Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-24

gOin' TO be trouble
"Thera wasn't a breath of wind then,
an when Jake hitched on ahead at Pitts
| field and we started up over the hills it
was hard pullin. It's a seventeen-mi,e
pull up to the top of the hills at Wash
| ington, ard the road used to zigzag
around ike snake. with the Agnan
creek z;gzaggiu' the other way, 50 that
we crossed it just seventeen times before
we got 10 the top; but that day the snow
was so heavy we couldn't see where the
creek was mere than half the time.
Jake cut off when we got tC Washing
| ton and we went on down the hill alone
after maxim the stop. Just then the
wind hit Us, and smokes how she did
blow. Ben couldn't find his Elicin bar
afteiward an he always swore it had
| blowed ont Of the cab.
There was fifty inches of STOW on the
/ level * State Line. We built up a snow
/ piow over the front of the engine with
/ boards and started for Canaan. thinkili
/ if we could make the tunnel maybe the
road would be clearer on the other side
! ljut it was like swimmin' in mud to push
| through that snow, and about o'clock
we got stuck in a big drift about half
M e from the tunnel, and couldn't get
out forward on backward. When we seen
we was fast, Ben banked the fire and we
went back to the passenger coach. where
| Peters had big wood fire goin' that
was before they began to heat the cars
with steam-and sat down to talk it
over and wait.
1T was the first chance I'd had to
! know aIythin' about the passengers. We
| .ad five in the car two drummers goin'
| to Albany, and a goodlo but rather
/ stability dressed young woman with two
of the brightest Youngsters you ever saw
! The little girl wasn't more than years
| old, ard the boy was about 2 years older
! F1e woman looked as though she might
have seen "A lot of trouble, but she'd kept
her good looks. which even hcf black
dress didn't spoil.
Peters had got in something to eat
at the last station, and had bottle of
milk for the baby, and the mother could
/ hardly thank him enough. He played
with the youngsters awhile an then came
| back tc where | was sittin', and we sat
| there W6tchin' those babies and listenin'
10 their prattle.
Mamma, is tomorrow Christmas 2
asked the boy.
Yes, dear said the mother
Ard will Santa Claus come tonight
and bring presents for the good girls and
/ boys
Maybe dear
SANITY Claus bwing me big dollie y
lisped the little girl.
And | want Il drum and a pair of
boots and red mittens,' added the boy
viii he come here in the train, mamma J?
Sanity Claus come in twain, mamma,
REPEATED the baby.
hush, dears, said The woman, look
Ing out of the window and wiping her
eyes. You are mamma good children,
! but we are so far off in the snow that
maybe Santa Claus won't De able to find
us this year
BIT he came last year, mammal per-
sisted the boy. Don't you remember how
he brought us a big Christmas tree, and
| how pap; rode me on my new sled? Will
we have nice things again when we get
to grandpapa's@
Maybe, dear murmured the woman,
| tryin' not to show she was crying.
And will we find papa again, wherr
we del to drandpapa's?' put in the baby.
och don't, DARING sobbed the
mother, hidin' her face in the baby's curls
while the youngsters chung to her and
/ begged hcf not TO cry.
Peters tiptoed out of the car, and
! beckCned to me to follow
BILL he said, those Youngsters have
| got to Rave some Christmas
Jim | said, I'd walk twenty miles
to get a drum for that boy, if walkin'
was possible, but it amt, and unless you
happen to be runnin' little Christmas
shop of Your own somewhere on the
train, | can't gust exactly see whore we're
going to raise many Christmas jjnks on
the lIoiack.'
The only answer Peters made me was
to 90 through into the baggage car, where
old Marty sat by his little stove.
'Matty, he said, what's in that Sew
ing circles box you took on ut Chester 2?
Christmas presents for some mission
kids growled Matty rather smlilv
Clothes mittens, slippers. mincc PIES,
ct cetcraF suggested Peters
" / suppose So assentcd Matty, with
little show of interest
Well, Matty you've got to open that
box
't'ucoS nct.' remarked the old fellow
~ amt ever teen my habit to hust up
other folks belongings
But its got to be done, now, Matty,'
urged Peters, there's two blessed kids
back there that expect Santa Claus to
come tonight. It's Christmas eve and
You end that box have got to do the
Sar.a Claus act
d" It's agin' the law to take other peo-
pies things grumbled NIatty. but if you
want to break the law. 90 ahead
Peters found Il hatehet and had the
box open in a lew minutes. That was
surely the creates, Christmas box ever
packed. There were pies and crullers,
all homemade. apples, oranges. nuts,
candy, several pairs of re / mittens hoods.
caps, two pairs of boots. one pair just
about the right sizes collection of toys
ard a layout Of clothes for a whole fam
lily. Peters fairly danced with JOY.
We DIDN'T say anythin' about our find