The Forrest City times., 1904-12-23
[ .CSeTz7SF-e'7-0.N--C -C7S, l!S < Kittys ISChrTstmas S Eve3 By U. p. B ABCO OK

HEN the train from ogden and N the Pacific coast drew up. pun l- ins naisiiy. a. the town of GuuBi>on. Col. at two o'clock in uhc afternoon of December 23. there was seated in the middle section of the sleeping ear a very eross-lookins old gentleman You could see at once he was out of humor lie looked so much as if he might. oa slightest proyoea- ton. bite. yuu wouldn't have been sur prised 10 hear him bark. ! IL was cold. unfrieRdIy stare that I he bestowed upon Kitty Waller when. ] bundled up in a great red coat and a warm hood. with a paper box under her arm and a little satchel iu her hand she was shown by the porter 10 a seat just across the aisle from his own
 She couldn't have noticed the lock. for as the train began to move she 1 plunged in among his bags and shaw 1 straps almost knocking a book from 1 his knee in her eagerness to obtain the l last glimpse of woman on the plat ] form. which was on his side of the ] ear. says Browning King & Cos i Monthly.
 T beg your pardon sad she, T 1 wanted to say good-by 10 aunty.s You seem 10 have said eoot-hy 10 ] your manners. was the hateful reply. and Kitty. noW alive to the fact that 1 the gentleman was very cross, eFep. i back to her own seat and nestled l quietly in the corner
 She was only len years old. bur she l had grown up tall in the Elk noun l tain air, aid her cheeks were rosy. ] This was her first ride on q railroad 1 Indeed. from her unele's haIf-log. half frame house. where her mother ha4 died when she was a baby. no tracks save those of miners or jackra5bits i were visible. Now she was sOing al l the way 10 Denver to spend Christmas i with Grandma Waller
 She knew the train was dne jn Den yer al seven o'clock The next morn ing. and that after a long happy day 1 she would hang her stockings in the big room grandma had se often writ ! would fill it.
 As early as seven o'clock the good natured porter prepared he funny bed i in which she was to sleep. while she i looked on in open=eyed amazemen-. and by eight o'clock she was in the land of dreams. the last sound she hal heard being the voice Of the cross gentleman scoldire the porter f0r making up his berth with the head toward the engine.
 It was early when Kitty awole. and the train was not moving Happy and scarcely stopping to wonder why they Were not in Denver. Kitty dressed her self. and presently from between the curtains opposite came the cross gen tleman, grumbling aloud and calling for the porter
 Is afeerd. sir" said that indiYid- ual, were done stuck here for mos of de day The big tunI this side of Marshall pass has eayed in
 Then the conductor explained that a section Of one of tke mile-long snow sheds had fallen, and that all they could do was to wait for wrecGing train from Pueblo
 And not blessed thing to sat." sait kittys fellow passenger With trembling hands the little girl l opened her box of luncheon Hard ] boiled eggs. a pot of jam sardine sandwiches. thick slices of =bu5tere4 bread and lots of cookies
 There's more than can eat sir. said sine. won't you have same2e
 The cross gentleman arose He looked for q moment hard a Kitty. whose eyes sank to the floor and then. with q bow as though she had been a grown-up young lady. he crossed the aisle and seated himself opposite t1 her
 It was not until afternoon that Inc damage ahead was sufficiently re- paired 10 allow them to proceed. and when evening Christmas Eye-eame the t.ain was just making its War through he Royal gorge. nearly 2l hours late
 Their talk during the day had been of mines and snowshoes. with now and then d.gressions on her part into confidential anecdotes concerning her pet doll that had been lost in a snow slide a week before. but which she hoped to find in the spring. unless Santa Claus shoud-and she trembled with excitement as she mentioned it bring her another in the morning.
 But. he had said to her just be- fore he bade her goodnight. how can Santa Claus catch us? We're late and going al 3h miles an hour
 santa Claus is like an angel Kit ty replied, he can be anywhere he wants at any time Then. just as she was quite ready to go 70 sleep. he leaned out between the curtains and said Will yop lend me pin 10 pm my stockings to the curtain l cant find any nail He gave her a pin