The Monticellonian., 1907-12-12
Christmas Eve Good LZ4@n1

There was a wild chorus of recog- milton when he appeared between the dingy green curtains that slid along a rail. Jimmy" 'Jimmy!9 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 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 man who did "big jobs and the Blacks were generally reckoned well-te-de: 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 l 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 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, wet 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 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 it because he thought he was dying. and the toys would be no use to him, and the pains in his heart sdrawed him out of himself" ," He tried to speak, but his voice was only whisper. So he beekoned to a big boy and whispered to him; and 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 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 coal-scuttle, 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 at him.
 JlulIny Sol lntO SuuueH rage Wllu Santa Claus and struck him with his fist.
 Santa Claus tottered on the man. telpiece, hut righted himself. He was more solid and weighty than Jimmy had imagined, and there was 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 ceased He must have been asleep a long time, he thought, because the fire was low; and he supposed he had been what they called light