The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-25


of fiction who lives in the creations of
his own brain. In one sense 1t was
not a lie at all-it was merely decorate
ed faith. The speaker was perfectly
sure of his premise, entirely conhdent
of his knowledge of details. The fact
that he spoke things as being with
in his experience which were teen
nicaIly untrue was an irreyelant incl
dent of narration. AS he proceeded
to particularize and embellisn the ttie
the effect upon his audience was
plainly visible The Boss-who was
eight-felt the foundations OF ms
leadership shaking under the spell OF
eloquence. He came ruthlessly INTO
the discourse; as he spoke the small
crowd of little boys came down 10
earth with a thump.
HUH said the Boss, listen at de
Baby. Mammals Boy has seen Santa
Claus. Huh!7
The audience greeted this sally
the laugh that experience had taught
them was advisable when the Boss
spoke. The Boy dismounted from the
steed of his fancy, blushed pain
fully:
II tell YOU I seen him." he persisted,
''as plain as ever. He was right at
the foot of the bed seen him. l tell
yer!"
There was some further movement
of derision which stopped suddenly
moods were inexplicable, but to be
obeyed. He regarded the Boy with
the cold eye of practical sage with
an air of ponderous righteousness
What did he look like?" he de-
manded. did he have snow on him -
The day was mild as a spring MORN
ing and the Boy hesitated for Sec
ond. To his mind it was a sacrilege to
leave off the snow. 1t was like an
artist draping a figure for the w. G.
It. u. hall. But he realized that he
must play down to his audience. He
pitched his appeal like a politician.
Course he didn't; there want no
snow"
He felt up his spine that this was
a clincher, a variation from accepted
ideals that was distinctly strengthen
ing to his cause.
The Boss laid another trap:
Did you hear the sleigh runners
on the roof"
The Boy met this quickly: 81
tole you he was in the room afore
walked
You'd oughter to heard him go
away.
my ears was under the covert
tole you that!''
The crowd felt the effect of the
master liars most effective ruse. the
apparently unconscious repetition of
seemingly chance-hung detail. There
was an appreciative murmur which
the Boss quelled with a glance.
Did you see him plain % he per-
sisted.
This was the Boys cue and he
seized it like the general of strategy
that ne was. His eyes wdened and
his voice dropped to a tense whis-
per. His listeners strained forward.
See him? | saw him as plain as
You. | was lying there wake-wide
awake watching the chimney and all
of a sudden | heard q crack at the
door the Boy mostened his lips
and / thought maybe it was Pepper |
but when cut my eye round. there
ne was coming in on his tip-toes.'
Again he moistened his lips. He |
must have left his boots in the hall. |
Gee-whiilikins you bet l was scared. |
WE'LL sir I was fraid to bulge an
inch. | had to watch him all the time
out of my left eye cause / had been
watching the fire place. He must have
come down the library chimney. First
thing he did, he shut the door SO soft
you couldn't hear it crack. and then
he put the pack down on the floor
and come up-toeing over to the bed
and tell you 1 laid mighty still
while he was watching me. ! just
lay there counting five between
sreaths so | would sound like / was
sleep and | could hear the little things
beating IN my temples and Old Santa
stood right there by the bed and
looked and looked till | thought /
couldn't hold IN from laughing no
longer and then he turned around and
lit his pipe and commenced to unload
his pack. You'd just oughter seen
the things he had in there-more than
Il store"
Again the Boss bit into the tale
What time was it?'
about two O'Clock in the MORN
ing!"
How'd you see him without light
when he come in?"
There was a light in the hall and
besides the moon was shining right in
the west window. After he lighted his
pipe he lit the gas (The Boy fumbled
i'm his pocket and brought out a
charred bit of pine.) Twas a match
just like that"
The crowd was deeply impressed.
One took the match and passed it /
around awesomely. The smallest
youngster forgot his fear of the Boss: |
''What'd he do next Jimmy?" he
piped.
"Oh. nothin' much 'cept fill the
stockin's and put the things on the
chair. You see l didn't know whether
he'd been in sisters room or not, SO ] |
was 'fraid to get up. An after awhile
/ wanted to sneeze and | just couldn't |
help it nohow an | put my head under
the sneeze in the hall anyway and af- |
ter about an hour | got UP and looked |
at my things and then | went over in
sisters room and right at her door |
found that old raw-hide what | got, |
and | reckon he must have dropped
that when l sneezed, and he was get
TIN away in HURRY.
Huh. there's plenty of old whips
like that at the store this year and
last year. too" tainted the Boss.
This was the Boys chance. Yes
he flashed back, and the clerk told
my Pepper that Santa. Iiaus got all
his whips there and | can show you
where it says the same thing IN the
Paper!'
The audience was going over so fast
to the Boy that the Boss deemed it
unwise to hold back his bomb-shell
any longer
fou are lying. Jimmy he said,
soItiy, Cause there Amt no Santa
Ciaus. Hes just your Ma and Pa.
rms was a sensation indeed. The
It.ie group shivered. The world was
tuInnilng about their e.irs. They
edged away from the Boss as one