Arizona republican., 1907-12-24
TOOL CHEST By JOHN KENDRlCK BANGS


 By JOHN KEMDRlCk BANGS ! fairly itching to take few shayings off the polished hard wood floor in the drawing room. If Santa Claus had only remembered 10 bring along wa gon load of lumber. or three or four dozen blanks to exercise the tool chest en, il wouldn't have been so bad. but either in the hurry of his work. now that there are so many thousand more children to be looked after than there used to be. or in the endless number of other things the good old Saint had to think about at the time, he had for gotten to do this; and it took all, the self lf-denial that Jimmieboy had to keep him from making use of the woodwork and furniture instead. l am inclined to think he did try the ginIlet on one of the window sills. because there is a little hole just below the sash in the south nursery window that II don't believe came there all by itself, but I didn't see him do it. so l can't say positively whether he did or not what l do know is thar the gimlet and the little hole were a perfect fit, which in addition 10 the fact that there were no mosquitoes around 10 bore a hole like that at-that time of year. was very suspicious
 1 At any rate things so happened that when nlghtfall arrived neither Jimmie boy nor the tool-chest had had fair chance to make a working acquain- tance with each other. which even the tools themselves realized. for, strange to relate, just after supper. when their owner was engaged in rather fierce contest with the Sandman. Jimmieboy heard the Hammer remark that if all Christmases were as dull as this one he for one would rather be a snow shovel.
 i JimInieboy rubbed his eyes with as tonishment, and failed 10 notice a grin on the face Of the Sandman. What kind of a Hammer was this pray. that it could talk?
 l You're perfectly right" replied the Saw. 'I never sawed such a day. I'd rather spend my time at the dentists ! having every one of my teeth filled than just sit around all day doing nothing at all'
 'HThey haven't even fed us. growl- ed the Hatchet. When have to go without a chop it makes me feel so ,,aull"
 Such bully day out. too" said the Screw Driver with a sigh. There's nothing I'd have liked better than to hitch up a couple of screws to a cutter and drive 'em off into the country for a ten mile turn"
 I'd rather drive team of nails" put in the Hammer. They gp much straighter. Screws ar too twisty for me. They make me dizzy, twirling around the way they do"
 "Yes-but they're faster in the endT said the Screw-Driver. Then you have to keep knocking the nails to make 'em go. and l think that's tire some. IL makes me shiver when l see you hitting those poor nails on the head the way you do, but with a well ftrsined screw just a turn of the hand makes him go just where you want him to"
 You're too tender hearted" said the Il Hammer Nails are naturally lazy. and you have to whack 'em to get them to do any work at all
 1 Well. I'm just bored to death said the Auger. -I feel like taking the bit in my teeth and bolting"
 II That's because you haven't had a chance to bore anybody else" observed the Jack Plane sarcastically. Il Well, returned the Auger. 'I don't need shave the way you do.' Y Whereupon all the tools burst into a roar of laughter in which even the Jack Plane himself joined. II "I move we do something" said the Hammer, after the merriment had sub sided I'm ready for a strike."~ II I'm with you." said the Claw Ham, mcr. I'll pull up stakes and go in for anything"
 II We might build a house." suggested | the Chisel. There's a first class | place for one out there on the lawn where the snow has been blown off" ! The tools all clambered out of the chest and. to Jimmieboy's further de- i light swarmed up to the window-sil and looked out.
 Fine" cried the Hammer. Just the thing. The snow has stopped coming down and the moons out" ' "Hoorary!" shouted the Saw, grin ! 4iihS NlAll JtNs SO liidl every lOoil III ! his head was visible 'It'll be such lark"
 And then began such a merry scrani- ble as Jimmieboy had never seen be- | fore-and oh what awful things they did. tool In a minute with the aid of the Chisel. they had pried open the window and one and all disappeared through it. jumping down softly on the snow drifts below. and making rapidly for the hard. bare spot on the lawn to which the chisel had referred. l There's just a little ice here" the Hammer was saying. as Jimmieboy. utterly unable to remain behind. fol- lowed the oueer little party of work CTS through the window We've got to be careful or the house will go slid ing down hill after we get it built
 I'll fix that in jiffy," said the