The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-12-26

q strong and o coed man, and one who
will be o blessing and q comfort to mann
ma when she gets old"
1--WE hung up our stockings last Christ
mas, didn't VIC, mamma?" questioned
the little girl.
ayes, lofty, but W. were poor then,
and Santa Claus never notices real poor
people. He gave you q little candy then
just because you were such good chill
drcn.n
"ls VIC any poorer now, mammal"
"Oh, yes, much poorer. He would
never notice us ut all now"
Jack Dawson noticed q trcmor Of sad
ness in the widows voice as she uttered
the last words, and he wipcda suspicious
dampness from his eyes.
"Wherc's IL clean stockings, NAM
ma? I'm going to hang mine up, any
how; may be he will come like he did
before, just because VIC try to be good
children" said lofty.
at will be of no usc, my darling. l
am sure he would not come" And tears
gathered in the mothers eyes Us she
thought of the empty purse.
II don't care. I'm going to try any
how. Please get one of my stockings,
mamma" pleaded the little girl.
JUL NACdA sVUSAltiSS j III VlC lJl0
outside, and ! cannot go out and hunt
for them this bitter cold night. You
may hang up your old ones; but, oh, dar-
ling, I fear you will be so terribly dis
appointed in the morning. Please let it
go until next Christmas, and then We
may be richer"
mo, mamma, I'm going to try, any
how"
Jack DawsOn's great, generous heart
swelled until it seemed bursting from his
bosom. He heard the pattcr of little
bare feet upon tho cabin floor as lofty
ran about hunting hers and Benny's
stockings, and after she had hung them
up heard her sweet voice again. as she
wondered yer and over If Santa really
would forget them. He heard tho
mother, in "a choking voice. tell her
treasures to get ready for bed, heard
thom lisp their childish prayers, the lit
tie girl concluding, sAnd, o Lord,
please tell good Santa Claus that we arc
very poor, but We love him as much as
rich children do, for dear jesus sake
Amen.n
After they were in bed, through a
small rent in o plain white curtain he
saw the widow sitting before the fire, her
face buried in her hands, and weeping
bitterly. On q peg, just over the fire
place, hung two little patched and faded
stockings, and then he could stand it no
longer. He softly moved away from the
window to the rear of the cabin, where
some objects. fluttering i'll the wind met
his eye. Among these he searched till
he found o little blue stocking, which he
removed from the line, folded tender,y,
and placed in his overcoat pocket, and
then he set out for the main Street of the
camp. He entered Harry Hawks gam
bling hall, tho largest in the place, where
q host of miners and gamblers were at
play. Jack was well known in the
camp, and when he got up in q chair
and called for attention. the hum of
voices and the clicking of checks sud-
denly ceased. Then. in an earnest voice,
he told what he had seen and heard,
repeating every word OF the conversation
between the mother and tho children.
In conclusion he said:
aBoys, I think I know you, every ono
Of you, an I knoY jist what kind o.
metal yer made OF. I've an idee that
Sanity Claus knows jist whar tibet cabins
sitiwated, an I've an idec he'll find 1t
afore morntn'. Hyar's hi o. tho little
gals stockin's tibet 1 hooked off'n the
lllo Wu6I i uc6EQ UuC WlOu0E say SIG
hung 'em with the washin'. The daddy
o. them little uns was o good, hard
workin' miner. an he crossed tho range
in the line o. duty, iist as any one of us
is liable to do in u dangerous business.
Hyar goes q $50 piece right down in the
toe, an hyarI lay the stockin' on this
card table-now chip in much or little
as ye kin Afford"
aHold them checks o. mine on the ace
jack" said Brocky Clark. a gambler,
and leaving the faro table he picked the
little stocking up carefully, looked at II
tcnderly, and when he laid it down an.
other twenty had gone into tho toe to
keep company with the IL placed there
by Dawson.
Another and another came up until
tho foot Of the stocking was we'll filled,
and then came o cry from the gambling
tables:
sPass her around, jack
At the word he lifted it from the table
and started around the hall. Before he
had circulated it at half o dozen table.
1t showed signs Of bursting beneath the
weight Of gold and silver coin, and &
strong coin bag, such as is used for send
ing treasure by express, was procured
and the stocking placed inside Of it
The round Of the large hall was made
and In the meantime the story hss
spread oil over the camp. From varioul
saloons came messengers saying: