Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-12-13


From distant part of the house came
the sound of music and the laughter of
children and the buzz Of conversation.
But the lawyer remained motionless
with his head upon his breast.
Rat-tat, rat-tat, rattle-tattle, rattle
tattle-tattle, rat-tat, rattle-tattle, rat
tat-tat.
What was that? 1t seemed to come
from the closet at the other side of the
room. The lawyer went over and
opened the closet door; there was moth
ing to be seen except lot of old law
books piled upon the shelves and pair
of heavy old boots on the floor.
That noise must have come from be-
low stairs after ALL" he said, but it
seemed to be right in the room; sounded
just like some one dancing on barn
floor"
81 was just thinking of Uncle Tom"
he continued, land there are the boots
the old man left here when he got his
new ones at the close of his visit, a
month ago. I must tell Joe to take
them away"
He went over to the chair and sat
down again. Uncle Tom," he said to
himself. Bah! 1 hope he enjoyed his
visit here. l didn't. I'd go crazy with
that laundering old man around me.
Nudging me and slapping me on the
back, trying to get little fun out of
me- as he said, with that everlasting,
good-natured laugh of his. Christmas
IL soon be here he said, as he was leav-
ing, IN hope you'll brace up, Harders,
and enjoy yourself. I'd show you how
to do it if could stay with YOU Well,
1 wonder now what he'd do to show me
how to enjoy Christmas" said the law
yer, as he settled down in his chair.
Again the sound of laughter and con-
versation came family from below. The
violins struck up lively air and
Rastle-te-tat-te, rattle-te-tat-te, rattle
attle-te-rattle-te-tat!
The lawyer looked quickly toward the
closet, the door of which he had left
open. He rubbed his eyes and looked
again. Yes, there could be no mistake
about it, there were Uncle Toms boots
stepping about on the closet floor, rat
Ting off the time with heel and toe,
siding across and back, right boot first.
left boot first, up with the right, up with
the left, and, as the music grew louder,
up with both, crack! crack! the heels
came together twice in the air, landing
on the floor in exact time with the music,
and finishing up with lively rattle-tat-te
rattle-tattle, rat-tat-tat Then they came
briskly over toward the astonished law
yer exactly as though they had feet and
legs in them. Over to the fire they
walked, turned heels toward it and stood
there wide apart.
Involuntarily Lawyer Flint glanced
up as if expecting to see the ruddy,
jovial face and portly form of his Uncle
Tom. There were the boots just as the
old man would have placed them, but
Uncle Tom was not there.
"Bless my soul!'' exclaimed the lawyer,
''but this is mighty curious"
The toe of the right boot began tap
ping the carpet gently, then they moved
over to the window, stood still mo-
ment and then walked out into the hall
way.
"GadH' said Lawyer Flint, excitedly,
L bCllCNO UllSJ tlC BOlAS ouu.
see the end of this thingr'
He threw off his dressing gown,
hurried into his shoes, overcoat and hat,
and followed the boots out of the street
door, which had opened at their ap-
proach. Down the steps they tripped
gayly and turned toward the brilliantly
lighted avenue. The still, starlit night
was bitterly cold, and Lawyer Flint
shivered as he buttoned his heavy coat
close up around his neck. Up the street
he fastened, following the empty boots,
which slipped sideways at every other
step and jammed their heels into the
trodden snow, but made their way rapid
ly, nevertheless.
Around the corner, into the avenue,
in and out among the throngs of Christ
mas eve pedestrians, lodging here and
there, stepping on toes, stopping in front
of show windows, kicking themselves
together and stamping on the ground
thus went the old boots, and after them
followed the excited lawyer.
They turned into big store. "Now,"
thought Lawyer Flint, as he entered
the door, ''some one will be sure to see
them" but, strange to say, the boots
were entirely unnoticed by the buzzing,
laughing, happy people who thronged
the store.
The lawyer leaned against the toy
counter and watched the boots as they
shuffled around on the floor.
Something for the little ones?"
The question was asked by pretty
salesgirl, and it was addressed to Hard
ers A. Flint. He started, and for the first
time realized that he was in rather
peculiar position. Whywas he standing
around there, the people would ask, if
he did not wish to buy? How long would
he be obliged to remain? He couldn't
tell. Should he say that he was waiting
for those old boots? No, no; he didn't
wish on any account to call attention to
the ridiculous performance they were
going through.
eyes," he said, coloring, something
for the little Ones" and then he went
about selecting tin horns, and silver
bells, and woolly dogs, and wooden
monkeys, and trumpets, and checkers,
and dominoes, growing white and red by
turns as he thought of the fearful extrav-
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