The San Francisco call., 1908-12-19

kicking cobblestones. and the red tops
were changing color, chameleon like.
to singed brown; it was truly a
hideous nightmare.
At this moment little Harry entered
the room, and the two white faced,
speechless boys stood watching the
dreadful contortions, until. finally, the
incarnate reptiles stiffened into two
crisp. gnarled, inanimate objecls.
What are they?' at last gasped
Harry.
Besides the fear occasioned by the
uncanny nature of the scene just en-
acted, a feeling of renorse crept into
Leonards mind: he had been the cause
of the tragic end of the little red topped
boots. He swallowed hard before an
swering: Its the boots; L got them
wet-and put them there to dry--and--
and they got alive, or something, and
then-died"
Harry dropped to the floor in little,
tenseless heap. Tears stood in his
eyes.
What will mother say?" he whis-
pered They were my little brother
Willie's-he died years and years ago.
Mothers been keepin 'em, but this
year Santa Claus was so poor, he said
for mother to give EN- to me for a
Christmas present"
Leonard stood dazed The situation
was too appalling for his small mind
to master. He could think of nothing
to say, nor anything to do that might
furnish a panacea for the terrible
At last. like buoy thrown to a
drowning man in midocean, came the
memory of the course his father had
pursued once. when they were in the
auto and had run over a little dog be-
longing to a boy who wore clothes with
holes in.
His father had run his hand into his
fpocket, grandly, and thrown the nttle
boy a gold piece, saying: ''Beggars
have no business with dogs"
He couldn't very well say that about
the boots but he could give Harry a
gold piece.
Without a word he ran out of the
cottage and mp the liill to thesbig house.
He got his little bank, and shook it
until a piece Of gold fell out; then
back down the hill he ran, as fast as
his little legs would carry him.
He had it all planned: He would
have the money in his pocket. and,
walking into the room grandIy he
would draw the gold piece out, and
hand it--no, throw it-maybe he would
throw ito Harry; here, he remem-
bered how he had looked back after
they had run over the dog; and, in
stead OF tue itlllt DpT III rags plCk1H2
up the gold, he was holding the dying
dog in his arms crying pitifully-and
his father had called him a chicken
hearted baby because he cried, too. He
swallowed the hateful lump in his
throat again and braced up to his origi-
nal purpose.
He was near the door of the cottage;
he Strengthened his aristocratic little
figure and marched up the steps, grand
l1- a-,d n
Harry's mother was there now, and,
with Harryis arms around her neck,
they were both crying softly. sthe tears
dropping on what was left of the dead
Willie's little red topped boots, which
lay in Mrs. Ford's lap
There was something inside Leonard
that began to SWELL and swell till he
had no room to breathe. His throat
ached; his face became hot and red;
and his eyes grew swimming then,
with a wild burst of grief, he ran 20
them and in Mrs. Ford's arms, he
esobbed as though his little heart was
breaking. y,
The fiimsy barrier of pride of wealth
fell before the beautiful spirit of SYM
pathy and love. With tears still shin
ing in his eyes, and with face illum-
ined with excitement and noble pur-
pose, Leonard slipped the piece of gold
into Mrs. Ford's hand.s Please, Mrs.
Ford" he pleaded. get Harry some
more boots with this money" and be-
fore Mrs. Ford could frame an objec-
tion, he had seized little Harry's hand
and was hurrying him out of the house
and up the hill.
Come on UP TO my house, Harry"
he exclaimed, santa Claus isn't poor:
he just made a mistake in distributing
things. Well divide up what he
brought to me-