Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-23
JIMMIE'S CHRISTMAS

knows she's lost, he will go to police head
quarters, to have the city searched for her
Now, you must go right over there, tell the
officers where and how you found Bessie, and
where she is now"
but, granny, hain't there Jest the littlest
keep ber?''
It's wicked of you, Jimmie, even to thinl,
| Of such thing" said the old lady, severely.
suppose she was really your sister, and you
had lost her, don't you think you would feel
badly, and be angry, if any one knew where
she was. and wouldn't tell you?'
Jimmie pondered over this new presenta-
tion of the case in silence for a few minutes,
and then he said, quickly:
That settles it, granny, an I'll find her
father fur her. But -but-but yer don't
do yer?"
face once, and then go and tell the officers
about her"
Jimmie wiped his mouth carefully with the
sleeve OF his coat, kissed Bessies cheek, and
then ran out of the door rapidly, as if he
was afraid he. would not be willing to give
her up if he should look at her too long.
Once in the street. he ran at full speed,
for when he understood that there might be
some one who would feel worse at losing
Bessie than he would at having her go away,
he was anxious to put an end to the grief
at once
He was breathless from having run so far
when he arrived at police headquarters, but
he managed to stammer out, to the first
policeman he met in the building:
Say, mister, I've come ter tell yer where
Bessie is"
whats that? Who is Besse?" asked
the official, quickly, seeing by Jimmie's ex-
citement that he fanced he brought import
ant news, and not able to understand what
he meant
= "Why, Bessie. ther little girl 1 found on
Fourteenth street today"
"Ah, a lost child case, eh?" said the off
Ger, disappointed because it was not some
thing OF more startling nature. "Come with
me, and III show you the man who attends
to such cases."
From what his grandmother had said, Jim
mie expected to find the entire police depart
ment i'll an uproar because of the loss of Bes-
sic, and when he saw that such was not the
case, he began to hope that he might be able
to keep her, after all.
AS he followed the policeman, he began to
lay his plans as to what he would do in case
she was at his home Christmas and already
did it seem to him tlat the whole matter
would result IN his having Bessie for sister.
On being led before the officer who attend
ed to such cases, Jimmie grew confused, and
1t was not at all easy for him to tell his
story; it seemed, from the way the man
questioned him, as if it was believed he had
been guilty OF some crime, and he was al
most certain they were going to send him
to Jail.
But he did succeed, after awhile, in telling
his story. and then the officer examined a
wonderfully large book while Jimmie won
dered ii they ever hanged people who let
children walk home with them when they
were particularly anxious to do so.
There has been no such child reported
here, said the officer, as he completed his
examination of the written pages "Te nje
where You live, and if anyone comes we can
send them for her.
This was said in so much more friendly n
tone than that used when the questions were
asked, that Jimmie succeeded in gaining suf-
ficient courage to say, after he had given his
address:
"If anybody should come an say that they
didn't care very much about havin' ther little
! girl back, won't you tell 'em that granny an
III keep her, an be glad of the chance?"
IF they should appear disposed to let her
go, Ill tell them what you say" replied the
man, with smile.
And Jimmie left the ROOM feeling that he
had conducted the matter with so much tact
that there was very little chance but that
he could keep Bessie.
"There, sir, he said, to himself, as he
stepped on to the sidewalk in front of pri-
yate carriage, drawn BY two horses, and driven
by man in the stiffest of iveries; "when
| git to be a man III buy Bessie two lest
such carriages as that, an then she kin ride
even when she goes out ter git ther milk"
Here, boy! Come back here, boyl" shout
ed some one, from the building Jimmie had
just left.
But he was so busily engaged with his air.
castles that were to be realities in the futuce,