Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19

voice was encouraging az told him about you IN my
letter I wish had told him you'd never had doll,
a real one"
HUH Whatd want Of doll?" shifted Maggie
Haven't | always had Terry? Haven't got you"
Maggie's words and tone may have been brusque,
but her eyes were mothery and Bobs little hand was
stretched out to touch her gown as she passed HIM
But by this time, the Santa Claus who filled Bobs
dreams by day and night with such unaloyed joy had
become horror to Maggie and Terry; each night
they discussed their fears.
He'll never come" sobbed Maggie, and poor
Bob' be so disappointed"
But what can we do, Maggie?" questioned Terry.
"If the snow wasn't so deep Meters might come and
bring some candy and we could tell Bob that Santa
Claus had brought that, but he can't, and ii Meters
can't get up, you know, nothing And there isn't
another bowl anyway Even if Santa Claus could get
here he couldn't find the bowl"
The children could not comfort each other, and they
knew only too we'll that they could get help from
the men who had stayed at Hogan's. II Mrs Mon
Afghan had only been there Maggie thought she might
have helped but it was there was nothing, aoso-
lutely nothing
To make things even worse on Christmas Eve
heavy snowstorm set in, great white fakes falling
softly down, huge white piling higher and
higher around tree stumps and deserted novels.
"If Harris don't move out to-day, he'll be showed
under tonight"
This was the comforting speech that Maggie heard
fall from her fathers lips in the morning Showed
under! Then Santa Claus could find Bob at all
And, OF course Harris wouldn't All day long
he shoveed the away from his cabin or else sat,
gloomy and morose, paying heed 10 his own child
or to the other little boy and girl
Just before nghtfal the children struggled home,
and after their supper crept into bed They could not
sleep for thinking of Bob and his coming grief and dis
as.aAaa
and at ten o'clock the moon shone out ROY i and
white revealing gittering frozen world
Terry tried to console himself with his dice. II
the six comes up" he said, " he won't come" And
the fateul six had come.
alt isn't the bowl" by this time Terry was strug-
Cling with his tears; he only little boy and very
fond of his pathetic playmate don't want it, but
Bob wouldn't ever take it if did give it to him.
want Santa Claus to get him He'll never be
happy again if Santa Claus don't come. just know
Maggie felt that her cup of grief would surely over
flow, for here Terry sobbing, and she could not
comfort him. for she knew too, that it Santa Claus
that Bob wanted quite much as he did the bowl.
And then, surey it was the dear old saint himself who
sent her thought.
Terry" she whispered would you really be will
ing to give Bob your bowl2"
"Then" and Maggies voice was mysterious and
low, we'll take it to him now."
In the moonlight the boys blue eyes looked like
glass marbles. Now" he questioned.
Yes, now"
Maggie was already up moving stealthily about the
room, ping all the clothes she could find,
and Terry followed her example. They tied
forters their heads and muffled themselves in
blankets.
Have you got t1" she whispered, and he held up
the beloved possession.
How can we give it to him now1" he asked again
and again. but Maggie vouchsaied Out
into the night she led the way and the two little
wadded figures gided along over the frozen surface OF
He'll never know"-in the crystal frost her words
clatered against each other" he'll never know, and
he'll be sure it Santa Claus because" and she
grasped Terrys hand harder :" because we'll drop it
down the chimney.
Terry stood still in the snow.
"Climb on the roof and drop it down the chimney"
"Yes," assented Maggie, you know the snow is all
banked up between the slide and the chimney. We
will climb up that and creep along to the chimney
and drop it down Then it'll fall the ashes 1t
can't burn and Bobl it the first thing in the
ing"
Terry voiced little Shrek more like the squeak OF
a mouse than any human sound.
50 Ii only had some bells he cried, " Bob might
think it was the reindeer"
Then Maggie reached the climax of her delight Out
from under her muflng garments she drew the camps
dinner bell that she had seized on her passage through
the dining-room
He said they tnlled and don't think this tinkes."
she said, q but if he's not very wide awake he won't
know"
She shook the iron capper around in its brazen cup
producing sound that not even the most imaginative
child could have transformed into seigh-bell But it
satisfied Terry, it satisfied Maggie and entered into
Bobs light sumbers enough to make him smile and
murmur drowsy:
." Santa Claus7 Yes, mamma"
Up to the very chimney top they climbed and Terry
loosed his hold his treasure They heard it strike
heavily the ashes in the hearth For just "A second
they waited Would BObs ears hear his beloved Santa
Claus? Would the clumsy little feet in their snow
shoes sound like twinklng reindeer hoofs?
Silently they slipped down from the roof and be-
fore long they fast asleep in their cold little bed
The next morning with a thought for break
fast they hurried to the Harris cabin In through the
door they tumbed and there lay Bob, the stone NOR
tar casped in his arms
Merry Christmasl Merry Chrstmasi he shouted
and, in tones tremulous with Joy, added You see?
Its little smaller than yours, Terry" this with
kindly discriminating glance from Terry to the bowl
but it's just good, and you'll never have to bring
yours to again"
And then something curious happened, The morosc,
silent father put his hand on Terrys head and said
" God bless you'll
But Bob, in his gleeful voice cried: God bless Us
all. That's what used to say