The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-12-19

Then there is a clang Of bells and h
blowing OF whistles, and with a rush
the entire toy fire department makes
for the bed. Following them come
the tin locomotives, wildly ringing
their bells. and back of them the toy
trolleys. The bed looks like a side
street during four alarm fire
Now the hose connections are made,
and scores OF streams of water beat on
his race. From the foot of the bed
comes cloud Of steam from the on
glneS, while hot and blazing above are
sparks from the trolleys as they grind
along the brass of the bed. He fights
hard, but finally succumbs and falls
weak and exhausted. The firemen ring
Their bells and start back for the fire
houses, while the soldiers keep back
the crowds of brownies, Indians, rub
Der men. tenpins. jumping jacks and
walking monkeys that were clinging
around the ropes
The man watched all this carefully
Then he covered his eyes with his arm
Somehow 1t all faded away. He seem
ed to be climbing over wall He
reached the top and. looking down
pathway. saw n summer house. About
it the lilacs fell I'm great clusters.
Looking through the doors. he saw be-
meath vista of the cedars and waving
NAPLES rows, of flower beds. and she
was there among them. clipping. train
ing and guiding over trelliscs the ten
der blossoms she loved so dearly. In
the summer house and on the floor he
saw n boy.
He was lying or the floor. while his
chubby hands placed about the fort of
sand the little soldiers he took from n
box. The man sighed. He opened his
eyes and looked about him. 1t was the
inside room on the sixteenth floor. 1t
was very quiet. He looked i'm the
glass and saw tear in his eve. 1t
ran down his cheek. and another came
i'm It's place and followed 1t. Then he
threw open the window. Like a TEN
pest in rushed the nOise-the blowing
of the horns the clattcr Of the rattIcs
and the laughter of merry people He
dressed hurricdly. From his satchel
he took n portfolio and, taking out n
check book wrote a check and, grail
hng his hat rushed out of the room.
Cash this for me and i'm hurry"
said the man to the night clerk.
The clerk went to the safe and
brought out n roll of bills. lie counted
it, but there was not enough. and he
opened the petty cash drawer and gave
the man all that WAS there.
Fine" said the man. stutling it into
his pocket. I'm be back in the morn
mg"
The man rushed into the street
Just a half block up lot of little boys
were looking at Il cart full Of rubber
'hallS The man handed the peddler II
hig hill and said ''Give Hil of these To |
the boys" The peddlcr looked sur
prisod, and the boys yelled with glee |
Across the street were Il lot of little !
girls. tired and worn from the day and |
NIGHTS work Of running at the cry OF |
"CHsh'' hnt just happy at looking i'm !
the windows Almost like madNlan /
the man pushed them into the store. !
ana soon each had a great doll and Il |
shaw and candy and so many things |
that are good before they knew It, |
Across 'hC street was a man selling |
boxes of tin soldiers.
"Ah" said the man. with n rem
inisccut sigh. lie Jumped on a box
and yelled for all the boys around to
come near him, and ms they did he
handed each a box OF soldi~S and
then paid the man twice the cost.
"What iS it?"isaid the man
at is Santa Claus gone wild" said
a policeman who had children at home.
The man rushed on and into a mar
kct. 1t was very late, and the poor
were buying the leftovers for a Christ
mas dinner The dealers were pack
Ing up the best to save for the New
Years sale.
open up" cried the man as he -four
ishcd roll OF bills And as the multi