Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-23
The Daily Story
Georges Christmas Gift-By EiIe cen Brennan
Copyrighted. Associated Literary s,re,n

, Christmas. Well have to wait anoth
) er year"
: "Oh. mamma; that's what you SAT-
last year. the year before and ever,
: year. don't believe be will eve
come"
The mother kissed her little girl aDC
turned away TO hide her tears. She
bad but faint hope that her husband
would return to her for a number oil
years, and when he did he would be
broken in spirit If not in health.
Evan Walker had been a bookkeepei
in a bank One day the cashier went
to the president and informed him
that shortage of over $4,000 had
been discovered in the funds. Asked
II be suspected any one of defalca-
ton the cashier replied that be did
not but he was going over the books
In which the shortage had been carried
with view to discovering the cause.
| Walker had done the bookkeeping
| which covered the case. but Walker
was above suspicion.
week later Vail, the cashier. in
formed the president that he had had
an expert accountant at work on the
| books. had traced the deficiency back
several years and had learned just how
! it had been covered up. Since no one
but Walker had had anything to do
with the work In question it was i'm
possible that any one else could have
effected the embezzlement.
Walker was accused. There was
! long drawn out trial, at the end Of which
| half the jury believed him guilty and
the other half were in doubt. COM
promise was effected. They agreed to
find verdict of guilty and recommend
mercy. The judge reduced the SEN
tence from the limit of twenty to ten
years.
Walker was innocent of the charge,
and there was not sufficient evidence
of his guilt to convict him. But there
was a weak spot in his case that he
had specialized in stocks and had lost
some money. On this evidence, to-
gether with the fact that he had had
exclusive care Of the banks books. the
compromise verdict was reached.
When the husband and father was
removed to the penitentiary his chill
dren were told that he. was going on a
journey from which he would not re-
turn for long while. This fabrica-
ton their mother was obliged TO keep
up, dreading the time when they would
grow to an age when it would be i'm
possible to keep their fathers disgrace
from them longer
The Christmas season was the most
trying period of all for her. The chill
dren always reminded her that she had
promised them their father should be
with them, and she had wearied of in
venting excuses for not fulfilling her
promise. On this occasion when her |
child had reminded her of the promise |
made the year before she gave up try |
ing to frame an excuse
A few days later Mrs. Walker took !
up newspaper, and her eyes lit on an |
announcement Rushing from the room, !
she ran to her children. folded them in |
her arms and covered them with |
kisses.
What is it, mamma?'
Papa is coming home"
"When?"
Il don't know"
For Christmas?'
Possibly. He may come for Christ
mas. though he may not get here by
lhdi nut he VIII GOHle, anu
will not come broken in spirit, but
holding his head high
why, mamma. what can you
mean?"
Il forgot myself. l am so happy that
don't know what l am saying. Oh.
my darlings. you don't know what a
good thing has happened"'
The mother tore herself away from
her children. realizing that she had
said too much and dreading lest she
should say more When she had read
again and again what she had seen in
the newspapers and given herself time
20 regain something of her composure
her sadness had disappeared-she re-
-urned TO her children and. folding
he three of them in her arms, said:
I'VE know that papa is coming home.
hough we don't know that he will
'ome for Christmas. Nevertheless we
must make our preparations. Each |
me of us must have n gift for papa.
md we must have nice dinner and
oily and evergreen wreaths and every
hing that win give us merry Christ
mas"
But. mamma" said George, sup
lose papa doesn't come on timer"
slight shadow passed over the
Mothers face. but she overcame the :
ceiling that produced it.
I'm that case, George. we will defer
ur Christmas till papa comes
And not have any Christmas at all
IN Christmas" put in the youngest.
not hang up any stockings: What
Vill Santa Claus think when he comes
nd finds no stockings ready for him?" t
well, sweetheart. Wen have to do I
be best we can. Well have two {
on Christmas day. 9
be other when papa comes \
This did not please the children at | Q
II. and they agreed that their mother a
lust write papa that he must he sure h
D coma By Christmas without fail.
or If he did not Christmas would be
II spoiled.