The Newark journal., 1907-12-20

Christmas eve. and explored the house with kind of numb curiosity. He spent most of the morning in the shop parlor in the armchair in front of the fire He did not even go out to the quiok-lunch room for the beau. tiful dinner that he had promised himself He had taken lot of milk from the milkman and he kept drink. ing that He did not seem to care about anything but milk and every thing felt strange and uncanny The figure on the mantelpiece-a white bearded old gentleman which he be lieved was called Santa Claus-was the strangest and uncanniest of all The fire was almost out so he put on some more coal He saw that it was nearly four o'clock 'Lumme!" he muttered I've let the day go an avent done no bus ness This won't do I'll take down the shutters, an open the shop.
 There was a wild chorus of recog. milton when he appeared between the dingy green curtains that slid along rail Jimmy" Jimmy" Want any one to run your errins Jimmy"
 Yer might give us somethink Jim my?" He heard all these greetings and dozen more
 He shook his head and returned to his seat He certainly did feel III. and he seemed to lose things for few minutes. until Bill Black came in for three little toys. Bill was looked up to in the alley as man who did big jobs,' and the Blacks were generally reckoned well-to-do; but Bills transactions hadn't been very profitable lately. and he had to be careful because he knew that the police had their eye on him. So they were. hard up, like the rest
 Found the long stockin', Jimmy?" he asked, casually, when he had taken the toys.
 "No." said Jimmy. And if had 1t 'ud be at the lawyers, Bill, an don't yer make no mistake"
 Bill growled under his breath. If yer didn't look half dead I'd knock yer head orf, yer young hound" he said, "insinywaitin' ag'inst an honest man. Coin to offer to do anythink fer yer, the missus was, wot I'll soon put stop to now"
 He gave Jimmy ferocious scowl es ke went out, and Jimmy resolved that if he found the stocking he would take it to the lawyer at once.
 He went to the door and faced & crowd of excited faces that ranged in rows from the front of the shop right across the alley.
 Jimmy" they cried. Give us somethink! Yer might. Jimmy"
 Jimmy always said afterward that he only did 1t because he thought he was dying, and the toys would be no use to him. and the pains In his heart "drawed him out of himself" He tried to speak. but his voice was only whisper So he beckoned to big boy and whispered to him: and the boy stood up on the doorstep. and shouted 10 the crowd: "Jimmy's goin to give yer a toy each Jim my
 The big boy went sprawling before the crowd that swayed and struggled in. and Jimmy was driven back to the counter
 Women came Tn to plead for their babies at home Boys and girls came in to remind him of their broth, CTS and sisters By nine o'clock he had given to every small inhabitant of the alley.
 Then Jimmy tried to go to bed but was so weak and giddy that he could not climb the stairs. So he sat in the armchair Instead He felt strange as well as poorly The chairs, the fire-irons, the coalscuttle. the table-cover. everything, seemed to turn into fantastic figures. and long tailed demons were running up the blinds. Santa Claus on the mantel piece was scowling and sneering al him.
 Jimmy got into sudden rage with Santa Claus and struck him with his fist
 Santa Claus tottered on the man. telpiece but righted himself. He was more solid and weighty than Jimmy