The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-25

dinner''-''This fellow Is overcome by some recollection of his former life''- "See if that isn't it back there, Frank" -'Sympathize with him and play upon his feelings and he will go without the money''-'Oh, good, l thought 1t was there"
 The drink was mixed.
 The burglar drank his quickly, nerv- ously.
 Thank you, lady" he said. 'I once had home of my own, just like this, and my own whiskey and soda, and my own kids, and our Christmases, and"
 His voice broke and he buried his face deeper in the muffler conceAling his fea- lures. He seemed to be sobblng quietly.
 "Oh, you poor man." Mrs. Nelson con- soled, with meaning glance at her hus- band aside, ''you poor man. I am so sorry for you. Tell us about it. Why are you a-why haven't you got 1t nowi"
 The burglar glanced up furtiYely.
 Its an old story, lady" he replied, "an old story. I haven't thought about 1t for a year. It's a hard business I'm in. ma'am, hard one, and we have no time for thoughts of things as they used to be. It's no heart and all strong arm and big fist. ,"
 Tell us about 1t, please" Nelly 'soothed, elevating her eyebrows slightly, signin- Ndnll9y Ut utL nusbdnu anu IENt1NiuB d yelled nod of understanding in return.
 The burglar started suddenly from his deep reverie and sighed pitiably.
 You see, lady" he began, it was like this: l was once fin a bank-a receiving teller. No matter where the bank is-it isn'f in this city. I was married to the sweetest woman God ever put on this earth-Heien was her name She had hair as black as the fog over the river at
 a-.a.A IA .pf And her eyes-dark and big and-but that's foolish. Cut itl Well, as I was saying, we were married And we had the most comfortable little fiat ever. wasn't making much at the bank and it WAS mighty tight squeeze, I can tell you But Helen was a good manager and the kids, somehow, made everything worth while. Often, when 1t seemed that couldn't hold out a day longer, the feel of those kids arms around my neck and the long evenings at home romping and play ing with them on the floor and Helen sew ing by the table and-shucks! I'm getting woozy and batty in the headl But you understand, don't yOuY
 "Yes, I understand-and I'm sorry" Nelly eonsoled.
 And, then-Christmas timesl What happy Christmases we did have! We didn't have much money for presents but WnaI we did nave We always tried to spend so it would make everything seem Christmasy, you know. From the first we always had tree. even if it was only a little broken one that the market men were almost willing to give away. And on Christmas Eve Helen and would work like beavers getting things ready for the kids in the morning. I always liked to trim the Christmas tree. Weeks before Helen would begin making little tree ornaments out of tinseled paper and then we would buy as many as we could afford. Christmas was always the biggest day in the year for us. It's the kids that make Christmas and without them-I haven't had Christmas for so long that I didn't even know this Is Christmas Eve until I came in here to- night. I came to rob you-but those kids of yours and the Christmas talk has just about finished me"
 "The pastT' Nelson murmured. ''Is 1t so black, thenr"
 "Black7 Black7' the burglar reiterated. '1 should say 1t isl The only thing I haven't done is to commit murder. When I think of what I used to be and what I