Evening star., 1898-12-24

were spending a great deal of money. and.
not knowing how they could have OBJ
tanned II, became suspicious that something
was wrong. For several days they had been
buying all sorts of toys. which they hid in
the lott OF the shed I'm the rear Of fheir
nome. He had gone there when they were
adding to their treasures and had seen a
great collection of dolls, hobby horses.
carts, bags OF candy and a hundred curious
things that are especially treasured by chill
dren at Christmas time. He followed tbero
when they went to make another purchase
ana, from the character of the money they
offered In payment he became satisfied that
Its contents.
Put the boy on the stand" the Judge
SAID Now, my boy, tell me how Won got
th:t money and what you were doing with
The little fellow was so frightened that
ne could hardly talk in audible tones In
ms childish way he told the Judge that he
had. in company with his sister found tha
money. and they thought II would he a
nice game IL they could play Santa Claus
on Christmas day, which was near at hand
He said they had bought the toys to dis
tribute among the little boys and girls who
lived on their street, and that he had bought
a long white beard to wear when he should
take Them around. and make the little chill
dren believe that he was Kris Kingle
Inc little girl was sobhing hysterically,
ana when she was asked what she knew
about the AFFAIR could say nothing
The sharp-featured man was finally put
a
the money had been stolen from his store,
where he said he remembered having seen
the two children on the day of his loss
Another witness. n Sloughily-dressed indI-
vidual. was called, and he testified he had
distinct remembrance OF having seen Hem
ry Franklin pick the pocketbook up and
carry il off
The judge heard this testimony and re.
marked that ii seemed to him IL the young
culprits had been suililess they would have
spoken of their discovery to some one, and
n Th.arsn lan-
to return the lost goods. He said il seemed
to him that some homes were worse than
no home at all. and that while he wanted
to deal kindly toward the children he
the reform school. They would be well
taken care of there, he said, and would be
kept out Of similar mischief in the future.
The children were led back into the iron
pen.
1 cared to see no more of the proceedings
of the police court that morning. and left
the room. On the way out saw thinly-
clad and poorly-dressed man and woman
with astonished faces showing much worry,
and as l went by them | heard the woman
say something about her poor little children.
L went home and for years on every Christ
mas morning recalled the scene 1 had witt
messed, never caring again to watch the
proceedings of the court on that day.
Five years had passed by. and on Christ
mas morning, in company with party of
ladies' and gentlemen. / visited the reform
SCHOOL where gifts were to be distributed TO
the inmates.
The matron seemed overioyed as she was
taking US through the home.
Il have couple of children here" she
explained who today inherit a great for
tune. 1t is the most wonderful story YOU
have ever heard she went on.
Naturally We called for a further exDla-
nation, and she told US that an old man
had died some months previously and had
left his entire wealth to boy and girl who
had been there for five years. She said the
old man had few years previously lost his
wife and children. He had accumulated n
great fortune. and during the latter period
of his lifetime had been frequent visitor
at the school. She said the children who
had inherited the money were always the
objects of his attention, and he frequently
bought gifts for them. He had not. how
ever, had much to say to this boy and girl,
but he would often watch them in play
He had also. she learned. frequently sent
gifts to their parents, who were very poor,
and who at that time lived in a miserable
tenement not far from his large and ele-
CANT home. He had died during the previ-
Gus summer, and when his will was opened
it was found that he had left his entire for
tune in trust for these children until they
should become of age. with the provision
that they he kept at the reform school until
the following Christmas. Then he wished
them conveyed to his residence, and simply
told that an old man who believed he had
wronged them had made them his heirs and
hoped that they would be happy during the
balance of their lifetime. BY his will IT WAS
further directed that the mother and father
of the children should meet them in their
new home, where a great Christmas tree
was to be trimmed and hundreds of pres
ents bought and placed around it. He di-
rectcd that two costumes should he proVid-
ed. in which the boy and girl might each
dress themselves up as Santa Claus. and he
stipulated that he wanted them in this
guise to go throughout the neighborhood on
Christmas morning and distribute the pres
ents.
See said the matron. pointing "a n
splendid carriage and prancing horses in
front Of the institution, that is now their
own carriage
We were walking through the corridors Of
the institution as the matron was telling
her story. She stopped at the door OF one
of the big dormitories. where the children
We're all astir and where we heard shouts
of laughter. as they were gleefully showing
one another their presents. Opening the
door. she said she would take US 10 tae re-
cipients of this good fortune and W. were
soon brought into The presence of hand
some lad and a girl whose features at once
showed that she was closely related TO
him.
1T is all to be a surprise to them" said
the matron. I'VE are just getting them
ready to be carried to their new home"
The faces of the boy and girl suggested
that I had seen them before. There was
something IN them that recalled that Christi
mas morning of five years before. Turning
TO the matron, i said:
Was no other explanation made of the
reasons that Influenced the making of this
splendid gift to these young people,
None at all she replied: THE old man
was regarded as rather eccentric, and We
believe he merely took an interest in these
children and formed this curious plan for
surprising them, as he did other odd
things"
| asked the name of this benefactor, and
she promptly replied:
Simon Henderscn-'Mean Simon, as lots
of people called him.
In a short time the boy and girl were taxi
en- out to the carriage. their faces showing
aStoniShment and expectancy for what was
coming We watched them the horses
pranced out of the grounds and off toward
the city. Such a Christmas the Franklin
family had never known, for the heirs to
the great fortune were no others than Fan
ny and Henry Franklin. who. as children,
] had seen play their miserable part in the
police court and who were innocent of any
dishonest intention when their childish en-
thusiasm and ignorance led them to spend
money that they should have endeavored
to return to its owner. c. A. KERN.
A GRUESOME CHRISTMAS TALE.