The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-12-20
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
SANTA CLAUS CAME.
"If you please, sir"-
"Eh? ? What now?

suddenly and sharply and glared from
beneath his shaggy eyebrows at the
little figure beside him. The figure
was that of a girl eight years old per.
haps, but small and frail. She wore
an enormous shnb0nnet that might
have been made for the wife of the
giant Blunderbore, so out of proper
tion was it to the diminutive wearer,
and out of its depths peercd thin
little face, with big, frightened brown
eyes. Her clothing was so clean and
neat that one scarcely noticed how
very poor it was, and as she stared up
into the terrible face above her one OF
the little feet wrlgglcd uneaslly in the
depths of the costly rug
"If you please, sir, mother SAID to
tell you that she couldn't come up to.
day because she's sick"
The childish trouble was a little
shaken this time, for the shaggy eye
brows were very close to her, and they
gave the old gentleman a look that
was terrible beyond belief.
He was in dreadful temper, this
crusty old gentleman, and nothing
made him angrcr than for poor people
to get into his house. lie hated the
sight Of povcrt", and all his servants
had special orders to guard the doors
and gates to see that no moan OF woe
or want ever reached his ears. And
yet, after all, this little beggar had
slipped past his bolts and bars into
his very study, where his own servants
scarcely dared to enter.
l don't know what dreadful thing
might have happened If it had not
been for that one little word "mother'
in the child's tluttcring speech. Chill
dren so seldom speak the word nova.
days that it gave little shock of sur.
prise. Instantly he found himself
looking beyond the child at an old,
lOng-forgotten sccnc-a little cabin
with a white country road winding
past it and an awkward boy going
down the road, stopping at the last
curve to wave his hand to his mother,
who stood in the dor watching HIM
go out into the world.
Then he remembered himself and
asked sharply:
"And who is your mother, pray, and
why should she come here?'
"Please, sir" said the quavering
little voice, 'mothcr's the dust wo.
man."
"Thc what !" calculated the old
gentleman with another dreadful
frown.
"Shc comes up once a week and dusts
the bric-a-brac," explained the child
"The housckceper hired her. She says
she doesn't feel equal to it herself anC
mother does it SO nicely"
"Ahaw muttcred the old gentleman
with an angry gleam in the eyes unde1
those fearful brows. $50 Mrs
Murray brings outsiders into my
house when my back is turned
does she? They're all alike, cheat
and robbers I'll teach her to violate
my confidence and fiji my house will
irresponsible people! You may sta.
in this room till Mrs. Murray comes
Do you hear? And then ! shall hay
a message to send to your mother"
He rang tbs bell violently and Of
dcrcd that Mrs. Murray be sent t
him as soon as she returned. Havin
made this satisfactory arrangement
he took up his paper again and ignore
the little figure in the sunbonnet.
But before he had read dozen line
there was a light touch on his arr
and the brown eyes were looking u
INTO his.
"Please, sir, may ! look out of TIL
window while we're waiting?"
He was so astonisled that he coul
not reply for a moment, but he di
finally give scornful grunt Of assent
There was silence in the room for
long time. Not even a clock ticked
for old Mr. Roberts could not cndur
the ticking of clocks. Not a leafstil
red, not a cricket chirped. The still
ness disturbed him at last and h
looked up. The child was out on tn
little balcony, leaning on the ston
balustrade. Her bonnet had falle
of, and the sunlight falling on tn
mass Of brown hair, woye it full Q
CLEANS of gold.
Another touch on his arm-thcr
she was again. Her hand-such
little mOrsel of a hand-trembled VIII
some new emotion, and her eyes shon
with a strange light.
ut must be nice to live on a nil I!
was what she said.
The old gentleman in the armchal
had never been more astounded IN NJ
life. He stared at her and forgot U
say anything.
II have always wanted to live on
hill," she went on. "Our mouse
away down yonder, and you can't SC
anything but the house across III
street. But up here you can look
far, and the sky's so close TO YOU
Don't you think people can be bette
when they live on bill ?"
The newspaper fell to the floor "
needed, and the crusty old gentlema
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