Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-12-24
Still. as Grinncll watches the West.

crncr and observes him more than once
gaze covcrtly in the direction of the cor.
duroy camp road. he wonders IL he is not
nursing some spirited surprise that he
will spring later on.
The stories begin. and soon all are en-.
crossed. enc man tells Of Christmas at
a far Western Acknowledgment fort.
where the event of the day was the steal
ing Of the only wild turkey in knowledge
from a sportsman savage. Another had
seen ~ in Alaska. where Il kcg of frozen
cider was the only reminder of home. a
third described the best Christmas dinner
he had ever eaten. and all mouths water
cd, and here there Is an uproar
The sound VI cumbersome wheels echoes
there is the snap of Il whip. and wav.
ing his whip and yelling to his mules. into
camp bursts the negro driver of the COM
missary wagon.
Hi. dahl he grins. Gam dis Camp
Jawgc Columbus Christopher Washing
TOM
you know it is. you rascal roarcd the
Wcstcrncr. springing to his feet, aglow.
"Out with it! the steamer is ing
'Shc am. sab. waited. sab, rs yo'm
darccktcd Dah's pahccl fob dc camp
dat Christmas consignment hab arriv-
en-
"Whoop.'
pandcmonium breaks loose Over the
camp spreads the news. llalf-drcsscd men.
riotous runners. make for the campfire. as
MP to 1t. straining nightly under the
heavy load Of crates and boxes and bar
rcls. puff and pant the mules with their
| Christmas store of rcmcmbranccs.
E,x,,, IN, an M, .l,,s m lie IN tho pnll of
the tumult. Then. surrounded by a press
ing. eager crowd. the Wcstcrncr mounts
the load. hntchct In hand.
He prizes open those "pahccls." he be-
gins to deliver them. Hearts gladden.. lips
CULVER. eyes sparklc--cvcn In the far
away Philippines Christmas had come!
pierce Grinncll'-with trcmulous
hands thc young soldier receives his pack
| age. and steps back a bit from the crush
| to- inspect 1t.
All! it Is glorious to be remembered!
| There Is a Bible from mother. n watch
from father. n dozen handkcrchicfs from
16-ycar-old sister Sue. cookie. ribbon.
tied. caraway dotted. from 8.ycar.old
Ncll--"all cooked by my own self'-and-
another parcel.
The soldier boys heart thumps nightly,
|
Is a response to question that the loncli
ness Of the camp. time to think over how
dear pretty. winsomc Claire Rushton nj
home Is to him--a homcly. blunt, "Clairc
when this Spanish war Is over, will you
have mcT"
Grinncll opens the packagc--a pair OF
dainty homc.knit mitts. What In the
world does he want Of nitts In the broil
| ;,,., hn In
tent Is there.
Then his finger tips tingle and trcmble
so as he feels a tiny note In one of the
mitts, that he drops everything TO the
ground.
Ncll's cookie must have caught the snifr
OF n hungry camp dog. 1t makes n bolt
off with--the mitts with the note In them
| "Stop him-sto.o-op him.!
"Whnt Is III"
Iii. the robbcr!'
4 crowd catches on" to tho appalling
mishap. There IL pursuit. They corner
the canine. but not until he has torn M
one mitt.
"Why. there's note In hcrc!' tormcnts
the rcscucr Of half one mitt. and Grinnci
dcvours a torn fragment of dainty, scented
letter paper.
~ won't have"
That Is what his blurred sight reads
and his heart falls.
"lIcy. Grinncll-hcrc's the other half.
The poor fellow puts the two pieces Of
paper together.
II won't have anybody but your
There Is the sentence. complete. De
spite himself. the happy soldier boy ut
tered fcrvcnt. relieved yell of delight.
whats bit you-a tarantula!" de
manis Il staring comradc.
"No" shrcwdly gucsscs tho jolly West
crncr. reading between the lncs-"Sant,
Claus"