Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-26

the street several servants were sweep
ing the snow from the steps of houses.
sam decided TO 60 up to his bedroom
and wait
There must be somcthin' 10 eat In
this house." he said. lit mustn't be
wrong 90 take Il. IL there Is. because IL
would spoil anyway with the folks out
o. town.
In the dining-room. despite the dark
ness. he recognized . change. The
big table where he had eaten imagin-
AIRY turkey had vanished. In his search
OF the house In the morning Sam had
found some matches, and he now
struck one.
Tho first thing Sam saw by this
illumination was q small table, with q
plate on it. The plate contained some
thing and of course IL must be food.
Sam grabbed a piece and thrust II into
his month II was ''jawbreaker." q
sort Of candy very popular in the rural
districts. because one can buy il for q
cent aad suck IL for week. 1t is more
nourixhing than glass marble but not
much. sam had never encountered
one before.
"Thls is little tough" he said. ''for
TELLER that's out o. practice, but I'm
gamblin' that can down IL, IL yer give
me time"
A minute later he removed the jaw
breaker from his mouth and remarked
ia a husky voice: ''I'll Just call time on
you for minute while timber mp on
some pop corn. Then down yer 60.
see?"
He lighted all the candles within his
reach One tree became a blaze Of
glory. Then Sam saw under the tree
dish of such dimensions that q peek
of popcorn did not Inconvenience II in
the least. There was another contain
ing little crackers made in two pieces,
with honey between
Sam drew big chair in front of the
tree for himself and another for the
provisions. Then he lay back and ate
popcorn and honey biscuit and sighed
between whites with contentment.
As matter of fact the explanation
Of the occurrence was very simple. The
house was the property of an old farm
er from the wilds OF 81. Lawrence
county. who had inherited II and bar
rel of money from brother whom he
had supposed long dead.
The old farmer and his wife had
moved from their queer little farm
house into q mansion. At first they
had looked upon il as fairyland. They
had wandered delightedly through
the rooms and then its size began "a
Cypress them. They had gradually
contracted the area of their occupancy
until ON the night when my friend
sammy effected an entrance 80 unex
pectedly. the old couple were living in
two rooms in the basement which they
had furnished 20 look as much like tho
rooms at the farm as possible. Having
no relatives but . grandson whom q
dozen high priced detectives were pre-
tending to try 10 find. they had felt
very lonely and especially 50 At Christ
mas. so they had prepared that tree
for lot Of poor children. and were u
entertain them on the evening Of
Christmas day.
Now II happened when Sam had med
itated some minutes upon the beaut,
of the spectacle before him be heard q
noise and turned around. There
stood a tall. thin man wearing q long
chin whisiser. AID armed with an iroy
poker. Behind him was \ nice Ole
lady with a nightcsp on her head.
You varInint.r said the farmer
when his eyes rested on Sam.
Now. these. Of course, were sammy,
grandparents. or ! wouidn't have told
the story. hut they didn't know him
nor be them. Now. the question IL
What did they do with hiuf7 lie wa,
eirsrly burglar. and the eountrymaz
hates the househreaker.
! honestly didn't know what 10 "a
with him myself when got him az IA,
a. that whether 60 give him roast
turkey or ten years in the Elmira re
forrnssory. 50 III make you guess
Ard ~ can also make ron see th,
tears In the eyes of the old lady with
the nightcap. while sammy Il teiiins
his story. yoali guess right
HowkRD FrxLDfsa.