Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25

began TO float by us in twos and ,hr...
Ineir boisterous laughter sounded like a
hockery upon the sentiment of Christ
mas morn. \ tramp skunk out of tn.
La I hness WIN winning plea for aims.
ne saw our tattered appearance and
stopped to pass a social word or two ON
supJectS or interest to the outcast ONLY
Al iUh street woman with red cheeks
ies,ated IN front of US and then passed
on. her smile freezing into a look Of dis.
gust. wv" vi o's
what Yer going to do?" Whispered
Spuos. Walk the streets ali night.
oome on. let's go back to the Mission
ana go to sleep I'm cold
We got bad headache" co,,-
plained- couldn't sleep tonight. Don't
iet me Keep you up. though III Walk
u Low, as iar as the Mission with you and
meet you In the morning"
But Spuds was reluctant to leave M.
nnaiiy persuaded him to do so. and VIII,
se Isnark' GU sure are a funny gu,
ne led the way back to the Mission. Ne
WEI we5e on the south side OF the Avenue,
ana Spuds looked longingly through fhs
WINDOWS or an all-night restaurant
wish 1 hadn't bought so many hmm
lners OF whisky" he muttered; I'm hun
SIE, couldn't do thing to some soft
thought Spuds would drop dead uha,
81 bill. Ne" i"'''
I've been holding this out for our
o,, uihner tomorrow, | said, in
answer to his look of wonderment. Wa
can get a good feed now and have plentv
ieft. L knew if I sprung il this evening
IL would have gone for hummers.'
pay You sure are strange guy. but
you're wise at that whispered Snudr
as l led the way into the restaurant
Spuos got Ills boiled potatoes-seyeral
orders of them-and the way he ,iowneJ
soIt-noiied eggs caused the tired little
waitress to look anxiously at the casbier
When l paid the checks both waitress
ana cashier breathed easier Out on fire
street again | insisted on Spuds taking
what was left of the five-doIlar hill
keep ii for me until the morning"
said. Some enc might touch me wander
ing around the streets
Spuds stared at me grayelv
Say" he said. I'm wise: you amt no
bum at ALL What's your Iay9"
NO: not quite bum, Spuds. Just
down on my luck: that's all
wen, It's none of my circus anyway"
Down on the corner young man in
full evening dress was holding serious
conversation with an electric light pole
Over by the marke. a pair of old negroes
We're crouched over the dying embers
Of wood fire. We stopped to warm our
hands. AT sth street We butt into Hungry
Joe's pardner. the boy with air castles
He was looking ike lost soul.
What's the natter" inquired Spuds.
Hungry Joe's pinched,' walled the boy.
He panhandled plain clothes bull ode
tective) and they just hauled him of. [
wonder how long they will give him? I'm
green to this burg
About sixty days" smiled Spuds.
'They hand it to us i'm this village
Don't you want a pardner? Ia like ID
travel with you
Come on back to the mission. and
We'll talk it over" answered spuds
l left them there at the door of the
mission. The dirty face OF Spuds' took
on a serious expression when l insisted
upon shaking hands with him.
What's the matter? You amt going
to commit suicide. are you?" lie asked,
anXiously.
/ told him that / had no such inten.
ton. and shook hands again.
''rll see you here at O'Clock i'm the
morning. said Spuds-
"AIl right. Good night, and a merry
Christmas.
Good night"
[ looked back as | reached the corner.
Spuds and the boy were still looking
after me with serious faces walked
slowly I'D the Avenue. Only the rattle o.
A belated cab over the asphalt. tie wh.zz
,f stray automobile and the whirlInR
,f the might OWL car awoke the echoes
Of the Christmas dawn.
Again the Christmas chimes rang out.
Sweet and pure they sounded, sending
heir message Of the CHRIST Child out on
he cold. tleak air of Christmas morning.
The Christmas shoppers were home
The little workers from the department
stores were testing weary limbs and tired
reads. The chubby-faced. rosy-cheekeI
title children were deep In their dreams
# Santa Claus and the wonderful to-
morrow, and down there in the shadows
Il the underworld the outcasts were rest.
essly rolling and tossing on their narrow
OTIS.
1t was Christmas morning.