The Washington herald., 1915-12-26


not mask that he gazed into, but q
real human face. 1t was not his faith
er's voice that had spoken, but the
voice of stranger. AS If to prove to
him that he had gone wrong in his
disbelief in the good old saint. Santa
stroked his great white beard and
then lifted him to his lap. The boy,
still doubling little, gave surrepti-
tious tug at the beard, where upon
Santa said: "Ouch! Don't do that"
From upstairs in the music room
came the notes of an organ, so soft
ly and family that they might have
existed only in the imagination. Then
the high voices of children. the lark
like note of their mother and the
diapason of their fathers voice sound
ed in Christmas carol:
For 10! the days are fastening on.
BY prophet bards foretold.
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold:
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world give back the
Which now the angels sing"
Then came the patter of little feet
upon the stairs and the joyous laugh
ter of the parents and in a moment
they were all around Jerry Gottlieb
and the little boy, who snuggled in his
arms, contented III his new-found
faith in the good saint.
81 caught him, daddy! He belongs
Something warm fell to one of the lit
tie hands on Gottlieb's breast and tho
boy looked up. "Oh, daddy" he whis-
pered, his voice breaking in childish
sympathy, Santa is crying"
Gottlieb forced smile to his be-
nign countenance, lifted the lad to
the floor and began to unpack his
treasures. He gave the diamond Seek
lace to the lady. who said: Thank
you, dear Santa Claus" Then he drew
the wonderful toys from the pack, and
mother and father helped him present
them to the wondering little ones in
their nighties. Thank you, dear Santa
Claus" lisped each.
They were busy with their new play
things when Santa saw his oppor-
tunity and slipped from the room,
hurrying silently to his quarters under
the caves. When the master followed
him few minutes later he found him
in the street clothes furnished by the
butler, kneeling beside the bed in
prayer. He drew back into the shad-
ows of the hall.
Gottlieb rose from his knees, placed
the Bible in one pocket and picked up
a weather-beaten felt hat. Then he
opened the drawer in. the table and
removed therefrom four slices of
bread, a piece of meat and two pota-
toes, the remains of his supper, which
he had hidden from the eyes of the
butler. Food was too precious to be
wasted. He placed these scraps in his
other coat pocket and turned, sud-
denly facing the man who had en-
ployed him.
Il thought / might get ready to
leave, sir" he explained eff the lit
tie boy saw me again before next
Christmas it might upset matters"
The little boys father put a hand
on the old mans shoulder.
have done for me-" He spoke feeling
ly. "Why. man, you've saved to nv
eldest-born a whole year of the faith
and happiness of childhood"
"He is fine lad. sir. never had
child in my arms before except once
when l picked up little broken fel-
low from the street after an automo-
bile had hit him"
MY laddie fell in love with you the
moment he saw you," said the father.
Hes crying for you now, but told
him you would be back with us next
Christmas"
"Yes, sir, if God spares me-"
But you can't go back to the
streets to make living. You must let
me take care OF you from now on, 50
that you will be a real Santa Claus
for all OF the little ones until they
have grown up. | know that you have
no job or you would not have been
out trying to sell shoestrings on the
streets"
81 looked hard enough for job
many day, SIR"
"Well. | have dandy one for you,"
conhded the master OF the house. "I
belong to a syndicate which owns a
skyscraper downtown and we need
another night watchman. You will
have a whole fiat furnished on the
top floor and every comfort in sum-
mer and winter that a man might
ask"
"A night watchman" cried Gott-
lieb. his eyes sparkling.
Yes; don't you want IT"
Want it, It's too good to be true,
sir"
The gift OF laddie's father to Santa
Claus was well-flled purse in which
was one OF his business cards. "Thc
card in the wallet will admit you to
my Office at any time after the holi
days" he told Gottlieb. 'ln the
meantime. find good place to stay
and buy all the things you need. We
had better get out TO the lodge.
where you can be comfortable until
you are ready to start back to the
city. | am afraid that laddie will begin
a search for you. and if he docs he
will not rest until he has had every
room and closet opened and all the
chimneys swept" The happy parent
laughed his delight at having put ono
over on the boy
Gottlieb stroked his great beard as
he pondered all this wonderful good
fortune that had come to crown his
last years after lifetime of bearing
the cross OF ignorance and sin and
suffering. Surely his dead friend had
watched over him from heaven, to
help him along, protect and guide
him Surely there had come true the
" LII