The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-19

he went on so when 1 did git him in I was most afeared to leave him; but he kindo went to sleep at last and Molly she come over to see how sis was a-gittin' i; and Sis said shed like to see you if you'd come now yon know. while they amt no racket goin' on"
 Come, then said l. buttoning my l coat closely at the throat, T am readv''. {. and moment later we had stepped into the frosty night. We moved along in silence the little fellow half running. half sliding along the frozen pavement in the lead: and l noted with a pleasura ble thrill. that he had donned the little fuzzy cap and mittens, and from time to time was fiinging, as he ran, admiring glances at his shadow on the snow.
 Our way veered but a little from the very center of the city, but led mainly along through narrow streets and alley l ways. where the rear ends of massive i business blocks had dwindled down to in- significant proportions to leer grimly at us as we passed little grated windows and low, scowling doors. Occasionally we passed a clump of empty boxes. bar rels and such debris of merchandise as l had been crowded pell-mell from some inner storage by their newer and more digni1ed companions; and now and then we passed an empty bus, bulging up in the darkness like a behemoth of the old en times; or, jutting from still narrower passages the sloping ends of drays and | carts innumerable And along even as l forbidding a defile as this we groped until we came upon a low, square, brick build | ing that might have served at one time | as a wash-house, or, less probably, per haps, a dairy. There was but one win l dow in the front, and that but little larger than an ordinary pane of glass. In the sides. however, and higher up, was a row of gratings, evidently de- signed more to serve as ventilation than as openings for light. There was but one opening, an upright doorway, half above ground. half below. with little narrow side-steps leading down to 1t. A 1 light shone dimly from the little window, and as the boy motioned me to pause and listen, a sound of female voices talking in an undertone was audible, mingled with sound like that of some one snoring heavily
 Hear the old man a-gittin' in his work?" whispered the boy.
 l nodded He's asleep?"
 You bet he's asleepn' said the boy, still in a whisper; "and he'll jist about stay with 1t that-away fer five hours, anyhow. What time you got now, Cap?"
 "A quarter now till four" replied. re.ering at my watch.
 wy it's Christmas, thenv' he cried in muffled rapture of delight; but abrupt ly checking his emotion, he beckoned me little farther from the door, and spoke in a confidential whisper.
 Gap, look here, now; fore we go in want you to promise me one thing cause you can fix 1t and she'll never drop Now, here, want to put up job on Sis, you understand!
 "Whatm I exclaimed. starting back and staring at the boy in amazement. Put up a job on Sis?'
 70, look here, now, Cap; you ain't a-goin' back on a feller like thati" broke in the little fellow, in mingled tone of pleading and reproof; "and if you don't help a feller I'll have to wait till broad daylight. cause we ain't got no clock"
 NO elockv' I repeated with increased bewilderment.
 "Oh come, Cap, what do you say? It ain't no lie you know; all you got to doll be to jist tell Sis it's Christmas-as though you didn't want me to hear, you know; and then she'll git my Christmas aGiftr first, you know; and, oh, lordy won't she think she's played it fineH' and as I slowly comprehended the mean ing of the little fellows plot nodded my willingness to assist in putting up the | job"
 Now, hold on a secondr' continued the | little fellow, in the widest glee, darting through an opening in a high board fence dozen steps away, and in an in- stant reappearing with bulky parcel, l which as he neared me, I discovered was a paper hour-sack half filed the other half lapped down and fastened with large twine string Now this | stuff" he went on excitedly, you must iuggle in without Sis seein' it-here, shove 1t under your ben here-there- that's busnessl Now when you go in, you're to set down with the other side l to rds the bed, you see, and when SIS hollers, Christmas Gift you know, you l list kindo let it slide down to the floor i like, and I'll nail it slick enough though I'll pretend, you know, it ain't 1 Christmas yet, and look sold out and say 1t wasn't fair fer you to tell her, and all that; and then I'll open up student like, and If you don't see old Sis bug out them eyes of hern l don't want centr' And as the gleeful boy concluded his speech. he put his hands over his mouth and dragged me down the little, narrow steps.
 Heres that feller come to see you, Sisr' he announced abruptly, opening the door and peering in. Come on.o he said turning to me- I followed closing the door, and looking curiously around. A souabby, red-faced woman, sitting on the edge of a low bed leered upon me, but with no salutation An old cook stove propped up with bricks, stood hack against the wall directly opposite, and through the warped and broken doors in front sent out 6 dismal sugges- ton of the fire that burned within At the side of this, prone upon the floor, lay the wretched figure of man. evidently in .le deepest stage of drunkenness, and thrown loosely over him was an old tat tered piece of carpet and little check cred shawl
 There was no furniture to speak of; one chair-and that was serving as stand-sat near the bed, a high hump shouldered bottle sitting on 1t, fruit can full of water, and a little dim and smoky lamp that glared sulkily. "Jamesy, can't you git the man a cheer CT somepin'? queried thin voice from the bed; at which the red-faced woman rose reluctantly with the rather suilen words: He can sit here, l reckon,' while the boy looked at me significantly and took up a position near the stand
 "So this is Sis?" I said, with reverence.
 The little, haggard face l bent above was beautiful The eyes were dark and tender-very tender. and though deeply sun]ken were most childish in expression and star-pure and luminous. She reached a wasted little hand out to me, saving simply: "It was mighty good in you to give them things to Jamesy, and send me that mo-that-that little box, you know-on'y I guess I-I won't need it." As she spoke a smile of perfect sweetness rested on her face. and the hand within my own nestled Tn doVe-