The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-13
THE EVENING TIMES. GRAND FORKS, N. D.

standing beside them. Judge Corad ex-
planned something to her in very long
words, and she smiled down at the
little boy.
Well, said the Judge, taking ten
cents and handing it back to Arthur.
The other money will be enough to
pay for the strap Billy took. When
you go home you can tell them it is all
settled. But there are five days yet
before Christmas, and shouldn't
wonder If you might be able to earn
little more money in that time. 1
have been looking for little boy about
your size to sort over some maya
zines and pile them up for me. Now
if you would like to work for about
an hour every day, shouldn't wonder
If you could earn as much money as
you had before, or maybe little more.
Will you do it?'
YES" said Arthur. His heart was
very light now. What a beautiful room
that library was! He wondered why
it had seemed so dark and gloomy when
he first came in. What pleasant man
the judge was! He wondered why he
had ever ben afraid of him Miss Co.
rad too, was certainly the most beauti-
fui woman he had ever seen.
We'll, them" said the Judge, Its
bargain Suppose you come up tomor-
row about 10 o'clock. I won't be home
myself, but my little girl here will."-
Arthur wondered why he called her
his little girl-"and she will show you
what to do. And say" he added as
the little fellow was about to go, lets
make a secret of it, will you? Don't
tell your folks that you are earning
money, and then my little girl and 1
Will go and help you buy the presents,
and we'll surprise them ALL What do
you say? Will you do it?"
Yes" said Arthur. A surprise had
been part of his plan with Miss Simp-
son, too.
The great OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES were
certainly very wonderful. Arthur had
seen much of their wonder before
through the windows, but he had never
heen inside, and he had never expected
to buy his Christmas presents in them.
Miss Simpson had planned to buy from
much smaller and, as far as Arthur's
experience went, beter-known stores
Of the neighborhood. The holiday
goods which these little stores dis
played were perhaps tawdry and mean,
but they had seemed quite wonderful
in his eyes. Now, hustled and jostled
by surging crowd of men, women,
and other children, clinging in desper-
alton, nowto Miss Corad's hand and
now to her skirt, his little mind was
bewildered, and his sensations were
rather those of one who is making
martyr of himself for the god of those
whom he loves, than OF Il child sight
seeing in a fairy-land of toys. There
were SO many beautiful, beautiful
things; so many things that he would
have gone into ecstasies over, could
he have considered them one at
time; SO many things that he knew
would rejoice the heart of Billy and of
his mother and of the twins, that he
lost all appreciation of them and
could not feel that they were real
Miss Corad was buying great deal,
and from time to time she asked Ar
thur questions concerning this or that
wondering if Billy would like GER
tain muff1er, or if his mother would
like dress from certain piece of
cloth; but the little boys answers had
begun to grow so vague that she at
last contented herself with her own
judgment. Arthur knew that she was
buying his gifts for him, and he had a
dull sense of being wronged; for he
could not tell in the number of other
things which she bought just what
had been purchased with the money
he had earned at Judge Corad's, nor