Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-12-28
Christmas Eve Good Right


There was 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 ill,
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 a 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 1 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 I'd knock
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 it to the lawyer at once.
He went to the door and faced a
e ~r<~l
| in rows from the front of the shop
right across the alley.
JIMMY" they cried. GIVE us
somethinki Yer might JIMMY"
Jimmy always said afterward that
| he only did it because he thought he
was dying, and the toys would be nc
use to him, and the pains in his
heart "drawed him out of himself
He tried to speak, but his voice was
only a whisper. So he beckoned to
a big boy and whispered to him; an6
the boy stood up on the doorstep
and shouted to 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 in to plead for theil
babies at home. Boys and girl
came in to remind him of their broth
ers and sisters. By nine o'clock b,
had given to every small inhabitan
of the alley.
Then Jimmy tried to go to bed
but was so weak and giddy that h
could not climb the stairs. So h,
| h4 Ii
felt strange as well as poorly. Tn
chairs, the fire-irons, the coal-scuttle
the table-cover, everything, seemed t
turn into fantastic figures, and long
tailed demons were running up tn
blinds. Santa Claus on the mantle
piece was scowling and sneering a
him.
Jimmy got into sudden rage wit
Santa Claus and struck him with hi
fist
Santa Claus tottered on the mar
telpiece, but righted himself. He wa
more solid and weighty than Jimm
had imagined, and there was a clinl
! ing sound as he swayed-a sound c
J blinking money The truth fiashe
upon Jimmy as he sank back exhaus
| ed in the armchair. The Ion
stocking was In Santa Claus and b
, could not get to it, and he neve
: would, because he was going to di
| He saw Santa Claus leering at hi
r when he woke, and in his dream
: and when he dozed- Then he suddel
: ly looked frightened Some one wa
= knocking loudly at the door That wa
: what frightened him. Jimmy vol
t completely Just as the knockir
a ceased He must have been asles
|, long time. he thought. because IL
' fire was low; and he supposed !
had been what they sailed lixt