Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-20

he beckoned to the Oldest girl and she told
the children to set still by the fire cause
they was in their nightgowns, and she wen,
| to the front door and looked out a crack
and hollered, who be your for she wasn't
afraid of ennythin'," continued Lobelia
with modest pride, srbut was thin, having
outgrowed her strength -
I'm Santa Claus" said the old man:
"and want you to get those children to
bed, cause I can't come and give 'em pres
ents when they're awake; then you let the
fire go down so I can come down the
chimbley"
"Why didn't she cell him to come in the
door," asked Lonzo, with cold disbelief.
cause he allus comes down chimbleys. 4"
off he could git down why didn't the
wolves jump down the chimbley and eat
the children?" suggested Melia, to whom
the story began to be tame, her mind hav.
Ing been Injured to such horrors in the past.
You kin finish the story yourselves
when you git to bed, and you 20 now,"
cried Lobelia, but they tearfully besought
her, promising no more questions, SO She
resumed.
''Santa Claus drove on and the children
went to bed, having banked the fire. and all
went to sleep but the eldest sister, who kent
enc eye open, and all to onc't she heered a
rustly bustly noise in the chimbley and
seen two fur boots comm down, and then
the old man with basket full Of presents,
which he put in their stockings they'd hung
near the fire; their own, not growed up
ones, and then he gave little futter of his
arms-like a hen, and flew right up the
chimbley."
What was the presents?" asked Lonzo,
breathlesslv.
''She couldn't see, cause they was
wropped in paper, but she heered him drive
off in the air cause he'd got to 60 all over the
world and give children presents way to
Yewrup, Aisy, and Abbysinnia with fur
tive remembrance of geography lessons).
Goodness, it's half past z, and you go to
bed Don't you be cross now, cause I'll
finish the story ter-morrer and we'Il make
merlasses candy an not stick up things, so
ma wun't know"
A few moments later three yellow
tousseled heads peeped over the edge of the
big feather bed, three jugs of hot water Law
at six cold little feet, and Lonzo querelous-
ly demanded that the stockings be hung I'D.
Lobelia, half believing her own story, sorted
out stocking apiece from the disorderly
heap of clothing and then opened the front
door to call in the family pets.
The white winter world sparkled in the
moonlight that flooded all the silent land
and woods-the lonely, lonely woods-and
the tiny, lonely house. Under the ever
greens lurked eerie shadows that the strange
fancy of the child peopled with witches and
and demons. She called shrilly, kitty,
Kitty, Kitty" and over the snow arching
her yellow back came the cat from a mar
audlng excursion, while the dog. big New
toundland, returned from the woods, where
ne had been having a vain search for his
master and mistress, whose absence he
could not fathom.
far IN the woods sounded faint rasping
noise. 1t came from the opposite direction
OF Lamberts road, beside his sleigh had
bells. The dog stood beside Lobelia and
listened, too. Suddenly into the patch of
moonlight where trees had been cleared ap-
peared two monstrous beasts with queer
long ears like horns, and behind in a curious
oo1 slelSh an old man with a frosty beard
anu rouno, jolly lace: Lobelia put her
hand TO her wildly beating heart. Had one
OF her own creations sprung into life and
she all alone, father and mother away? She
caught the dog by the scuff of the neck. for
he would have gone forth to hattie and |
waited bravely as the sleigh drew near
1t was also night of surprise to Jack Nc
Kown,~the new arrival, while apparently
plying the honest trade of a tiu peddler he |
had in reality been smuggling over the
Canada line for yeers, counting his patrons |
all over Maine. Ladies it is well known |
are not averse to obtaining rich furs, Iaces
and silks at cheaper prices even if by so |
doing they are defraudipg the Government. |
Jack was getting old, hSwever, the business |
was risky, so this was his last trip He had |
promised that to his wife in Dover. for he |
well knew his occupation had been |
a constant pain to her faithful |
heart all these years. Under the
innocent tins in this sleigh was a |
false bottom and this was well packed with |