ragged
wretch whom he had just turned away to re-
/ Piprra
Don't be afraid good beggarman," cried
little Paula, come right in, no one will harm
| you; don't be afraid
| Pujol removed his worn and battered hat and
| stepped inside the hallway
By this time Madame de Courcy, who had
overheard tina shril cries of her little daughter
made her appearance.
Dear. good mamma" pleaded Paula; "this
| Is my beggarman. Don't you remember, told
| about his sad face when got home that day.
Please give him some money He may have a
| little girl just like me, and she may be in need
OF something to eat or something to wear
Madame de Courcy. STOPPING down. clasped
| her little daughter in her arms and kissed her
| over and over again.
'.You are little angel, my blessed" abe ex-
| claimed.
$50 she is, madame!" repeated Pierre Pujol,
| bending his head and reverently crossing HIM
| self.
Madame de Courcy gave but cursory glance
| and one things in connection with an enter
| tainment which she to give that evening
! and even had this not been so it is not at all
| likely that she would have made a sufficiently
close study of the poor wretch who stood be-
| fore her with hat in hand and downcast look
| to discover in him anything distinguishable
from the ordinary characteristics of those pitt
able specimens of humanity who wander about
the streets OF every great city, feeding upon the
erusts which are tossed to them and sinking
| month in thp ~
datlOn until they can exist only by wrangling
with the very street ours for the contents Of
the garbage boxes.
woman's gracious and ever active impulse
| to pity the suffering and her inability to steel
| her heart against such sight as now con-
fronted Madame de COurcy. makes her dan
SerOus aims giver.
The really deserving mendicant, to whom
nature had denied the skill of making one face
| while he wore another and of forcing tears TO
! his eyes as the occasion demanded, might
easily go unblest of charity from a woman q
presence. But it needed no touch of the play
actors art to enable Pierre Pujol to move little
Paula q mother to do her utmost to tighten his
| misery. With heart that swelled with COM
passion, the lady stepped forward and emptied
| her purse into the hands Of the astOunded
Pnjol At sight Of the glitterins gold pieces
the man caught his breath and raised his heavy
eyelids as If he expected to find some celestial
messenger in radiant raiment standing before
him. His eyes wandered from the sweet face of
the gracious aims giver to the sweeter one of the
little Paula beside her and then it became Mad
anne de COurcy's turn to be amazed, for the
man, with grace that seemed strangely re-
| fined for such wretched Outcast. gathered the
gold and silver pieces into a roll and handed
them back to Madame de Courcy.
| keep it. keep it, poor beggarman," cried
little Paula. please keep it. Oh, please keep
| it,"
But faint smile spread over the mans feat
ures and for the first time Madame de Courcy
noticed that although unshorn and pinched with
hunger there was a look of gentlcness and re-
| tinement in his face.
Madame" began PujOl in low and trem-
ulous voice, Il came for forgiveness, not for
| aims"
"Forgiveness?" echoed Madame de Courcy.
with y look Of deep perplexity.
| "fes, madame. forgiveness" continued
Pierre solemnly; .'for have committed crime
against the law Of the land and you alone have
have it in your power to save me from punish
meHt."
"Oh, don't cry, poor Mr. Deggorman we'll
forgive you" cried little Paula: won't we.
1namma? Our mamma is very kind and always
forgives US when We are naughty"
Madame de COurcy raised her hand gently
| to cOnstrain the sweet little chatterbox to
1uietness, and turned a sympathetic glance
upon Pujol to encourage him to proceed.
a. eli II l.. Il L