The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-12-24

THERE IN THE HALL STOOD A CHILD.
perience concerning trans. omnibuses.
trains and other modes of transit, and he
making his way to a strange part Of the
town. He proceeded in haste to make
preparations for his expedition. First he
found piece Of paper and scrawled upon
it in enormous, sprawling letters :. Plese,
daddy, have gone to your old house to
find Sandterklawse, and / shall tell him
to bring things to poor likkle boysas well
as ricche ones. Tony. =. Tony's spelling
was not his strong point. Then he put on.
his cap and his little overcoat, rather thin
and very shabby, took his violin under his
arm and so set forth.
The sky was overcast and the wind cold,
but out In the streets the lamps were light
ed, the shop windows were resplendent,
with holly, and a crowd Of belated shop
pers hustled each other on the paYements,
so that Tony, IN his delight at this novel
and beautiful scene, did not feel the cold
and knew not the meaning Of fatigue At
first he even forgot that he meant to get
into tram and go to Stoneley, the SUBJ
urb in which his fathers home as q child
was situated The name Of the house was
Carston, as Tony knew, and In his igno-
rance of all difficulties he intended to 60
BY tram car to Stoneley and then ask the
lrst passerby his way to Carston That
the place might be utterly changed from
the time when his father was 8 boy never
entered Tony's head
However, the innocent and ignorant
sometimes seem guided toward right ways
right things, right people, in ways we do
not know Tony looked up straight into
the face of the omnibus conductor at q
street corner where several omnibuses
were waiting and said. Are you going to
Stoneley, please?" 55f
And the man looked down at him kind
~ and said: n.
AYE, that bel Do you want to go to
Stoneley little master?' 1850
. - Yes" said Tony, promptly scrambling
up the steps, and want to 60 to a house
at Stoneleya house called Carston. Do.
you know where it is2'
why, yes, )" said the friendly conductor
in rather doubtful voice. 8 know Car
ston we'll enough, and we go almost past
the gates, but what might you be want
ing at Carston, should like to knowp'
Its where my daddy used to live,"
said Tony, settling himself into his seat.
"Oh, seei" said the man, feeling more
satisfied He supposed the boy, must be
the son Of some ooachman or gardener who
lived at Carston, and Tony had SO much
self possession and confidence that no more
questions seemed necessary.
More passengers got in, the conductor
shouted, the driver cracked his whip, and
the omnibus moved on It seemed long
time to Tony before it stopped to put him
down in dark road, where the conductor
pointed encouragingly to a white gate
the end of little lane and told him that
that was the way to Carston. "There'l
be bus back to town every quarter Of an
hour" he said, .'but maybe you won't
want one? You're going to spend Christi
mas with your father, I reokonp''
1.II''Oh, yes!" said Tony, not at all sus-
pecting the drift of the question:. And
then the omnibus rolled away, leaving him
all alone in the dark with an unaccustom-
ed sensation of fear and-an unusual thing
for him--a strong disposition to. cry.
y But he mastered the weakness, and,
grasping the violin faster, he turned to-
ward the white gate at the end Of the lane.
It was unfastened, and when he had pass
ed through it he found himself on q grav-
eled walk winding whitley between trees
and plantations toward large, dark look
ing mansion, which Tony OWNED to be
Carston, his fathers old home.
He followed the path until he caDae to
the garden, and then he lost himself lit
tie, but by and by he emerged from the
shadows and found that he was fronting
wide flight of steps which led up to the
terrace in front of the dining room and
drawing room windows Tony nodded
81