The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-12-23
REsI'T you going 10 hang
up your stocking, Mr..
Gordon? Mas mending-
all ours. so we can hang

- them up tonight"
TIN Brown sat down
on the kitchen steps. when he had ask
ed the question. and looked Mr.. Gordon
full in the face. The old mar on his
shovel, answered the boy
.stockings-ro. Who ever heard Of
such a thing? l have only two or
three In the world, and do you think !
am going to hang them up2"
"But Tomorrow will be Cnristrias,''
persisted the little boy. Ma has been
making pies and jelly. and We are going
to kill a turkey.
VERY extravagant-vcry extrava-
CAN'T" murmrred the old man. Its a
sinful waste to eat soInuch In one day.
Why don't you folks a W up. and send
you to New York to have your leg set
rIght?"
TINS face soberea in an instant.
They are saving he said, af:sr a
fause; ma has been saving for two
y,ars, but i. would take u great deal OF
money, / would >have to &c to the hos
pi.al ard have doctors. ard what they
call an operation, ard Doctor jenkins
says 1t would rot cost less than. one
hundred dollars"
Guess you won't set there yet
awhile" replied the old man, gravely,
your ma has so many little ones to
feed and clnthe that she can't save
much, ! reckon
Tim did not answer at once, but he
looked at his crutch lying beside him on
-, nta., ,,,1 th,~En 4 AJrT -. ~
Was it possible that he could ever be-
come we'll and strong, like other boys?
Would he ever be able to run and jump
and play? His inflrmlty kept him from
participating In the sports which his
brothers enjoyed, and he. alone of all the
village children, found a companion in
old Mr.. Gordon. whose cottage was next
door to the Browns. The towns people
disllked the old man; he did not at
tend meeting; he had no callers, and
lived alone with his dog; he cooked his
W meagre portion of food, cut his own
wood, shovelled his snow, and kept
his " counsel, the AFTER habit being
especially displeasing to his neigtbors.
Mr.. Gordon did not like children. The
schoolboys could testifyss.o that. They
fingered to pick apples under his trees
or Wild flowers in his yard. His dog
and his cane We're usually in evidence,
but somehow he took a great fancy to
the little cripple who came over to see
him nearly every day. The ch:ld's con-
fidence and patient courage pleased him,
and his boyisn talk wns the only link
between himself ard the outer world.
AT first he rather resented the boys fire.
cuent visits; then he took them as a
matter Of course; and finally he grew
accustomed to the little cripple, and
looked for him each morning as regu-
larly as the sun rose
He die not make much OF the child;
one would scarcely have thought he
cared at all; but unconsciously the 1T
tie fellow had won his way into the old
mans heart. and had become the only
bright spot in his otherwise solitary life.
He was Tins best friend and confident,
nj strange as 1t may seem, they We're
very congenfal. Tim read him the daily
papers, and told him all the news about
the great cities, and Mr.. Gorden would
sit for hours, telling Tim of the ocean
and the ships. He told him OF his own
early life OF a whaling vessel, of peril
Gus adventures and narrow escapes
mi the boy would listen with breath
less attention and wonder. To the viii
lage people Mr.. Gordon was a misery,
crusty. disagreeabIe old man. but to
Tim he was a hero.
sssMa says 1 ma Invite you to Christ
ssdlpner2 said the boy, rather tim
IDLY.
HeHhardly knew how to frame the in
vitat.on.
Gr. Gordon was never invited out to