Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-12-19

the mornin whin he wakes up an
finds it impty!"
stop rambling and tell me what
you expect me to do Mr.. Gennister
said, grimly.
''Nothin' in the world, sir, for he's
abed an asleep, till in the mornin'
he wakes an finds stockin' Imply an
his granny gone! Then he may cry a
bit, but not for long. He can dress
hisself-he's a smart little bye-an'
if yen give him jist bite of bread
an sup o. milk, he'll be all right till
Ellen gifts over, an then she'll know
what to do, an yen niver dream, sir,
there's little bye in yer house. An
| humbly hope, sir, yen pardon me,
an"
eyes, yes, goodnight" said Mr..
Gennister, impatiently, cutting her
short and turning on his heel.
He went up to his room to remove
the stains of travel. And before he
came down again he had heard the
back door shut and a wagon drive
away, and he knew he was alone in
his house-alone, with the exception
of a strange child!
Certainly Mr.. Gennister was much
annoyed, yet he was just enough to
see that Jane was really not to blame.
She could no more have foreseen be-
ing called away by her daughters
sudden illness than that he would
telegraph her at the last moment be-
fore starting, instead of on the day
before, as hitherto he had done.
He put on his comfortabl lounging
robe and went downstairs to find a
bountiful supper spread out on neat
table before the open fire. Short as
her time had been Jane had provided
amply for his comfort. She had not
neglected one thing which she knew
he liked, although she had found no
time to run to the village store for a
top for her grandchild's stocking!
by the way, where was the boy? 1t
might be as well to know in what
part of the house he was sleeping in
case anything should happen in the
night.
SO when Mr.. Gennister had finished
his supper he arose, feeling of an
noyance again coming over him, and
because the back part of the house
was usually cold, he put on a cap be-
fore he took up the lamp and started
upon his quest.
He had poked his head into three
empty bedrooms before he came to
James, in the middle of whose ample
featherbed wee figure was curled
up, fast asleep. At the beds foot
limp little stocking hung empty and
forlorn.
While Mr. Gennister was looking at
it the little figure squirmed and sud-
denly sat up. Two little fists rubbed
open two sleepy eyes and then the
small boy crept rapidly on all fours
10 the foot of the bed and felt the
stocking
There was surprised and pitiful
quiver on the lip. Then the child
raised his head and caught sight of
Mr.. Gennister's short, stout figure,
clad in long lounging robe and cap,
and the boy no longer felt either grief
or doubt.
80 Santa Claus, fill up my took
ing!" he cried, tossing up his arms.
"Willie been good boy!"
Instantly-for some unknown rea-
son-Mr. Gennfster blew out the
lamp. The silence was broken by a
sleepy chucl,le from the bed as the
child snuggled back among the warm
coverings. Then there was a mixed
up murmur of Santa Claus-'tocking
good boy" followed by contented,
sleepy sigh, after which, with noise
less step, Mr.. Gennister withdrew.
Back again in his warm sitting
room he sat staring at the fire. He
lie Of all men on earth-had been mis-
taken for Santa Claus! He laughed
grimly-ft was so strange joke!
Queer that even a child could believe
such nonsense. What fools grown
people were to teach them such rub
bish-or to countenance it! How
many children would be disappointed
in the morning, how many heartaches