The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-12-25

| raw" lliHt lIiIrr: thai what,
StrnIln" alnn" the street. at pcac
with all ia" world. came Il philanthr,
piS;. Rcdmcy'$ critical eye. ca<..n,
about for WAYS and means. noted lin
AZ h" came.
! Il Fought he was Il stiff" he rrmarH
cd cuEii,lomiialIy To some friends Ia,
or two later. "hul | WIS away off.
WAS
Tn" philanthropSt whose good M
| turc, 10 give the devil his due. WA
| caused by Il remarkably good dim"
which he had just enioyrd-lhc phi
lanthropiSt bore down upon Mr.. Red
nry Burke. The latter saw him COM
( ing.
! Now. what's his game. anyways
thought Mr.. Burke as he turned baci
/ once more Ia gaze upon the pipe.
Hello. small SIR remarked the
friend of mankind genially. "Merr!
Christmas"
"Aw." thought the small sir to him
self. what We givin' us? Why cant
{ we leave me alone"
! Hm h" didn't say it. He simply
looked up at the big man with half
, coy. half frightened glance. more par
ti'1ilarIy /" determine whether he
might n"t he the police department il
disguise"
"Mcrry thri$tma$!"' he returned. u
hit wi$tiully as he Thought he Saw
Il possible opening of Il pleasant nj.
turr
Well. my hoy" cunti' uI the mar
what ar" ynu going 20 HAY" f"7
/ christmas. anyway"
"Chr>tmaS." returned 3rrlnry. with
n slight variation from tl:, truth. wv"
don't never have nnthtn' for Chris mas
we don't
The main smiled Il smile of pity.
Dear mo-" he remarked. hale Ia him
self. how true it is HAT one half a
the world knows net how IA" other
half lives" Then h" raised his vnicr
What would you say. small sir, Il I
Sh"uld huy You some "f those toys
He stopped as he "azrd into he Win
dow. Why why" he wen, on. ''!
thought This WIS Il toy STORE that you
were lnnkin" into
Nav" returned Rrt.lry. ITS a to
hact0 Store.
But but" coutnu Il the man. "yon
--ynu don't s!uo,.,' Ioi,at"n. You err
taInly III your a. go :f,ot"-
"\aw." returned HIirkp. Il don't !
- wasn't yninkin' about meself 40
much. | IVES thinkin' about me old
f&;l,.r. He broke his pipe last n,oTIt ,
an he amt had none since. an he's loo
poor to git :;nnrliirr nnr. ! was lnokin'
It: these. Gee. If could git enough
q; the stun together. wouldn't do 8
thing hut buy that there one for rim
re poor oil" father
This WAS said with an air of tho
greatest fraIIknrSS. although Mr.. Red
hey Burke had always considered his
father. us did many others. in the light
OF Il gcnicrl myth. SIiil he thought 10
himself that if he had :; father and if
l,e himself were worth II few million ur
SD he migl,t-hc didn't commit himself
uI:nn the :'Ghirct however. even in h!s
;!.nughlS-he might blow his father TO
:; pipe Sonic time. This cuIiSilrr:itc
sentiment. he reasoned. justified his IT..
ply to The rllanthropiSt.
We'll. we'll" remarked the latter
@Iancin" down ut the diSintcrr~t ed
specimen before him. but what would
you like To have now for ChriStn::iS:"
Rodney shook his head. Il amt per-
teller about Iar<clf. If | eould Gil ti.Ht
there ppc-;n." he added rs he scr:.,-
ed possibilities heretofore unsupported,
AN Il good bit of Smukim' tobacco. an
one of them there rubber things to put
il in-Say. if | could ii" HAT for the old
man-Say. An wouldn't lie feel stuck
on hiSSplf! But. gee. wut's dc Use:
can't do il, so | might as well he 60
in"
lie made his last remark because hn
knew intn:iIvrly that brevity. which is
the soul of Wit is also the essential III
charitable enterprises. Good impulses
don't last forever, so he moved OF.
shaking his head as he Went.
The big ni:n looked up and down the
street to sac if he WIS observed. then
Ii" stretched forth his hand and caught
Rodney by the arm.
Here. my boy" he exclaimed GENT?
as he showed Il five dollar I'LL into Mr.
Rodney Burkc'S reluctant "rasp-"hrrc.
20 and get The PIP" for yonr father and
then go AID get something for - for
Yourself. and ami lave at least one
happy Christmas that you can look
back upon" His eyes Gl;>tencd Il lit
as he said L. and. To Ms credit hc il SAID,
he did not - greet the impulse or the do.
nation for Il full two hours thereafter.
'TaniS. said Mr.. Burke. with Il lit
Of Il scrap" and Il SUI sort OF how
tanks from me an me oiC: man."
The next day there HaS Il queer fni
nation in all unfrCqn'.'ltrd corner ii
the play yard of III. nurtccnth w.:d
s..h"ol. This formation rr>clnhlet mole
than anything rISc'an Eskimo hut. bat
composed. instead of in;rGnmalc ln.,-
tCrial. of Il very animated ami intCr"- T., Il
crowd of boys gathered arGund Il roih-
mon centnr. From the aIrr: IRE in Tie
top Of th,S human Eskimo dwcll:n,;,
und therefore hriGhtCnir:s the illusion,
assembled IL column of smoke, and a& Il
v6arce.rom within.
"Gcc, frllCrS"' said the voice "G"",
but amt this great Ii was the voi"e
of Mr.. R",ln"y Burke, the votary of Iiy
Lady Nicotine, the center of an admir-
in" crowd. He smoked Il pfpc-thc pipe
of his hcart-and he filled it from rcd
rubber ease.
Just fits in me pants pocket" he Oh
served. And as he said it he pulled out
IL few dollar bills and exhibited them.
An | got four more plunks left.
What dye t'ink:' he said.
Later. in the class room. the teacher
lifted her head high in the air anl
shifted.
Some boy" she remarked severely.
has been smoking. | want to know
who it is
She lookcd--not around the room but
directly at Mr.. Re,lncy Burke. II" fair
~ rocked with tobacco, and he knew ii
Under the circumstances. thercfor:'.
he side stepped with alacrity into the
aisle and looked sqUarely into the
teachers eyes.
Me old wo-mr mother" he explain
cd Ably-"mc mother had n snnk
jag 67SSyCstiddy. an | had t
an ill tlrr pipes. an me
Of ii. IL lint me; it's J.
Then hippcd o,
leather pncEct:
penny in it anC. g
Ihcrry Christine