The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-12-21

ty; you may come In now"
Then Joe, gathering up the turkey
and the other eatables and the toys
and all rugged out as Santa Claus. his
mask having very red nose ana
white beard. and wearing fur coat,
went into the hall and found the next
door standing open. with mamma and
Jennie and Billy and Lucy all looking
with eyes wide open to see what was
going to happen.
As Joe entered he handed bouquet
to mamma and one to Jennie. Then.
laying the turkey and the other eata-
bles on table, he began to hand toys
to Billy and Lucy alternately. He
gave a jumping jack to Billy and a
doll to Lucy, then a ball to Billy and
a set of dishes to Lucy. And never In
his life did he enjoy anything 80 much
as watching the big eyes of the young
sters. eager to see what was coming
next. He kept 1t up till his stock was
exhausted, then. turning, said:
"Goodby. This Is my last visit. Be
sure to have your chimney fixed be.
fore next Christmas"
won't you breakfast with us. Santa
! CLAUSE" said mamma.
! mot this morning. 1t is too late. I
must take my RENDERS back to where
l can give them their breakfast. Be-
sides, the children are awaking, and l
don't like to have them see me-"
but surely you will dine with u.s."
urged Jennie.
mo. But there Is young man who
rooms next door to you. lie is good
friend of mine, and when l found l
could not get down your chimney he
let me In at his window. He has no
one to spend Christmas with and no.
where to dine except at a restaurant
alone. 1 will give my invitation to
/ him"
THAT will do very well. We shall
be happy to see your friend at 2
O'clock" said Jennie.
Joe bowed himself out and went
back to his room, where he placed his
ear against the partition in order to
better hear the comments on what he
had done.
"Oh, mamma" exclaimed Billy, why
didn't you make him stay to breakfast.
l don't believe any children ever had
Sanity to breakfast in the whole world"
you'll find the young man next
door," said Jennie. lust as nice. He
is perfectly lovely"
How do you knowY asked Lucy.
''How do | know Why, didn't he
take Santa Claus In at his window? If
it hadn't been for him Sanity couldn't
have got In here at ALL"
II never thought of that"
Joe wasn't interested In anything else
after he heard Jennie say that he was
perfectly lovely" He took off his
Santa Claus rig, put on his own clothes
and went out to breakfast, chuckling
at the success of his exploit.
AZ tell you," he exclaimed to him
self, that was a mighty cheeky thing
to do, but 1t turned out scorcher
Any one who says l haven't sand don't
know me-"
Though Joe was alone till dinner
time, he wasn't lonely at all. 1t wa1
a bright, crisp morning, and he took a
walk into the country breathing in the
ozone and feeling very proud of him
self at what he had done, and all the
while he was mentally repeating what
he had heard Jennie say of hm--that
he was perfectly lovely"
AT l O'clock he began to fix himself
up for the dinner and tried on seven
different cravats before he found one
that suited him. The only time that
seemed long during the whole day was
the ten minutes just before the dinner
hour. He looked at his watch seven
times.
AT o'clock to the second he knocked
at the next door, and when it was
opened by Jennie. her face beaming,
he said that his friend Santa Claus had
transmitted to him an invitation to
dinner. He told them he roomed next
door and his name was Joseph Tooker.
Mamma received him graciously, and
the children climbed up on him and
asked him to tell them all about his
friend Santa Claus, since he must
know just how Santa lived, where he
got his toys and how he could visit so
many children all in one night.
The turkey Joe had sent was done
to turn, and the celery and the cram
berry sauce and the other things were
all on the table. and mamma said that,
since the dinner had been left by his
friend Santa Claus, he must carve In
place of Santa. So Joe, after whet-
ting the carving knife on the steel,
went at the turkey numerically, and
in few minutes 1t was lying IN a
heap on the dish.
That was dinner. After 1t was fin
ished mamma did" the dishes while
Joe and Jennie amused the children.
and when mamma had finished her
work she took the little ones into her
room to read Christmas stories to them,
Saving Jennie to entertain Joe.
And you may be sure this was the
best part of the day for Joe. since Jen.
ME kept all the time telling him that
he was noble. good man" and awful
ly clever to think of personating Santa
Claus, and-well, they were both as
happy rs they could be.
That was the beginning of Joe Took
er's taking the family under his wing
When the next Christmas came he was
brother Joe to the children. But the
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