The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-22

perience concerning trans, omnibuses,
trains and other modes of transit, and he
was not at all dismayod at the notion OF
making his way to strange part of tho
town. He proceeded i'm haste TO make
preparations for his expedition. First he
found piece of paper and scrawled upon
it i'm enormous, sprswling letters: "Plese,
DADDY, have gone 10 your old house TO
find Sandterklawse, and / shall tell him
To bring things to poor likkle boys a. 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 crowd OF belated shop
pers hustled each other on the pavements,
so that Tony, I'm 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 sub
urb in which his fathers home as a child
was situated. The name of the house was
Carston as Tony knew, and in his igno-
rance of all difficulties he intended TO go
by tram car TO Stoneley and then ask the
first passcrby his way TO Carston. That
the place might be utterly changed from
the time when his father was boy never
entered Tony's head.
Howeve., the innocent and ignorant
,la.l a,..l i,,ht .
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
Stoneloy, pleasef"
And the man looked down at him kind
ly and said:
"Aye, that be! DO you want TO go to
Stoneley, little Inaster?'
eyes" said Tony, promptly scrambling
up the steps, "and want to go TO house
at Stoneley.--a house called Carston. DO
you know where it isg"
"Why, yes" said the friendly conductor
in rather doubtful voice. II know Car
ston well enough, and we go almost past
tho gates, but what might you be want
ing at Carston, should like 70 know"
"It's where my daddy used to live"
said Tony, settling himself into his seat.
ooh, | see!" said the man, feeling moro
satisfied He supposed the boy must be
tho son OF some coacbman or gardener who
lived at Carston, and Tony had SO much
self possession and confidence that no moro
questions seemed necessary.
Moro passengers got in, the conductor
shouted, tho driver cracked his whip, and
| the omnibus moved on. 1t seemed n long
time TO Tony before It stopped to put him
down in dark road, where the conductor
pointed oncouragingly to a white gate at
the end Of little lane and told him that
| that was the way To Carston. "There'n
| be a bus back TO town every quarter of an
I hour" no said, "but maybe you won't
/ want one? You're going To spend Christ
mas with your father, rockon?"
"Oh, yesv said Tony, not at ali 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.
But he mastered tho weakness, and,
.grasping the violin faster, he turned to-
ward the white gate at the end Of the lane.
| 1t was unfastened, and when he had pass
| cd through 10 he found himself on a gray
eled walk winding whitley between trees
| and plantations toward a large, dark look
ing mansion, which Tony OWNED to be
Carstun, his fathers old home.
! He followed tho path until no came to
the garden, and then he lost himself lit
tie but by and by no emerged from the
shadows and found that no was fronting "a
wide 1ight Of steps which led up 20 the
terrace In front Of the dining room and
drawing room windows Tony nodded
quite joyfuTly when nc saw tho terrace
and the steps His father had told him
about them many time He mounted
them slowly and carefully, then, standing
on the terrace, be looked about him lit
tie while and decided that 10 was time foi
him 10 BEGIN TO play He felt rather cold
now that he was not moving, and snow
flake or two melted upon his nose and
ma 10 him uncomfortable. Nevertheless u
was with great resolution that be drew hi
bow across the strings of the fiddle and
began his favorite tune:
"whilo shepherds watched their Aocks bl
night,
All seated on the ground"
"whats that csterwauling In thI
grounds. Norris.' said the master Of tn
house 10 the butler In his crusticst tones