The news & observer., 1905-12-24

yery stiff white frocks dancing around
L most ornate tree of a most astound-
,ng green, with a most fiorid Santa
Claus handing out a drum in one
1and and doll in the other, while
yhiskered father and a mother with
| most pronounced hustle smiled like
name fashion plates from the back
ground
Listen to de lazy Charley Ross!"
calculated Knuckles. Flows youse
link Use goin' ter swipe er tree, heh?
Hadn't you ought to hav er naughty
mobile instid ?''
But Coyote had run upon a new
thought. Also she had listened and
watched her mother to good effect. If
4 little water in the eyes and a broken
sob or two could work the swell
ladies, a tempest such as Coyote felt
herself capable of producing should
have a similar effect upon Knuckles.
Therefore Coyote threw herself upon
the floor and the screams that came
from her mouth We're both potent and
expressive. She yelled with a rythmic
passion, her feet going into the air
md descending in time to her lamen
-ation like the pounding of the bass
lrumsticks in the orchestra. At inter-
yals, she produced something which
she esteemed to be the equivalent of
"Ow, owl" yelled Coyote, "all de
udder kddies has dere Christmas
trees an / don't have nuttins Dis is
Chrismus an everybody's got tings
,ept me- Knuckles could swipe er
rec and he won't! Aw! aw! aw! Ali!
Aii l wants er tree like de kids wild
lie fly close!"
The lanentation of Coyote was a
wonderful and an awe-inspiring thing.
Dutifully did vi descend upon her but
the beating only added to her cries, so
hat Knuckles, finishing his glass,
placed heavy hand upon the moth
RS neck and jerled her down into
Ter chair.
Knuckles rose with all the gravity
hat pertained to the status of an ex
)ugilSt who had once stayed out the
six rounds with the travelling light
weight champion. He ambled to the
loor, with his shoulders swaying con-
temptuously at the racket He gave u
prod gious Shrug:
HE'LL" he exclaimed "dis is too
rough house for yoursi"
Ill
Mr. Knuckles was strangely moved.
He admitted to himself that this was
a new species of drunk. He had
stayed through the Charity Christmas
Tree entertainment with emotions
which were as many and as varied
as his drinks. The place swan with
light that hurt his eyes. The big tree
sparkling with candles loomed above
company of smiling, busy bodied
people who patted children on the
head and shooed them by a pile of
promiscuous toys and edibles which
were doled out rapidly. A constant
stream Of babbling children and ex-
cited mothers filed past him as he sat
in the gloom and reflected on the
meanings of this insane proceeding.
Little boys. hugging red wagons, little
girls with flaXen headed dolls. moth
ers with shawls over their heads and
sleepy babies in their arms passed
him like the multitudes of a dream.
What did it all mean, this fuss and
glitter and excitement? He eyed the
bobbing Santa Claus with profound
contempt He knew him for a green
grocer afraid of his own shadow. Who
were these people, anyway, to be
making so much fuss about giving
away a few toys? He knew em,
Knuckles reflected with a strange
sinking of the heart,-he could lick
the bunch of 'em
Again he looked at the children
Poor children! Knuckles almost snort
II at the thought What did they
know about being poor? There want
a child in the room as poor as Coy
ote--he sat up and shook himself
Coyote, damn her little eyes! Coyote
was a sport. She didn't want none
If their charity tree and saw dust
Tolls. Coyote was the real stuff. She
wanted a tree to herself, like that
hing in the picture book, with the
glass bubbles on it and the lights
md the presents hanging by strings
from the leaves, instead of in a nile
on the floor. The liquor Surged With
IN the massive breast of KnuckleS and
his face glowed with a new color
Through the mists of his drink he
seemed to see little Coyote in her rags
standing before a tree that sparkled
like silver and shone with little
burning tricks and had rubber ele-
plants hanging around on it. And all
1T once it occurred to him that any
thing that Coyote wanted she must
have. The decision came without
warming and he did not question it.
He heard the sound of his teeth grit
ting and his shoe heel grinding on
the floor AS he moved to the door
he told himself that he was a fool.
He winked his eyes to keep out the
louble glitter of the lights. In the
darkness he saw the tree dancing be-
fore his eyes in flames of many colors.
Outside Knuckles graVitated to
window into which he gazed with
almost unseeing eyes. When he could
rid himself of the vision of the tree
which occurred drunkenly and with
persistence Knuckles was thinking
hard. His hand fingered in his trous-
arS pockets q few silver coins which
elinked. Yet he did not consciously
regard them. This was q case calling
for q roll
Suddenly he saw the roll. Inside the
store jovial gentleman was stripping
1 bill from its outside layer. Knuckles
eyed the gentleman approvingly. 1t
came upon him with a new force that
the gentleman knew nothing of the
value of the roll. 1t was SO much
paper to him, while to Knuckles it
was-damn the little red headed cat,
it was Coyote! The gentleman put
he roll in his trousers pocket, right
hand side. Knuckles eyes entered
IS it were with the bills. The gentle
nan came out and started briskly for
he corner. Behind him went
Knuckles, head down and collar up.
They passed policeman and
Knuckles kept his eyes to the pave
nent They turned corner. 1t was
quite light but the crowd was thick.
The man with the roll stopped to wait