The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-12-13

Eve, isn't it,"
Eyes, it is" agreed Benny
sturdily. Nobody can say Peace
full Was the Night 'cept father.
It's too bad for father he had to
go to the thing-ma-jig's funeral"
and, being Christmas Eve, Benny
went unreproved for the descrip-
ton of his great-uncle.
"Father'll be home before
morning, won't he " asked the
girl, and went on. "Oh, l remem-
Der. You said some time in the
night, but we can't tell when,
cause the trains get late. Well,
l hope he'll be here in the morn
ing when we wake up. 1t wouldn't
be Christmas without father;
would it, mother?"
81 can't bear to have him out
so late" the little woman said,
and her tones were troubled. She
went on as if thinking aloud-a
way she had with her big babies.
Father isn't well-he ought to
go SOUTH wish he could go"
and Benny answered in strong
baby tones,
"oh, he can't go, mother. We
haven't got money enough-you
said we hadn't"
mo, dear, we haven't" she
sighed; and the girl shook her
name of hair back thoughtfully.
II wish l could find lot of
money likeHans, for father" she
said.
The fascination of the freight
as the children lay in their beds,
their mother gone, held the
drowsy eyes open. The girl, the
more aggressive, the more mag
inative of the two, went back,
with a thought working it's way
in her mind, to the story which
had a hold on both, the story of
how dumb brutes may talk once a
year on Christmas Eve.
do you believe IT'S true, Ben
n.y." she consulted her brother.
Mother didn't say it wasn't, you
know"
"Then it's true, and I believe
it's true" said Benny stoutly.
I'm glad they can. / know Mig
ger would enjoy a talking. He
looks like he wanted to talk when
he squeals, and he squeals words
sometimes. / heard him say corn
bread one day."
Alice lifted her brown head
from the pillow and leaned on one
elbow and stared into the fire.
"Nigger's out in the barn." she
reflected. Father took Mr.. Jar
Wis horse because Nigger's foot
was lame. Benny" she began
excitedly, and stopped.
Benny gave an enormous yawn
and turned his heavy yellow
head. "Whu-ut?" he inquired.
Don't go to sleep. Benny-lis-
ten!" the girl begged. 1--WE got
an idea-something lovely, really.
Why can't we go to the tsable to-
|night-it's Christmas Eve-and
listen to Niger talking, like Hans
listened to Friedel and Minna
And maybe he'll know about some
treasure and we could get lots OF
money, and give 1t to father to &c
South with. Mother would be
glad"
The boys sleepy eyes opened
and gazed at her. Wouldn't 1t be
naughty"
AS happened once before in G
garden, ''the woman tempted
him." Benny was swept out OF
the tide of his sisters adventur'
GUS spirit, and while the fire
steamed and purred an undertons
they made their plans. Very near
| ly were the plans shipwrecked by
nature, however, for, as---they
waited till the night should bt
older, the clock licked, the fire
sang a lullaby, and the children
fell asleep.
But at half-past eleven a 10,
dropped noisly, the light of 1
blazed up and the adventurer-in
chief, the dede to be done in he
veins, awakened. 1t needed al
her energy to persuade the boy
numb with sleep, that sleep wa
not the one possibility in a mid
night world. But there was per
sistent spirit in her, and IN tel
minutes two muffled little figure
crept through the shadowy hous
and out over the white lawn
misty with still falling snow, ant
up the slope to the door of tn,
stable.
There were half-visible foot
steps in ths-white carpet on the
ground, but the big flakes haC
blurred them, the children did no
notice. An hour before man haC
hurried along the road from town
a powerful man, walking fast. Al
he walked he spoke to himself IL
a low tone.
1.-THE note about Pat O'Hara's
broken leg ought to take hin
three miles out of his way-it
ought to delay him an hour
Lucky I remembered where the
horse and trap would be kept"
He passed stream, tinkline
silverly in the stiffness under its
roof of ice and snow. He halted
and stared down.
-"T took my first trout in that
hole" he murmured, and swung
on,
But the ghost of a boy had
caught his arm and chung to him