The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-20

9j&& III ~ &1NA M 49, NsAAN N~Na SNs s.~
corner fell upon mon with empty dinner
pals, who were hurrying homeward, their
coats buttonsd tightly, and heads bent
against the steady blast from tho river, ~
IL they were butting their way down tho
street.
The wind had forced the door of the
saloon ajar, and was whistling through tins
crack; bat in there IL seemed to mako no
one afraid. Between roars Of laughter the
olink OF glasses and the rattle Of dice on
the hardwood counter we're heard out in
the street, and more than one Of the passora-
BY 10 he came within range was taken With
an extra shivsr in which the vision Of wife
and little ones waiting NJ home for his
coming was snu6sd out, and dropped in to
brace up. The lights were long out whom
the silent streets ra-echoed his unsteady
steps toward home, whore the Christmas
welcome had turned to dread.
But in this twilight -FOUR they burned
brightly yet, trying hard to pierce the Bit
tor cold outside with . ray of warmth and
cheer. Where the lampsin the delicatesssn
store made 4 mottlsd streak Of brightness
acrsss the flags, two little boys stood with
their noses fattened against the window.
Their warm breath made little round holss
on the frosty pane, that came and
went. afording passing glimpses
Of tho wealth within, of the piles
Of smoked herring, Of golden cheese.
Of sliced bacon and generous fat-bellied
hams; of the rows of odd-shaped bottles and
jars on the shelves that held there was no
telling what good things. only it was GER
tain that they must be good from the looks
of them.
And the heavenly smell of spices and
things that reached the boys through the
open door each time the tinkling bell an
nounced the coming o going Of a customer!
Better than all, back there on the top shelf,
the stacks of square honey cakes, with their
frosty coats of sugar, tied in bundles with
strips of blue paper.
The wind blew straight through the
as they crept closer to the window, strug-
Cling hard with the frost to make thoir
pesp-holes bigger, to take in the whols Of
the big cake with the almonds set In; but
they did mot know it.
Jim" piped the smaller Of the two.
after a longer stare than usual; "hsy, Jim!
them's Santa Clauses. See emp
Santa CLAUSE snorted the other soorn-
fully, applying his eye to the clear spot on
the pane; "there amt no ole dutfer like dat.
Them honey cakes. Ne n Tom had = bite
"There amt no Santa Claus?' retorted
the smallest shaver, holly, at his %psephole;
''there il, too. / seen him myself when he
pun to our alley last
whats youss kids a~-fghtin' OPP broke
in q strange voice.
Another boy, bigger, but dirtier and
tougher looking than either Of the two, had
come behind them unobserved. He car
ried an arMful of unsold "extrees'' under
one arm. TIL other was buried to the oil
bow in the pocket of his ragged trousers.
The kids" knew him, evidently. and the
smallest eagerly accepted him as umpire.
ITS Jim wat says there amt no Sante
Claus, and I seen him" &g
"Jim,' demanded the elder raRamufiin,
~sternly, looking hard at the culprit. Jim,
y'ore a chump! No Santa Claus? What're
ye givin' rs? Now, watch met
With utter Amusement the boys saw him
disappear through the door under the tink-
ling boil into the charmed precincts of
smoked herring. the jam and the honey
cakes. Petrifed at their psepholes they
watched him, in the veritable presence of
Santa Claus himself with tho fr-branch,
fish out five battered pennies from the
depths Of his pocket and pass them over to
the woman behind the jars in exchange for
one of the bundles of honcy-cakcs tied with
blue. As if in a dream they saw him issue
forth with the coveted prize.
#.'Thers, kidn' he said, holding out the
two latest and whitsst cakes to Santa
Claus champion; there's yer Christmas.
Run along, now, to yer barracks, and you,
Jim. here's one for you, though yer don't