Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19
DAWN of Christmas MORN
Continued from Page 62)


children referred to their stockings.
You mustn't make such a noise about
it!" she said, half reproving, half in
dulgent. you'll wake everybody up
and you were running downstairs
tool"
"Yes!" cried Lettice, "we-we went
into the parlor to see If Santa Claus
had been down the chimney, and ne
had-he had. There's ever so many
parcels and boxes on the rug"
Nonsense, Lettie! It's just trick
said Marjorie.
at isn't!" cried both children. come
and see!"
They seized a hand each. and Mar
jorie suffered herself to be led down
stairs into the parlor. There she
paused, transfixed with astonishment.
The rug was fairly covered with
hampers, boxes and parcels. HOW
came they there? Who had brought
them? How had anyone obtained en-
trance to the house? And one person
could hardly have brought in all these
packages, which Lettice and Rosie
devoutly believed had come down the
chimney.
Their screams of delight brought
BESSIE on the scene-and the worthy
woman nearly fell down in her amaze
ment Surely this was witchcratt!
Marjorie, however, proceeded TO
search for some clew to the mystery.
There was none-no label or ADDRESS,
nothing to prove how ali these parcels
had found their way into the farm
house.
BEST open them!" said the girl, and
she and Bessie set to work.
First a big hamper was opened and
presently disclosed a large turkey, at
sight whereof there was such Jublla-
ton that the noise of 1t brought MT.
and Mrs Medwin, in dressing gowns
ChnnlnCG
in his nightshirt, to know what had
happened.
Amid a commotion of cries, ex-
clamations and running comment,
which can easily be imagined, truly
astounding array of good Things was
produced from box, hamper and pack
age-a goose, ham, bacon, grapes,
figs. oranges, almonds and raisins, IN
glorious profusion; candied fruit, pots
of lam cakes and biscuits and last,
but certainly not least ellcltlng
round of cheers and hand-elapplng,
plum pudding of the most generous
proportions. ,.
Rnt who had sent, or rather brought,
all these things? Who was the gen.
erous Santa Claus and how had an
entrance been effected? Bessie stoutly
denied completely. Santa Claus, then,
must have really come down the
chimney, or in some other way got
into the house.
"Perhaps it was Harry Lu1ham,
suggested Mrs. Medwin; but Marjorie
shook her head. The idea was TOO
whimsical for that stolid young man,
who, moreove, was not fond OF laV-
ish expenditure.
All conjectures failed to establish the
identity of Santa Claus, but the real
ity of his gifts was beyond question
Not only was a bounteous Christmas
dinner provided, but there was proven
der for the whole week afterwa1d.
Bessie retired to the kitchen, carry
ing off the turkey, the pudding, and
other eatables and the family retired
to its various apartments to finish in
terrupted toilets or commence those
not yet begun.
They all went to church in the morn
ing and came back to find the table
spread in the parlor and big fire in
the CRATE.
I'VE must have a good fire." said
Bessie ito do honor to all the good
cheer"
1T looks like old times" said the
farmer with glistening eyes. God
bless whoever sent all these things"
"Who could it be?" said his wife for
the hundredth time. Some one, evil
IDENTIFY, who knew we were poor, anu
how did he get into the house?"
They were all around the fire wait
ing for the dinner to be brought in,
Lettice and Rosie clinging to Marjorie,
who looked pale, with a strained eX-
preston in her dark eyes, but tried
to share the general joy.
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