Evening star., 1898-12-24
Perry Mason & Co.,
Boston, rlass.
MIR. CARLTON'S CHRISTMAS EVE.
The COppers Got the Burglars and the
Kid Was Happy.

| The COppers Got the Burglars and the
Kid Was Happy.
| He was such little fellow to be a mes
| senSer, and as he stood under the gas
| lamp to read again the address on the en-
| Nelope his nose, reddened by the cold, bare
| ly reached to a level with the handle bars
of his bicycle. AS he read the inscription
| he looked around in bewilderment, no wiser
than before.
| The street stretched before him. a long
| line of wind-swept pavement, bordered at
| intervals by gas lamps which merged into
one in the vista, ending at last on the edge
| of the country. The houses here sat back
| from the street, amid the shrubbery and
| foliage of spacious grounds giving them a
| dark and foreboding appearance to the lit
| tie chap who stood shivering on the corner
as much in trepidation as from the cold.
| When a gust of wind caught up column
of dust from the street and sent it swirring
| in weird gyrations across the parking and
| into the dark maze Of trees it seemed to
him like some ghostly appartion stalking
before his gaze. Where to find No %
| Plankinton terrace he had no idea The
| lady who had given him the letter told him
| to keep out Plankinton boulevard until he
| came to the terrace He was now wonder
| ing what terrace could be. and where
| He hestated to enter the lonely grounds
| where the apparit!on had passed. to ask
| end as he stood faltering man whose ap-
proach he had not heard came around the
| corner.
whats the matter with you, my little
man. he asked in kindly tore as he saw
| the boys distress
| Il dunno where this place is at" re-
sponded the lad, holding up the envelope.
| - Mr.. Carlton, % Plankinton terrace2'
Well. you've found the man." he said as he
| signed the receipt and opened the letter
| he read the contents hurriedly, and if the
| boy had not been engaged in replacing his
| message book he would have seen an ex-
| preston of great Joy cross the gentleman's
| face.
Come with me and I will give you an
| answer" he said, and he led the way
| through the nearest gate and up the as
| phalted walk, the lad stoutly following in
| great Scorn now of the appari and
| trundling his wheel along. The door of
the house opened uron their approach and
a pompous parsonage. who must be fire
gentleman the boy thought received the
| hat and coat of the master with an obse-
| qulous bow and supercilious glance at the
| meager figure of the shabbily dressed boy
with nod toward a chair in the hall the
butler disposed Of the boy and retired,
| while the master disappeared in an adjoin-
| ing room.
He was gone long time, and soon the
| warmth of the hall and the comfort of tho
| surroundings caused the little fellows eve
lids to droop and his head to sink lower and
lower. until shortly he was oblivious to the
| dread of the cold ride cityward which had
haunted him. and had f1oated away to
| dreamland through a maze of brilliant
| chandeliers ard velvet-carpeted rooms.
| pcopiSu Dy NunUfeQS OF nOrld-faced hutlarc
| with big shirt fronts.
| When at last the gentleman appeared
| looking wonderfully pleased over some
| thing, he found the messenger asleep in
| the chalr, MS pinched face flushed with the
| neat and wearing look of contentment
| which was almost smile. He gazed at the
chid With a feeling of sympathy and in
| terest Something in that note had un-
locked lock-. .he Hood gates Of happiness in his
| heart and started a rush Of good feeling for
all mankind. 1t was this little chap who
had brought the tidings
I'll send the answer by Simkins." he
| low treat" He summoned the butler and
turned the note over to him. Tell Sim
kins to hurry" he said. One would have
thought 1t was matter of Importance. The
gentleman then awoke the boy who sat I'M
with a stare OF bewilderment.
"You are indeed a messenger of good It'd
ings and great JOY" he said.
"HuhT muttered the astonished lad.
am going to make it pleasant for you"
What for?'
"Because-well. because 1t suits my whim:
| but you will enjoy it,
A smile of expectation lit up the sharn
features of the lad at this and he was all
expectation in moment. And few min
utes later, when he was seated opposite
the gentleman at a table spread with beam
| tiful silver and linen and glass, actually
waited upon by the august parsonage who
had so impressed him at the door, he was
aStonlShed beyond measure. He had never
seen a chafing dish and would not have
believed that such oysters existed. The
oysters which occasionally found their
| way to the table in the halls Of his ances-
tors in Brady's court must have been Of
another species. And such a big dishful
as the gentleman served him; he actually
| believed he would almost have enough
But he must talk while he eats, and
tell of life in Brady's court, of his drunken
father, his peevish mother and his selfish
aid petulant elder sisters. Also of the
ogre OF his work-a-day life, the delivery
clerk at the office, who is so cross to little
| messenger boys. and especially to new
ones.
Thus were guest and host introduced to
phases of life unfamiliar to each.
1t was while so engaged. and fortunately
after the lad had demonstrated that he
could not get down another oyster. sadly
though he lamented leaving four on the
plate. that they were startled by a cry
of alarm from the butler in the pantry,
followed by crash and a struggle. The
gentleman rushed to the pantry and the
boy slipped from his chair to the floor and
SO under the table. There were sounds of
men fighting in the pantry, angry ejacula-
tions, two heavy falls and few moments
OF Quietude. Then three men entered the
room carrying the form of Mr.. Carlton.
The terrified boy under the table saw from
beneath the fold of the overhanging table,
cloth his entertainer laid upon the floor,
bound and gagged. There was blood upon
his face and the imprint of a bloody hand
upon his shirt bosom. Immediately the but
Ter was brought in, similarly bound.
Now, Jim," said one Of the men, let's