The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-12-25

Harders Flint, Esq. lawyer, sat alone
in his bachelors den in big easy chair,
his feet incased in Il pair of dilapidated
old slippers, resting on the fender, his
hands thrust half way into his trousers
pockets and his head bent forward until
his chin rested on his breast On the
table beside him lay couple OF newspa-
pers and a yellow covered law book,
open at the page he had been consulting.
Lawyer Flint was deep in perpleXing
thought, to judge by the expression of
his face, for his brow was clouded and
his lips compressed, and occasionally he
turned his head toward the open volume
as if inclined to seek further aid from
it, but with IL slight shake of the head
relapsed again into his former attitude.
He had sat thus for long time when
there was a knock at the door.
"Come ill.," said the lawyer, without
looking up.
A servant girl entered, handed him
note and withdrew.
Lawyer Flint opened the note, read it,
uttering All exclamation of impotence,
arose and paced up and down the room.
$50 Rolingold can't meet me tomor-
row because it's Christmas" he NUT
tered, as he stalked across the floor; sew
cry day is important in this matter and
yet he, the one most interested, delays
proceedings twenty-four hours simply be-
cause it happens to be Christmas. Cad.
/ can't see how u business man like Rol-
ingold can be so foolish. Well" he con-
tinued, "let him take his holiday and
enjoy it if he can; | couldn't. It's many
and many long day since Christmas
interfered with my business"
He returned to his chair, but the train
of his thought had been interrupted and
his face now wore a cynical. hard look
as he gazed into the cracking fire. Once,
long ago, his Christmas days had been
bright, too, but their brightness was OBJ
scured by more vivid recollections of
other Christmas times in later years,
when ambition and disappointment and
poverty and greed had steeled his heart
and left no room for Christmas thoughts
Oh, the years that he had worked and
starved and boarded to reach his present
condition of comfortable independence!
AS he looked back upon them now his
lips closed tighter and the bitterness
deepeped in his face.
From distant part of the house came
the sound of music, and the laughter of
children, and the hum of conversation.
But the lawyer remained motiouless
with his head upon his breast.
Rat-tat, rat-tat, rattle-tattle, rattle
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 wa.' nothing to be
seen except lot of old Jaw books piled
upon the shelves and Il pair of heavy old
boots on the floor.
THAT noise must have come from be-
low stairs, after all" he said, bat it
seemed to be right in the room; sounded
just like some one dancing ON a bare
floor"
Il 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. l must tell Joe to take them
away"
He went over to the chair and sat
down again. Uncle Tom," he said to
himself Bah! hope he enjoyed his
visit here. didn't. I'd go crazy with
that laundering old man around me,
nudging me and shaping me on the
back, trying to get little fun out of
me- as he said, with that everlasting,
good natured laugh of his. Christmas
II soon be here he said, as he was leav-
ing, n hope you'll brace up, Harders,
and enjoy yourself. I'd show you how to
do it if | could stay with you Well, l
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 sounds of laughter and con-
,versation came family from below. The
yiolins struck up a lively air and
Rattle-te-tat-te. rattle-te tat-te, rattle
tattle-te-rattlete-tat!
The lawyer looked quickly toward the
cSset, the door of which he had left
open. He rubbed his eyes and looked
again. Yes, there could be no mistake
about it, there We're 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 live
ly rattle-tat- te-rattle- tattle, rat-tat-tat.
Then they came briskly over toward the
astonished lawyer exactly as though
they had feet and legs in them. Over to
che fire they walked, turned heels to-
ward it and stood there wide apart.
1nvoluntarily, Lawyer Flint glanced
up as if expecting to see the rudy, jovial
face and portly form of ais Uncle Tom.
There were the boots just us the old man
would have placed them, but Uncle Tom
was not there.
"Bless my soulr' exclaimed the law
yer, ''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 Il mo-
ment and then walked out into the hall
way.
"Gad!" said Lawyer Flint excitedly,
81 believe they are going out. 1 must
see the end of this thing"
He threw off his dressing gown, hur-
ried into his shoes, overcoat and hat, and
followed the boots. out of the street door.