The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-12-26
A LIVELY OLD PAIR.

Harders Flint, Esq, lawyer, sat alone
in his bachelors den in big easy chair,
his feet incased in a 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 a 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 a slight shake of the head
relapsed again into his former attitude.
He had sat thus for long time when
there was knock at the door.
"Come in," said the lawyer, without
looking up.
A servant girl entered, handed him
note and withdrew,
Lawyer Flint opened the note, read it,
uttering an exclamation Of impatience,
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 foori "ev-
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 Gadl
I can't see how 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
deepened in his face,
From a distant part Of the house came
| the sound of music, and the laughter of
| children, and the hum Of conversation.
But the Ii yyer remained motOnless
with his head upon his breast
Rat-tat, rat-tat, rattle-tattle, rattle
tattle, rat-tat, rattle-tattle, rat-tat-tat,
What was that2 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 nothing to be
seen except lot of old law books piled
upon the shelves and a pair Of heavy old
boots on the floor,
"That noise must have come from be-
low stairs, after all" he said, "but il
SCENE / to be right in the room; sounded
Just like some one dancing on q bare
floor"
Il was just thinking Of Uncle Tom,
he continued, "and there are the boots
the old man left here when he got hi.
new ones at the close of his visit, Q
month ago. I must tell Joe TO take then
away"
He went over to the chair aud sal
down again. "Uncle Tom" he said t
himself. "Bahl hope he enjoyed hii
visit here didn't, Ia 60 crazy will
that blundering old man around me
nudging me and slapping me on tn,
back, trying to get little fun ont o.
me, as he said, with that everlasting
good natured laugh Of hi Christina
II soon be here he said, as he was leav
ing, n hope you'll bracg up, Harders
and enjoy yourself, I'd show You how t,
do it if I could stay with you Well,
wonder now what he'd do to show m
how 10 enjoy ChristmasF said the law
yer, as he settled down in his chair,
Again the sounds Of laughter and con
versation came family from below, Tn
violins struck up a lively air and
Rattle-te-tat-te, -tat-te, rat-te
tattle-te-rattle-te-
The lawyer looked quickly toward tn
closet, the door of which he had lei
open. He rubbed his eyes and locke
again. Yes, there could be no mistak
about it, there were Uncle Toms boot
stepping about on the closet floor, raj
tling of the time with heel and tot
siding across and back, right boot first
left boot first, up with the right, n