Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-12-22


Of stockings pinned up on the
long curtains, like misplaced tails on
a donkey-sheet He stared at them
through his eyeglasses thoughtfully. Two
small ones just alike, well darned around
the toes and heels, one long, double
kneed one for a boy who might possibly
play marbles, and two fne-ribbed ones
with small feet.
After a minutes inspection, Mr.. Ridley
walked back to the end OF the car and
had talk with the porter. When he had
finished he knew the personality Of each
stocking. and the requirements OF its
owner And then very curious thing
happened on the Pacific Overland ex-
press. Back and forth between the third
sleeper and the private car Mr.. Ridloy's
private porter marched, his arms full Of
boxes and parcels; and when it came to
opening them before section four, Mr..
Ridley himself took hand.
When the five stockings were full, and
bulged out at the tops, there were other
parcels placed cautiously in the little
hammocks that hung at the head and foot
Of the lower berth, and Mr.. Ridley caught
glimpse OF Nell's brown pigtails and
Jeanette's yellow curls lying side by side
on the pillow. When he returned to the
private car after all was done, he was
smiling comfortably to himself, and had
forgotten all about the wretched facilities
of railroads for dealing with snow storms.
At home there were two heads very sim
liar to those in section four waiting for
papa to come. That was the first reason
why Mr.. Ridley wanted to get over Great
Bear pass that night.
But just as the private porter gathered
UP the last pieces of string and paper
from the aisle and started away after Mr..
Ridley Max's head appeared at the
curtain opening Of the upper berth. His
hair was standing on end as only the
l.. H. =
his eyes were round with sleepy surprised
amazement when he saw the bulging
stockings.
In half a minute he had dropped from
the berth, and a small white ghost In
baggy night clothes stole through the
cars after Mr.. Ridley, and never stopped
until the vestibule door Of the Pocahontas
shut out the world from it's privacy.
At half-past seven on Christmas morn
ing, the snow-plow came through Great
Bear pass. The blizzard had stopped, and
1t was clear and cold. A committee Of five
waited for admittance in the vestibule Of
the Pocahontas while Mr.. Ridley bathed,
shaved and dressed. 1t was a joyous excited
committee. Max led as guide, with Nell
| hugging his shoulder, and jeanette tried
to hold the twins in check, until finally
the private porter ushered them in past
the tiny kitchen and pantry, all shining
brass and tiles, past the little compart-
ment dining room, into the parlor section,
with its dark green hangings and deep
low willow chairs, its bookcases, and
piano, and broad windows.
Mr.. Ridley rose from his desk to greet
/ them. It was an awkward moment
Max and the girls waited doubtfully for
each other to speak, until Tomikins broke
/ the ice
Merry Cwismus!" he said.
1.-THE same to you, SIR responded
L n fvvfn oil in
eyes. Merry Christmas to you allP'
Then Jeanette began: I'VE came be-
| cause we wanted to thank you"
For being Santa Claus" added Nell.
eagerly.
II saw you exclaimed Max, forestalling
| any possible disclaimer. Il looked over
| the tops Of the curtains. Myl but you
| just ought to have seen the kiddies when
they found those music boxes!
Christmas breakfast is a lonesome af-
| fair all by ones self. There were i've
guests in Mr.. Ridley's dining room, and
1t was such a merry, delightful breakfast
| that no one noticed the time until the
train began to move slowly forward.
Were going!' shouted Max, joy
ously. "'Rahl really believe that papa
stayed in the depot all night"
Are you going to Silver City," asked
| Mr.. Ridley.
or course they were. Why, didn't he
II
chorus, they all told him how It happened
Way back when the twins were only q
| year old, the dearest little mother in the
| world was called to rest, and since then
they had lived in Chicago with grand
mother Wilcox until papa could take then
all. 1t had been long time to watt
almost three years,-and they had beer
rather poor too.
Not raggedly poor" protested Nell
Just shiny
But now everything was changed
| MaX's brown eyes sparkled with sturdy
pride as he told how his father was assay
er at the Lakota silver mines, and how
they were the finest mines in Colorado
Perhaps Mr.. Ridley had heard Of them
1t appeared that Mr.. Ridley had
slightly. 1t was a fine position, MAJ
assured him, and steady, too. That wal
why papa had sent for them all to conn
to him, because he was sure 1t woul(
last And it wouldn't be hard at all
because jeanne was going to be house
keeper, and they would all help her; anC
last of all they wanted to tell Mr.. Rid
ley one thing-there wasn't a singh
father in the whole world quite a
splendid as the one who was waiting
for them in the depot at Silver City.
Mr.. Ridley listened, twin on each knee
and smiled. When breakfast was over
Jeanette said they must go back becaus
the Riddles were clamoring for their must
boxes. So they waved their hands to hin
from the vestibule, and called, 'Merr
Christmas!" And after they had gone
Mr.. Ridley went and stood before one o
the car windows, looking out at the hyin
/ stretches of pine-dotted mountain side.
Finally he turned to his desk. A pa
of telegraph blanks lay on it, and he wrot
a message and called the private porter.
Send that as soon as we reach Ores
cent" he said.
1t was the last gift from Santa Claus
and Warren, general manager OF tn
Lakota mines smiled when he receive
: 1t. 1t read:
Retain Harrison. ]. P. Ridley"
! -[From the Christmas number Of s.