The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1908-11-19

Instead OF recovering from the nervous
headache which took her to her bed
on the day OF Jerry's departure from
FL Paso. she contracted fever OF a
violent nature. aud doctor was in al
most constant attendance at her bed.
side for weeks. Mike OConnor told
Wallace Chambers OF what he had
done to help Jerry and OF the thrilling
experiences in the mountains Of Mex
leo. The great merchant Immediately
took a tremendous liking to the Irish
man. and sent him out at the head Of
a dozen detectives TO hunt for his son.
II was on the 23d OF October that
the newspapers came out with scare
head" captions over story that the
body of Jerry Chambers. distorted and
so decomposed that II was almost un-
recognizable, had been found near an
island in the Rio Grande river. a short
distance from its mouth. Wallace
Chambers FASTENED from che Pacific
coast to FL Paso. where the body OF
the drowned man lay in a morgue.
While he could not recognize II as that
OF his son, he was reasonably con-
WINGED that the long search had ended
as the newspapers declared Il had,
When the body OF Jerry Chambers
was found in the Rio Grande river
Gerard Chambers was No. 10 in q pub
lie workhouse in San Francisco1 He
had not seen a newspaper for weeks.
Just how he had succeeded In eluding
the swarms OF reward-hunters he
never tried to explain to himself. He
simply kept walking. riding. running.
lodging and swimming until he was
far away. When he finally arrived In
San Francisco no detective on earth
could have identified him as the much
sought-for young man. He wore full
beard and there was little flesh ON his
bones. He remained in the Golden
Gate city until he was arrested for
vagrancy and sentenced 10 a months
Imprisonment In workhouse. When
he was released the case OF Jerry
Chambers had been dropped by the
newspapers. and he did not know that
he had figured as the principal in one
of the mosttalked-of mystery" stories
that ever found space In the press.
Christmas eve found him In the
railroad yards of Portland. Ore. The
snow lay a foot deep on the ground
and the air was white with flakes, The
empty box car In which he shivered
was started to a siding while he was
in the midst of a dream-a mind pic
ture OF his last Christmas eve In
New York. He wept when he was
aroused to the awful reality.
He decided to spend the night in the
car and to beg his Christmas breakfast
in the morning. AS he lay In one cor
ner. as far away from the draughty
door cracks as possible, he fell to
meditating. n1
Christmas in tramps clothing for
the son of multi-millionaire! A beg
gar's hand-out' for a Christmas din
ner-and maybe not that" he unused.
I'VE gods. but this is plight And
Marina, Sorrow. sorrow. sorrow-
nothing but sorrow for her this Christ
mas day."
His cheeks, now shorn OF their
growth Of long hair, were tear-stained
when he fell asleep that night before
Christmas-that night before the most
glorious day Of all the year. When
the dawn came Jerry was awakened
by the glad ringing of the church bells.
He went to the door and looked
through a crack. The sky was cloud
less and the peeping sun strewed a
pathway OF diamonds before him.
There never has been a Christmas
morn when I awoke with gloom in my
heart, never a Christmas morning that
did not bring me happiness he said
to himself, and I'll not let this one
be the first OF unhappiness. I'll be
glad and happy II ! don't eat mouth
full all day, I'll smile until the day Is
gone; I'll greet as others greet; I'll
wish as others wish; III give as 9TH
ers-" Here he stopped and laughed.
A few minutes later he was out of
the car and trudging through the
snow towards a street He went TO
the back door OF the first house he
came to--a small. humble cot.
"win you give me bite to eat this
morning?" he asked OF sweet-faced
young woman who responded to his
rapping. .ry GIL
We haven't much for Christmas
breakfast" said she. almost apollo
geiically. hut you may share II
with u.s." sfta is3
AS he sat at table near the warm
kitchen stove he mentally invoked
blessings upon this housewife. and be
had just begsn TO eat when her nus
band came into the room,
1T isn't much" said the husband.
big young fellow with calIoused hands
but you are welcome TO II as you are
To the air" He sat down and talked
Eyes. Il is tough to have to beg OF
shovel snow for Christmas meal
said Jerry. but II may be tougher
not to have any at all"
oh. don't be discouraged, old man,
said the householder. Some da,
things'll be coming your way ant
youll forget all about this measel
bite Don't get Gown IN the mouth on
| Christmas day OF all days. Wer'