Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 191?-19??, 1915-12-23
JAKIE'S
CHRISTMAS.
(Charles Arthur LESLEY

shoppers.
5 Black Jackie stood in the shelter at
y forded by the elevated o pillar, his
M ~threadbare %raincoat drawn tightly
. about him, his hands thrust deeply
N into his pockets, as he gently tapped
first one foot and then the other on
u the wet pavement. Not that jake was
N cold, but his shoes had worn quite
. thin, and the dirty brown slush had
4 sought out all the little cracks through
AZ which it might seep Inc find a COM
N Portable haven.
n IS going to be a leaf Christmas for
A me" jake sighed ref1ectively to the
" cleaning lights of Broadway. lawful
lean"
n In his pocket he jing1ed his one lone
v quarter against the key of his cheap
( Sixth avenue room and smiled as he
thought of the days when he had jim
n gled gold coins. In those DAYS the
y racing game had been good, and jake
4 was one of the best-known bookies at
Sheepshead. Then he had been af1u-
4 ent. He had dressed in the height of
/ ultra-fashion and radiated with that
\ ready-money loo.
u ook VI liz 1dC1uS SDOTL
I and too frequent trips to the bar had
left jake stranded, without a friend
in the world.
Silently and moodily jake reflected
on his hard lot. His chin, with it's
tWo-day growth of heavy black beard,
that same heavy beard which had all
ways shone through his pallid skin
and had earned for him his cognomen
of Black Jackie, tremb1ed a little, and
the thin, blue lips pu1sated with low
muttered maledictions heaped upon
the world in general. The sporting
element soon forgets old pals down on
their luck, he reflected.
N~ervously scanning the faces of
shoppers emerging from the doorway
OF a department store, Jakie's face
lighted up as he saw a petite figure
laden with many bundles start across
the sidewalk. Marie Lecourt! Yes,
1t must be she. Marie, the prettiest
girl in the Follies chorus. Should he
to her? Perhaps she would Z
nave at least a kind word for the fell '
low who had bought her many dinners
swell cafes and had lavished his t
money on her when he had it. Instinc- =
lively he started forward, his hand !
on his ancient velour hat, the one t
relic Of palmy days. =
But almost as he started he check t
ed himself. No, it would be better not c
% speak to Marie, for she, like all the h
rest of the old crowd, would turn him
Town, would refuse to speak to a bum. e
He stepped back to the shelter of
h n1nuofol -i1Jan ;,Ax--
ed TO cross the street. Her bright O
tW1nkling with good cheer, she v
up quite close to jake. Sudden
y a flash of recognition crossed her
and she almost dropped =
Ter packages as she rushed forward. :,
Jake" she cried, sis it really you? /,
Where have you been? What are YOU r,
lolng here and where are you going? ?" :,
Before jake could think Of an an :,
'Wer to the questions which called for =
recital of almost his entire life's his :,
DRY, she went on: I
For goodness sake, jake, you look =
sight! What's the idea of all this T.
'oor-folksy makeup? Is it a stall or :,
re you really forced to wear them?" !
Forced is right" replied jake.
I'm broke. l saw you as you came :.
ut of the store, but I didn't know -
neither you would want to speak to -
lie or not" !"
Silly" laughed Marie. want to -
peak to my old pal? Of course I do.
now that 1 have see you we are =,
DING to have a good, o1d-fashioned
but we can't stand here in this
'et and talk. I am living with my -
larrled sister now and just came =,
for a few things to hang OF
he Riddles tree. Come on up and -
clip us fix the things" a.
jake thanked her, but demonstrated :"
lat his attire was scarcely suitable
n an evening call. Marie insisted
lat his clothes made no difference to -
and that her sister would surely +
the same. Anyway, no matter a.
her sister might think, jake was -,
friend, and that settled it.
They walked to Fourth avenue and
Ok the subway to Harlem, jake in W
on spending ten cents of his O.
quarter for the carfare, al -,
-H oo " ShoVe d al,
On the "a up jake told his story. -.
ylng the blame on hard luck and the :,
ate officials who had put racing on ~
e bum. o
Marie listened with quiet attention -;
her head here and there and
terjecting a question now and then -.
the ex-bookie seemed about to drift :.
.ay from his story. -,
was introduced to Maude and :,
I'm, her husband. They were either i.
o busy decorating a tiny Christmas a,o
on a stand in the corner of the ~
ON or else they didn't care, for -.
Their vinced disapprova1 of jake. :.
He was made to feel at home in the e.,
tie family circle, and entered with j.
en- enjoyment the work of trimming :
e tree and arranging the presents
the two children fast asleep in the !.
xt room. -,
The final arrangement completed. :.
and her husband took a last
ep at the sleeping kiddies and called /.
to see them. -
the little grOI1D stood IN, tho door -