The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-28
Little Louis Christmas.

! Eilu0 LOU NftiSltltGS.
The last time little Lou saw her
/ father was just about two weeks before
! Christmas AS usual. he had kissed her
! goodby in the gloomy, dingy hall Of the
( cheap boarding house which had been
! their home since the mother died. Then,
J ciapping on his old soft hat, he went
/ out, slamming the front door behind
/ him.
AS usual, too, little Lou waited mo-
I ment in the hall, until his footsteps died
away down the street, for the Pro
fessor," as ne was dubbed by the other
/ boarders, was very absent-mindad
man, and nearly always came hurry ng
back after some paper or the Umbra IA
which he Invariably forgot And the
vexed look on mis- face changed to a
smile as his daughter would open the
door to him even before he could touch
the bell
This morning he didn't come back,
and so presently she went up TO her
cubby hole Of a bedroom under the caves
and made her little bed ant tidied things
a bit Then she sat down to mend her
fathers socksLsocks of which there was
more Of the darned part than the origi-
nal fabric.
Little Lou was only eight. but she
knew already what Il meant to be poor.
Her father was a very clever man.
who was always inventng some wonder
ful machine. but it was always some
other man who made the money out Of
his inventions.
When the socks were nicely darned ard
the missing buttons carefully replaced
on her daddy's Sunday coat the ltJle
maid put on her hood and jacket and
rolled her hoop in the noisy streets TIL
her cheeks were all aglow. Then she
went back to her boarding house and
waited for her father to come home TO
lunch.
It was dusk. with the street lamps
suffering yelIowly in the half light
when a burly policeman raped loudly
on the front door
And then poor little Lou learned Of z.
dreadful explosion of chemicals and that
she would never again see the dear
daddy.
For three nights a heartbroken little
soul cried herself to sleep alone in an
attic room, and clasped in her arms were
the darned socks and the Sunday coat
still fragrant of the Sunday pipe.
But such deep anguish cannot long find
Judgement in the heart Of a healthy
child and the fourth day found her
washing dishes and running errands for
the fat old colored cook. Tor the land
lady had informed little Lou that "ef
yer wants to live ere yer got ter earn
yer board" And earn it she did 1t
was Lou do this and Lou do that from
sunrise TO shutdown, and every night her
tired little body called on the god of
sleep to dry her tears and close her
yes and bear her away to Dreamland.
But the people in the boarding house
took no interest in Lou, and the land
lady grew very cross and unkind at
times, and one day because the small
fingers let slip a heavy platter on the
floor, where 1t lay in a thousand pieces,
the woman slapped her smartly on the
cheek. and that was something no one
had over done to her before, least Of all
her father A great yearning seized the
girl to get away to some place where
folks would be kind to her.
She remembered a smart lady's mad
who had come to the kitchen few days
before to gossip with the cook. Lou
had heard her tell about the beautiful
woman she waited on-the rich clothes,
the fine house and the good things to
eat-and Lou learned that she got the
position by answering an advertisement
in the paper.
Now Lou could read a Ittle-her dad
dy had taught her-and, picking up a pa
of the boarders, Lou ran to her room
and pored over the columns till she came
to this:
wANTED-A young girl to act as
lady's maid; must be capable and will
ling: references required. Call at Mrs.
Listens, No. - Madison avenue, before
10 q. n.
Now, it never occurred to Lou that
she was too young But the next morn
ing at nine o'clock she started out for
Mrs. Liston's. 1t was a long walk. but
Lou hadn't any money, 50 she couldn't
ride.
When she came to the house a car
rage stood before the door, and she
hardly dared go up the steps and ring
the bell-it was such grand looking
place. She stood on the door mat for
fully two minutes before she could sum
mon I'D courage to touch the electric
bell At the same morent the front
door was opened by an imposing foot
man and tall. sweet looking lady ap-
peared.
GO down to the basement door, young
'un" muttered the footman, as he rush
ed past the girl and down the steps TO
open the carriage door.
The lady paused a moment to button a
last button on her glove.
"Did you wish TO see me2" she asked
with smile that took away all fear
from the chllds heart
''Yes'm, if you're Mrs Liston," she
said, slowly ''You wanted lady's
maid, an I thought I'd ask you TO try
me, -cos-I'rn good at l0okin' after
things an mendin, an I'm so tired O.
bein' scolded, an yesterday she slapped
me an A sob stopped the child.
'Sommersr called the lady, sharply.
"Tu be out in a few minutes. Keep
the horses moving It's coldi" The
coachman touched his hat
Vow, you poor little thing" the lady
said. gently come inside and tel ne
all about 1T
Before little Lou had finished her story
she was sitting on the lady's lap An
VIII you let me be your maid2'' she
asked
''You childr exclaimed Mrs. I3ston
with a fearful little laugh. Il should