Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-16
revelation that she felt sure was to

revelation that she felt sure was to
come
The door of the house opened A
pair OF elephants walked out then a
couple of bears and two spirited look
ing horses After that trooped all the
animals that Little jimmie had ever
seen in her picture book. the old thumb
cared one that the mission teacher had
given her. Round and round they
walked. and larger and larger grew
Little Jinnie's eyes.
Old Grimkee looked up. He was
proud of his window. for he had taken
great pains to make it attractive Not
another man in Broad street knew the
children's tastes so well. All about the
shelves OF his little shop stood Santa
Clauses. railroad cars. tin soldiers and
small guns and dolls that the little
ones liked. Old Grimkee had been IN
the business for years, and he expected
great profits this Christmas time.
Suddenly he spied Little jimmie. He
did not know whether she was admir-
| ing him or his window. for her eyes
kept shifting from the long green toys
to him. back again. and so ON. A gen
ial smile overspresd the face of Old
Grimkee The little child outside was
certainly carried away with wi'at she
| saw Old Grmkee lookel closer.
How thin and pale she was. and quite
G little tot to be alone,
The old man kept smiling and smil-
ing, as If he knew her, and Little jim
ME advanced toward the door. Old
Grimkee had left his window and
stood behind the counter
well. little girl. what can / do for
your he asked, bending over the
counter toward the wee. figure that
looked appealingly upward.
"If you would tell She paused.
Yes" said Old Grimkee.
What that thing is-that house In
your window Are the animals dIiUey"
.Ihst-tbat green house," asked
Old Grimkee, leaning forward to take a
peep at the window.
"Yes. sir" answered Little jimmie.
why, you don't mean to tell me that
you never saw Noah's ark. child:"
Little jimmie looked as ignorant as an
infant.
mo? Why, then, you've never heard
the story OF the food aud Noah and
the ark resting on Ararat? Dear me,
dear mel" Old Grimkee actually looked
worried over the turn OF affairs. He
thought everybody knew that
| Just then some customers came in,
4 and Old Grimkee put on a busnesslike
air.
The child stole noiselessly out Old
Grimkee did not hear her, for the ladies
were asking him for humming tops,
and he was not quite sure whether he
had them. He turned several things
over as he looked and opened the
wrong boxes and packages. Old Grim
KEGS eyes were failing him bit. And
as he looked a pair of wistful eyes,
blue and heavily dashed. haunted him.
/ While looking he was wondering where
he had seen them.
"Bless me-" he cried suddenly. THAT
/ chiId's-'
4 The customers looked queerly ut
him. but he had found their toys. and
as they examined them and approved
them they did not pause to mark the
puzzled glances of the shopkeeper.
Little jimmie was unhappy. In her
small, meager home she felt the need
Of something. If she had been older
she might have known.
Land o. love-" the mother cried 1.-The
ehoild's a-worritin' over sumthin'. She's
tibet thin an pale as ter be er shad-
der" The poor woman paused in her
daily task of sewing and looked un-
easily at the small thin one that played
, beside her.
~ Every morning the child had strayed
) out on the next block. The mother had
! watched her and felt no uneasiness.
Whenever she looked I'm that direction
I she saw Little Jimmie standing against
. a window, looking In with all her eyes
I "Rless mew exclaimed the mother
whats II nowT
And Old Grimkee had seen and heard
|; for Little jimmie came in every day fol
; moment. and between times, when
J nobody was buying, Old Grimkee tool
her on his knee and told her the won
! derful story OF the food. And ques
tons had been asked and the Christ
mas time commented on, and Little
{ Jinnie's eyes were wonderstruck.
Where do you liver" he asked. Old
Grimkee had no children of bis own
! His son had died a year before.
Down there, near the alley. in the
8 funny little house with red windows
Z IL was nearing the time. For thres
or four days a fine snow had fallen
< aud the icicles hung from the window
! ledge in Old lGrimkees window. Many
3 OF the toys had disappeared, but the
& Noah's ark was still there Somehow
~