Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-12-19

reached the small block of gayly-light-
ed shops. But he had not expected to
find so great crowd of.shoppers and
for moment he was inclined to turn
about and go back empty-handed-as
he had come. Then he thought of the
child's delight when he--Joel Gennis-
ter-had been so absurdly mistaken
for Santa Claus, and he went in.
Mr.. Gennister submitted to the push
| ing and hustling of the holiday-hu-
mored crowd until he had succeeded in
buying Noah's ark, box of ten-pins
and flag. Then to add to his discom-
fort the sudden thought came to him
suppose the child had awakened and
was screaming himself into fits? or
suppose spark from the b,azing logs
should set fire to the house? There
upon he made his way out and hurried
home, feeling much relieved when he
had let himself in and found all as
quiet and as safe as when he had gone
out, an hour BEFORE.
+ And now he really had to do the
work of Santa Claus. Again he visit
ed James room, and having possessed
himself of the little limp stocking, he
returned to the freside to fill it, when
headiscovered that even now he had
nothing suitable to put in! 1t was alb
surd! What sort of things did they
put into stockings, anyway!
So he thrust in the flag, with it's
stick extending far up in the air, and
I, 1yX1 o%L of
ark's Inhabitants into that seemingly
bottomless abyss, and then he took
back the still limp stocking toits hang
ing place, put the ark and box OF; ten
pins near it on the foot. OF. the big bed,
after which Mr.. Gennister himself re-
tired. Y
When he awakened next morning
Mr. Gennister heard vague sounds of
unrhis taxable delight, and presently
when he wentaover and looked in at
the door of James room he sawia COM
ical sight.
"A very small boy in flannel night
"johnnies," surrounded by Noah, his
family and all his animals, was vain
~ trying to stand on his head-pre-
sumably for joy! But when he saw
Mr.. Gennister he regained ansupright
position. j. Ss$s
"Gamma p he said, ssinquiringly.
''Your grandma gone away, but it's
all right. I'll look out for youtill Ell
len comes. You know Ellen?"
The boy stared hard. '.'Who is oo?'
he said at.last.
Y "I'm Mr.. Gennister-this is my house.
Say, cam you dress yourself? Well,
then, get dressed and TIL give You
some breakfast"
The boy jumped up and down. ..Mit-
ter Dennitter, Mitter Dennitter, Santa
Claus bringed Willie all diesel"
Eyes, see. Hurry, now; get your
clothes on and come downstairs
But the child was too wildly excited
to be able to dress himself that day
and Mr.. Gennister actually had to play
the nurse!
Afterward Mr.. Gennister played cook
and made the coffee. Then the two
breakfasted together with Noah and
his wife, for guests, standing between
them on the table.
But it was after breakfast that the
fun really began. Evidently Willie
had never seen tenpins before, so Mr..
Gennister set them up and showed
him how to play with them. And Will
lie enjoyed the companionship SO
much that after that he would not
play alone with anything!
AS long as Mr.. Gennister sat on the
floor and rolled the balls, Willie would
fetch and carry and set up the pins
and chatter in perfect delight. But
when Mr.. Gennister drew his chair up
by the fire and tried to read, Willie in
sisted upon climbing on his knee and
putting his chubby face between.the
readers eyes and the printed page.
Commands and persuasions were of no
avail, aud at last Mr.. Gennister gave in
and went back to his place upon the
floor, and SO it was that Ellen found
them.