Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-12-24
MUFF'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
BY BEArAH

BY bEATAH i
"Where ye goin' Muff?"
"Oh. just down here, Jim; I've got to
sell these papers before / can go
home"
"What fer?"
But Muf was out of hearing, and his
friend went on his way m~uttering,
sGreatest kid l ever seen. He's not
like the rest of the fellers. He don't
smoke an he don't swear. He said he
wished I'd quit,-bleve it would tickle
him to death if I would" He shook
his head gravely, lighted another cigar
cite and turned around to see if the
subject of his thoughts a still in
sight. Muf was away off down street
selling a paper.
Jim walked On and muttered again,
'Greatest kid 1 ever seem"
Muff was eagerly watching for GUS
toners, though few of the passing
throng paid any attention to his polite
"Paper, sir?" 1t was growing colder
every minute, aud Muff stamped his
feet to keep them warm.
~ can't go home till I sell them,' he
said with chattering teeth, Mrs. Burns
would be sure to fog me tonight, be-
cause she wants the money for some-
thing Special" He crossed the street
and then added, II feel like running
away from her, but 1 don't know where
to go. 1 wish she had gone to the city
before mamma died, then / wouldn't
have come. I think SHE got away with
our property, instead of the doctors, as
she says, and papa is not u scoundrel,
$50 there!" and he added the last
words with flashing eyes.
Muff, or rather Harry Graves, was
very FESTIVE this evening, partly be-
cause of the hard life he endured un-
der Mrs. Burns's IL | treatment, and
then, too, it was CT ris tmas eve, and the
recollection of a year ago, when he had
a pleasant home and kind parents
made him sad. Less than a year ago
his mother was alive, although in poor
health. His father, who was a civil en-
gineer working in the far west, fire.
qnently wrote and sent them money
They lived in a neat, little cottage of
their own in the town of A. Muf
always had good clothes then, but now
the boys called him "Rag-a-mufin," or
Muff, for short. Then the little moth
er died and they sent for Mr.. Graves,
but he did not come, nor did Muf ever
hear of him again. Mrs. Burns in
stalled herself as guardian for Muff,
and carried him unwillinglyto the city.
To all his Questions about home and
father, she answered. "Your mothers
doctor bills took all, and your father is
a scoundrel, else he'd turn up some
time"
"But, Mrs. Burns, how does he know
where we are?" Muff would expostulate
weakly, and Mrs. Burns would roughly
tell him to "Shut up" or say, .He
could easily find out if he wanted to-"
Poor Muff received such rough treat
ment at her hands that he dreaded to
go home. He had more papers to sell
than the other boys and unless he gave
a strict account in cash for every paper
given him to sell, he was cuffed and
called "a 'lazy dog" but more often he
was iogged.
In another part of the city in the Of
flee of a large hotel, quite a number
of men in little groups we're discussing
local and foreign news as they enjoyed
the warmth and glow of the bright
wood fires in several fireplaces. Before
one of them sat a tall, handsome man,
who seemed restless, and yet listless
and melancholy. He was we'll dressed
and evidently rich. Sometimes he lis
tened to the rest, but generally sat in
deep thought. Now, IS he sat he So
liliquized: "Oh this suspense is worse
than any hard fact. Mary is dead, l
know, but the boy-my little boy
where is he? They say Mrs. Burns
took him to the city, but what city,
And that woman, too, I've always had
a horror of her. II I only knew what
became of him"
A man had come into the Office and
was telling something of general inter-
est. The man at the fireplace reused
and listened.
"Pluckiest little chap I ever saw he
heard the man say. "Never WINGED a
bit when the doctor set his leg, and it
was q bad break. too" With this he
moved toward the fire.
"Pretty, cold, Graves, pretty cold
Have you been out, this EVENING""
mo. What was that you were tell
ing, Sherby?"
"Why a little fellow, a n~ewsboy, got
hurt an hour or so ago. He sold me ii
paper and when l took out my purse
and opened it, a paper flew out and