Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-24

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snow fell on him. The cutting wind
almost took his breath away. He but
toned up his coat and stepped out into
the storm.
by ginger!" he exclaimed. clapping
his gloves over his ears. I'm hap
pier right this minute than I've been
for q year / feel like a kid going to
la Christmas tree-hellO, here he
cried. humping against a fellow going
the other way, excuse me for trying
to run over you
Pretty wild night" said the fellow.
Il wouldn't wonder if it would keep
old Santa guessing to find all the kids
tonight"
| Sure thing" replied Winton. "By
the way, who lives in the little shack
where the light is?"
| "Oh, that's an old shoe cobbler. He
lives there with his grandson, little
tad about 10 years old. Guess old
Saint Mic won't keep them awake to-
night. Goodbye, I'm about due down
at my rookery. The kids will think
I'm lost
| All evening the cobbler hammered
away on an old pair of boots that
ought to have been in the garbage pile
months before; but he was happy.
The half dollar he was to receive for
them would buy a Christmas dinner
AS he worked away he told wonderful
stories about Santa Claus and Christ
mas to wide-eyed boy who sat on
the edge of cot next to a decrepit
stove. About all the boy knew about
Christmas was through these marvel
| Gus stories and oh. how he wished
some of them might come true.
| There was loud knock but before
the old man could answer it the door
| flew open and Winton walked into the
room. He stamped the snow off his
feet and dropped a big sack on the
floor that ratified like an earthquake in
tin shop.
Keep quiet" he said, making a
warning motion with his hand as the
astounded old man started to speak,
you just keep mighty quiet because
I've had a regular rough and tumble
tussle with old Santa Claus and he
may be skulking around looking for
ne yet. When old Santa got out of
his sled to go up on the roof of one
of the houses down the street. nat.
urally sneaked right up and jerked
this sack away from him.
The little boy stared at Winton and
his mouth opened wider and wider as
he listened to the daring of this
strange man.
You see." continued Winton, 81
was afraid old Chris couldn't. get
around to all the boys this stormy
night SO thought I'd help him out but
you just bet l had to get out of sight
as soon as possible. We'd better see
right away what old Santa had in this
sack" Winton sat down on the bed
beside the boy and pulled the sack
up between them.
Here's drum as sure as I'm a live
man." he said. lifting that article of
torture out Of the sack. The boy grab
bed the drum and pulled the sticks
from under the tension strings. He
raised the sticks in the air, but Win
ton shouted at him:
Gee whillikens, kid. don't beat the
drum before Santa Claus gets out of
town, he might take a notion he want
ed il for some other boy. Hide it I'M
der the bed. quick. We don't want to
take any chances" Winton dove
down into the sack again.
There's a sword and a gun and q.
knife and top and a new pipe for
grandpa and big pouch of tobacco.
and-and sure enough train of cars
goodness gracious! and an engine.
tender and all. WhOo'ee," he cried,
turning the sack upside down and
| hn q n hal ssv,n'
made a great haul this time"
The old man got up from his bench
and tottered across the floor as fast
as his wobbly legs would carry him
and shook WintOn's hand. You're the
right sort he said. ''yOu-"
WintOn interrupted him. Grandpa,
I'm on my way home. | missed con-
nections and have to stay i'm this meas
ley little town until l O'Clock tonight.
and | haven't been home for two
years-think of il. l. got SO mad that I
began TO think there was no such
thing as Christmas. j went to sleep
while sitting by the fire in the dinky
hotel and | dreamed that l saw my
mother hanging up my stockings over
the old fireplace at home and | woke
up with my heart in the right place.
| Il tell you what, old man, it's all
| in the heart. AS long as fellow
can dream of mother and home he'll
not lose Christmas.
Well said the old man, IF l don't
hear Gabriers trumpet before morn
ing I'll miss my guess: but Jack Win
| ton was gone. The cold wind rushed
into the room and ratified the windows
4
the old man kept repeating to himself
those magic words. Its all in the
| heart-all in the heart"
FRANK ID. BLAKE.
Rock Island, III.