The Prescott daily news., 1907-12-24

VI tlN III iAC utd HOl CNCH SO Oul to the quick-lunch room for the beau tiful dinner that he had promised himself. He had taken a 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 1t was nearly four o'clock. "Lumme!" he muttered I've let the day go. an 'aven't done no business. 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 a dozen more
 He shook his head and returned to his seat, He certainly did feel i'll, and he seemed to lose things for a 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 Bill's 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 it 'u'd be at the lawyers, Bill, an don't yer make no mistake"
 Bill growled under his breath. If yer didn't look half dead Id 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 a ferocious scowl as he went out, and Jimmy resolved that if he found the stocking he would take 1t to the lawyer at once.
 He went to the door and faced a 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 te 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 hoy and whispered to him; and the boy stood up on the doorstep and shouted to the crowd: "Jimmy's goin to give yer 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 in 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 10 every small inhabitant of the alley.
 Then Jimmy tried to go to bed but was so weak and giddy tha. he could not climb the stairs So he l sat in the armchair instead He l felt strange as well as poorly The l chairs the fre-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 scoYling and sneering al him
 Jimmy got into a sudden rage with Santa Claus and struck him with h!s fist
 Santa Claus tottered on the man telpiece. but righted himself He was more solid and weighty than Jimmy had imagined. and there was a clink. ing sound as he swayed-a sound of clinking money The truth flashed upon Jimmy as he sank back exhaust. ed in the armchair The long stocking" was in Santa Claus. and he could not get to it. and he never would, because he was going to die. He saw Santa Claus leering at him when he woke, and in his dreams. and when he dozed Then he sudden. ly looked frightened. Some one was knocking loudly at the door That was what frightened him. Jimmy woke | completely just as the knocking