The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-12-11

mother, not word
Mrs. Lawson was so excited that she
could only humble out her promise to
regard Wits wishes. on the way home
she remarked:
"Win, am that upset | wish you
would not go to the Christmas eve JOLT
fication down at District school No. ."
ooh | couldn't disappoint them. I've
promised, and | must be there. BE
sides, | took so of the money ! got
from the ticket and bought few little
presents for the youngsters And then,
too. you know If don't so there'n be
no Santa Claus
The building belonging to District
No. 3 was the typical country school
house. It was painted red and con-
tanned two rooms-one for the more
advanced scholars and one for the 'pri-
maries." There was an entrance for
each section. One OF these little vesti.
bules had been transformed for the oc.
{ casion into a dressing room for Santa
Claus. In the middle of the primary
department, which was the larger d.
( vision OF the building. short but
broad spreading Christmas tree had
been placed. 1t bore n fairly generous
Weld OF tinseled gifts. VIII added the
presents he had bought and then, be-
fore the children began to arrive, re-
tired to the vestibule to make up as
| Santa Claus.
The room soon filed, and, to the ac-
compartment Of the music Of tin and
brass horns, Santa Claus entered. The
| children gazed upon the weirdly built
ND st. Nicholas with feelings of awe
mingled with admiration. Santa
stepped up to the tree, bowling to the
little folks as he went. Clumsily he
selected the first present and called
out the name inscribed thereon:
| Jimmie Brown"
A youngster about seven years OF
age, with his hair plastered down into
a cowlck on his forehead, promptly
stepped forward from the front row,
looked around and, seeing that he was
the only person out OF line. stuck his
finger into his cheek, began to blubber
and abruptly rushed back to the shell
ter Of the crowd. He was quoted and
made his way haltingly to the tree,
where st. Nicholas handed him
mauve colored sheep which emitted d
/ pIalntiye "Ba-a-aw when II was
/ pressed AS Jimmie moved Jerkily
I backward toward his original position
the door opened. Every one looked
/ around, and all were astonished to OBJ
! serve that the two men who entered
were strangers. One OF the newcomers
asked If VIII Lawson was there.
The school trustee went over to the
man and explained that VIII was
! Santa Claus and that ii would not do
| 10 let the children find out that their
| idol was but man of clay The fel-
| low walked over toward the tree
placed his hand upon Wills shoulder
and gruiIly remarked:
"Will Lawson, you are my prisoner"
VIII was dumfoundcd. but his sur
prise was as nothing compared to that
of the children. who then learned what
! they had never even suspected-that
! their Santa Claus was only man.
| The festivities broke up In hurry, but
| the man, who was an officer from New
| York, never left Wits side.
WIN had been arrested for murder
and all because of that lottery ticket.
! Lawyer Clapp came In by and by all
| OF hustle, and the four-WiIl and the
! lawyer and the two strangers went
! down to Mrs. Lawson's house. The
poor woman tainted away when she
! heard that VIII had been arrested. and
| | ran In as soon az heard of It. When
| got there. the fence In front of the
cottage was all lined with prying faces.
/ When Mrs. Lawson came to, VIII
told her not to worry, that he had done
/ nothing to be arrested for and that 1t
would all come out right In time
'Ive got to go away with these mea
tonight" he said. but I'll be back In
few days And Lawyer Clnpp Is go
ing with me, and you can hear from
me through him. But whatever hap
pens, you must always believe that
told you the truth about that ticket"
They went off that night, The fol.
lowing day was Christmas. and what
Christmas II was for poor Mrs Law
son aud me! Lawyer Clapp came back
the day after Christmas. He told us
that the man who bought lottery ticket
No 9s5G7 had been stabbed to death
In the street on the very night VIII
bought his new clothes and not far
from the place where he bought them
lie was stranger In the city, only
one man knowing anything about him,
and tbit man his roommate at "a cheap
hotel
But this roommate had seen the
ticket He remembered the number
and thought II strange II wasn't found
on the dead mans body. He told the
police about II. and 80 when the ticket
was cashed FOR Lawyer Clapp In New
York II was traced back and promptly
landed VIII Lawson In prison. heard
that the broker who bought the ticket
came very near being arrested for the
murder and only escaped by giving
Wits name and address. II the ticket
hadn't drawn that prize. II would new
, CO have been heard OF again. and VIII