The Washington herald., 1913-12-20
SANTA FALLS In LOVE.
BY MARY MARSHALL.
Copyright, 1871

VCopyught, lel3) p
1t was week bNore Christmas and
soft, penetrating sleet was falling
silently on the crowded city streets Car
ter Thorne, just arrived from a university
town Of the East, pushed his way through
the crowd Of shoppers that surged in and
out OF the great department store of
Thorne &c Bromely and hurried to the
executive Offices Of Mr.. Thorne, half
owner OF the great concern.
Mr.. Thorne positively can't see any
one, said the stenographer in the outer
ONCE and then, as she recognized in
the name, Carter Thorne. on the card he
oHered her the name Of Mr.. Thorne's
only nephew and heir, she ushered him
into Mr.. Thorne's office unannounced.
We'll, uncle said Carter. after their
nrst warm exchange of greetings, 81 have
a week or more to do nothing. You seem
pretty busy. Can't you let me do some
| thing?'
"A man that has spent ten years in
a university is a little too good for dry
goods, laughed the uncle.
Honest old man." said the nephew.
You are up to your eyes in detail here.
Let me help you out"
The trouble is you don't know the
business" protested the uncle, taking up
the receiver of his desk telephone, which
mad begun to ring. ''Well, get some one
else he said over the wire Don't bother
me with those details" Then he hung I'D
the receiver and laughed to his nephew.
It's funny what foolish questions some
OF my men will bother me about. Little
things that child could attend to- Why.
mere my manager Of employees telephones
me that the fake Santa Claus they have
down In the basement toy department has
lett' ana so he comes TO me about it. The
only thing TO do is TO get another"
How'd do for that job" asked Car
ter.
What! AS the manager of employees?
why you have to have years of expert
ence right from the bottom for that"
No. as the fake Santa Claus" said
Garter. Il can wear a beard and carry
pack and talk TO youngsters and give
them cheap bonbons even if l am a Phi
D.. can't II"
IL was five days before Christmas
and every day-every minute of tine day
the crowds that thronged the basement
toy department of Thorne & BromIey's
grew larger. II crushed and crowded
and peered into the glass cases-good
natured but doggedly persistent Every
hour the air in the basement became
more vitiated. and every hour the faces
OF the overwOrked girls behind the count
ers showed more clearly the signs of
fatigue and strain. And always the CEN
ter of the crowd towering over the heads
of most Of the bUyers-stood the fake
Santa. Sometimes he would stoop to
listen to some childish Iisping request,
or he would lifs one of the youngsters
up bodily from the crowd so he could
have his Christmas requests. And always
there were bonbOns for the children, and
sometimes. when no one was looking
Santa would slip a toy out of his pack
into the hands Of a particularly shabby
or forlorn looking child.
Isn't he just the dearest old man
you ever saw" said one OF the sales
girls TO her companions one day. And
he's real old, too. l don't see how he
stands il. Two or three tried il and
had to give it up. It's something fierce
walking around with that false face and
that pack on his back. But l suppose
he had TO do something.
A slight girl. pale put very pretty, was
listening eagerly. She had been watcl.-
ing the fake Santa with interest ever
since he came. and this was partly be-
cause the fake santa when he wasn't be-
sieged with small children. which wasn't
very often, was looking at her. How do
you know he's old?" she asked eagerly.
He stands up straight enough
Because" said the first girl. when
one Of the fioorwaIkers asked him why
he didn't quit doing that and get decent
job. he said he was most too old for any
thing else"
That afternoon when the pretty girl
Margaret Nevin-Came from her late
lunch she passed close by Santa's side as
she went to her counter and Santa felt
a curious and unaccustomed humping |
raI
said Margaret, Il brought you something