The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-12

ton to run you in again upon suspi-
cion. Get out of here, thief"
"But didn't steal that bird"
whined the caller. Then he paused
suddenly, for once more he was staring
into the mouth of that same unpleas-
ant looking revolver. ooh, I'll go all
right" he added hastily.
Up the road he went hurrying, an
cry, disappointed, hungrier and cold
er than ever. In the bottom Of peck
ct where he had plunged hand for
warmth his big, old-fashioned watch
lay ticking and his fingers closed
about it fondly. 1t was his only pos
session ofs slightest value. Twenty
years ago it had been given to him
upon a Christmas eve-twenty years
ago In the days of his boyhood, and
he had carried 1t with him necessarily
throughout all his wanderings. 81 sup
pose l could get the price of a meal
and bed from that old ticker" he
unused, then his jaw set. "But /
wouldn't part with it for its weight in
ever gave me, and I'll hang on to it
if l hang for doing it. I'll beg, starve
yes, or help myself when nobody Is
looking before I'll part with it." He
showed it deeper into it's place and
bent forward against the wind.
Five minutes later he again paused
suddenly. By the wayside another
light was shining, and with a quick
glance up and down the road he stood
listening. Nothing came to his ears
but the low growl Of the wind and he
hesitated no longer. Sneaking into
the yard with feet that fell as softly
as the snowflakes themselves he once
more peered through window. There
was no laden table here, but instead
he saw bed upon which lay a white
faced boy with woman close beside
him. He put his ear to the pane and
listened. 1t was not long before he
learned that the two were alone
in the house, and at that good news
Hobo Jim smiled approvingly.
He passed quickly to the kitchen
door and tried the latch. The door
was not locked and he entered with
the stealth of panther. A spare bed
room with door ajar was adjoining,
and forming his plans as he sneaked
along Jim crept within. Here, in the
darkness, he would hide beneath the
bed, wait until all was still, and then
in the early morning hours fill his
stomach and pockets from the pantry
and silently steal away. Instinct told
him that the woman would sleep be-
side the sick boy and he had little
fear of being discovered. And what If
he was-with a lone woman and
helpless kid as his only bar to escape!
Noiselessly he crept beneath his
shelter and lay listening.
Through the stiffness their voices
came to him in murmurs. 1t had been
bad year for the two in the next
room, year Of privation and want,
and the morrow would be the hollow
est mockery of any Christmas that
had ever come to them; day when
skeleton would preside at their
board and hunger be an unwilled
guest. Patiently the woman was ex-
planning to the sufferer, telling him
that she feared that this year Santa
Claus would pass him by without
stopping. But the boy was unbeliev-
ing.
Santa Claus does not forget.
Hang up my stocking, please" he
told her, and Jim heard her sigh as
she crossed the room to obey him.
Then as the warmth Of the house
came stealing softly over him Jim's
eyelids futtered and closed, the last
thing he remembered hearing being
the woman's voice as it began read
ing to the sick one.
"More blessed to give than to re-
ceive-" But Hobo Jim was now
sleeping.
He was awakened and raised his
head a trifle as he listened. There
had been an accident in the room, a
serious accident as he soon gathered,
for through some misfortune the
clock had been knocked from the
mantle and now lay q ruin upon the
floor. 1t was the only timepiece they
had, and the woman was worrying
over 1t considerably, for she no long
er had the means of telling when it
was time to give the boy his medi-
|