The San Francisco call., 1904-12-18

even more depressing. Out of Har-
vey's window one saw the blank wall
OF new apartment house, gaunt, win
dowless. unfinished, facing an adjoin-
ing street: and in the middle distance
a tumble Of low. ancient rooms about
a brick-paved court in which the spar
rows nuttered over an ash barrel. A
line Of gray and white clothes tapped
IN the wind across. this court; a lean,
soiled cat searched in the corners. Even
the DOOlan boys. this day, had for
saken the dreaTy play space behind
the lodging house. il was the back
and inner side OF things unlovely, yet
an artist would have looked from it
10 the city's skyline-the massed. high
buildings OF down town" a-glitter
with lights. that bulked TO the very
hill-toDs against the gold Of the Cali
fOrnisl sunset.
Old Gets Of the second floor front
stood at this rear room window, mus
ing, yet not uncheerily. at the lack Of
a holiday aspect 10 things.
"Ah. a Dity-a pityi" he cried at
length. when his companion had ceased
his recital, boy, il was unnecessary
this deceiving Of your good motheri"
Well, argued Harvey, glOomily
you see the thing got away from me.
/ wasn't as comfortably fixed as l
would be at home. You know il isn't
easy for 4 fellow TO come TO the city and
get on in the art school, and make his
living besides. Somehow. the papers
don't want my wOrk-just now. But /
used TO write home so hopefully, that
when things did go a bit hard with
me i just kept on couldn't let the
folks know. Why, it cheered me
nights when I was lonesome. to write
Janette how fine 1 was getting on
pictures IN the exhibits, dinners and
the opera. and living in a four-room
suite and giving studio teas, I must
have laid II on pretty thick, but il
pleased mother sO-and she's not well.
Now, Mr.. Gets, they are going to drop
in on me tonight, by this telegram,
believing every word Of it-Aunt Nell
and Janette. and a-a-girl. Dropping
IN OF ne without even telling me
their train so ] might devise some plan
70 steer them doWntOwn-coming here,
10 this han bedroom. third floor. rear.
with its one chair and a washstand,
and that spidery wall paper,"
Old Gets nodded. Old Gets. the
codger Of the quaint dress and walk
Of the keen gray eyes and pink.
shsven face. which had defied the
gas-lit atmosphere of some Office
down on Pine street for thirty years
old Gets of the second floor. front.
at Mrs. Doolan's. 1t was a tradition
Of Folsom street that old Gets be-
longed 10 the Merchants Exchange
and to a trio of clubs on Union
square, and that he had apartments
IN the stately old homestead. now de-
cayed TO a south-o'-M Market lodging
house, since the old days before the
glory departed from Rincon Hill and
its mansions fell into sodden disre-
pute: its fountains and lawns were
choked and scattered with debris: it's
streets forlOrn and dust-sweDt and
given over TO drays roaring and rat
ting 10 the water front and the iron
foundries. Harvey Bell. TO whom
Old Gets had been a subject for sun
dry Satirical sketches as he trudged
in and out of the Doolan doorway,
now suddenly wondered how he had
come 70 make a confidant of him. 1t
must have been the art students
loneliness on this holiday eve. as he
thought of the sunny California
Christmas in his valley home down
the State or ii may have been
some spirit Of the season. for now he
saw that the Christmases of sixty
years glowed mellowly in Old Gets
heart and something Of the cheer of
each hao fingered.
We'll. we'll" the old man was say
ing, of course you can't bring them
here-such people as yours-on
Christmas eve, apart from this la
mentable deception you have been
practicing. oh. youth-its pride and
paint"
And they're coming about s
o'clock=Aunt Nell and the girls. You
don't know what sort OF people mine
are. Mr.. Getts-simple and old-fash-
ioned. and mother believes in me sol
They're not town people at all"
Eh2 Not town people? Why,
here's a whole city full Of good hearts
ard sympathy. waiting-waiting-
show itself know, And. boy, you
would not let us understand you. even
on Christmas eve. Now, Mrs. Doolan
sent me in to ask about you-Mrs.
DOolan, mind you, of the untidy hair,
wringing her mops of water with her
young ones clinging TO her skirts
Mrs. Doolan of whom ali the dodgers
are afraid-said to me: Mr.. Gets,
it's worryin' / am about the poor
young man in the back hall bedroom
him wild the pictures he makes
so discouraged this blessed season.
It's not for the rent I'm carin', but be-
cause of my own Jimmy, way out in
the mountains and thinkin' will some
Que be kind TO him, an would you go
TO Mr.. Bell for me an speak a word
because OF the day?'" Old Gets
dropped his droll. mimic's voice to
glance merrily at his companion. so
] came, boy. because of Mrs. Doolan
with her moDs and tubs and young
ones, and because you have held off
from all Of us here on Folsom street
I know mutter Harvey, I'm SEN
sitive. and the Doolans-"
God bless the Doolansl"- cried Old
Gets i am to be the Doolans' Santa
Claus tonight. There's a bit of a tree
for them and little Maggie Thomas, the
lame girl, and the Ramseys, down at
Slacovich's bakery. in our block.
wanted to invite you, but-well. your
people are c0ming-now.
Yes, can't keep them off. / can't
even invite them out TO a restaurant
or anything, IL" Harvey broke off
lost in his effort to imagine Old Gets
Of the Merchants Exchange as St. Nick
down at John Slacovich's bakery on
Folsom street.
I have iti' exclaimed Mr.. Gets.
Receive them in my rooms. At s. you
say? They come for an hour and a bit
Of suDper-at your studio. your four
room suite-good. Eat, laugh. be mer-
~ and, presto.-you whisk them away
to the 11.45 train, home for the morrow.
Home, with all sorts Of golden opinions
~ Won for the mothers earc--ard M