Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-01-24
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
SANTA CLAUS THAT FOUND
HIMSELF

the lat man III tne SMOKING car ndstily |
gathered about him a large number Of
mysterious looking bundles and clat.
tered forward to the front platform.
When the train stopped at the little
depot he swung of on the side opposite
to where two lonesome, respondent |
looking hacks and a pair II half frozen |
hackmen were waiting for possible |
fares. The fat man with the strange
packages hustled behind the protecting
cover OF q long row Of freight cars
standing on a switch track, and when
he had reached his haven Of refuge
peeked carefully around to see II he
was unobserved.
Apparently no one had noticed his
arrival, for the four or five passengers
who had alighted from the train pack.
ed themselves into the hacks, which
Immediately squeaked away over the
snow in the direction of the one hotel
in Hillsvale. A big man, buttoned up
in an immense ulster, who had eagerly
scanned the face of everybody who
alighted, but the one that he was
expecting did not seem to be among
them. and finally, with an exclamation
Of disgust, he went back to his own
sleigh, said home" to the driver, and
went jingling away in the night. The
fat man behind the row of freight cars
waited until the music Of the bells had
died away and then he chuckled with
delight.
Fooled i'm" he said, pleasantly to
himself, Fooled i'm completely. He'll
go back and say I'm not coming and
therell be much regret Then when
do 20 bounding in through window
we'll, think my reception will be al
most an ovation"
The fat man was Thomas Dorton,
senior member Of the firm Of Dorton
& Barton, commission brokers. He
had come out to Hillsvale, as he had
been coming for the last fourteen
years, to act as Santa Claus at the
Christmas party that was always held
| at his brothers house, where the clan
Dorton annually congregated in force
and where Uncle Tom Dorton was al.
ways the bright particular star.
| The amiable Mr.. Dorton had arrived
at the conclusion that this year he
must do something different. He was
afraid that the clan Dorton were get.
ting tired of his annual performance
as Santa Claus because of the same.
ness of his performances. This time
he planned surprise. He had de.
cided to lead them to believe that he
was not coming, and then suddenly to
bounce in through back window
right into the centre of the crowd.
II bet I'll get hand this time all
right" he soliloquized. Say. that'll
be one Of the most sensational en-
frances that ever happened outside OF
a theatre"
1t was Mr.. Dortons plan to don his
Santa Claus rig in the shadow of the
freight cars, and, after arraying him
self properly, to cut across the fields
house stood overlooking the lake. Sc
he hurriedly pulled on the fur trousers
and boots that formed a part of his
costume and then drew on the big
woolly coat He adjusted the long
gray beard on his chin and then pulled
on the goggles and the cap Then he
unpacked the packages Of toys he had
brought and strung the skates, doll.
and popguns over his shoulders, while
the rest Of the presents he packed on
the little sled that was intended for
his sister Susie's boy Tom. Having
completed his arrangements Santa
Claus started on his hike across the
snow covered fields. 1t was quite
dark, but he was certain that he knew
the way without guide.
He came ont through a wood and
was looking for the road, which he
thought was somewhere near, when he
was aware that he was walking In
water. The snow and Ice on which he
had been stepping had given way, and
he was in water up to his waist. He
noundered around and finally made
his way out, only to run plump into
a barbed wire fence and receive nun.
Der of earnest scratches before he was
able to get out.
Bless me-" said Santa Claus, breath.
lcssly, II almost wish ! had gone in
that sleigh. I'm getting tired of this
sort of thing"
He saw the light Of a farmhouse
not far off, and decided to call there
and have the farmer hitch up a rig
and take him to his brothers. He
righted the little sled and repacked
the presents that had fallen off in his
scramble and started away again.
He knocked loudly at the farm.
house door, and in a moment 1t was
thrown open by woman, with two
small children hanging on her skirts.
Pardon me-" began Santa Claus
politely. But will you please" He
got no farther for the two children
had set up fearful screaming, and
the woman was yelling something
about help" and cramps" and clut-
ching In the direction of a bubbling
tea kettle on the stove. Mr.. Dorton
suddenly remembered the outlandish
| rig he had on and the long. gray