Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-12-22

Ten thousand dollars! Wy, even a.
Thousand dollars would keep MIN
clothed. housed and fed for the few
remaining years of his life and there
would be enough left over to keep his
old body out of potter's field. His
hands trembled and the white fire or
the diamonds flashed more temptingly.
He closed the case and placed 1t again
at the top of the contents of his pack
Deeper in reflection the voice OF a
dying man sounded in his brain.
The roguish face of a boy beneath
tousled brown curls peeked o the"
casing of the hall door. Pussyfooted
and in his one piece night suit he stole
quietly up to the armchair by the fire
place and laid violent little hands upon
one of Jerry Gottlieb's arms.
1--WE got you. Santa!' rang out his.
voice In childish triumph.
Gottlieb turned his blue eyes on Thea
lad.
II fell asleep, son." he said. what
are you going to do with meY"
Ladies' eyes opened wide. 1t was
not a mask that he gazed into, but a
real human face. It was not his ia
theirs voice that had spoken, but the
voice of a stranger. The boy, still
doubling a little, gave a surreptitious
tug at the beard, %whereupon Santa
said: "Ouch! Don't do that"
From upstairs in the music room
came the notes of an organ, so softly
and family that they might I'VE ex-
listed only in the imagination Then
the high voices of children, e lark
like note Of their mother aDd the
diapason of their fathers voice sound
ed in a Christmas carol:
For, 10, the days are Fastening on.
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age O, gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world give back tt song
Which now the angels sing.
Then came the patter of little feet
upon the stairs and the joyous la 4ghter-
Of the parents, and in a moment they
were all around Jerry Gottlieb and the
little boy. who Struggled in his arms,
contented in his new found faith in the
good saint.
II caught him. daddy! He belongs to-
me-" announced Santa's captor. Some
thing warm fell to one of the little
hands on Gottlieb's breast, and the boy
looked up. "Oh, daddy" he whispered,
his voice breaking in childish syl. pa
thy, Santa is crying!'
Gottlieb forced a smile to his benign
~countenance. lifted the lad to the floor
and began to unpack his treasures. He
gave the diamond necklace to the lady,
who said, THANK you. dear Santa
Claus" Then he drew the wonder
full toys from the pack. and mother
and father helped him present them to-
the wondering little ones in their night
les. ''Thank you, dear Santa Claus"
lisped each.
They were busy with their new play
things when Santa saw his opportunity
and slipped from the room, h%urrying ST.
lently to his quarters under the caves.
When the master followed him a 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 shadows 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 re-
moved therefrom four slices of bread,
a piece of meat and two potatoes. the
rem ms 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
Goa pocket and turned. suddenly fac
ing the man who had employed him.
II thought | might get ready to leave.
| sir" he explained. IF the little boy
saw me again before mex Christmas It
n hit upset Matters
The little boys .ather put a hand IN
the old mails shoulder.
You don't know how much you have
done for me-" lie spoke feelingly.
"Why. man, you've saved to my eldest
born a whole year of the faith and
happiness of childhood. He's crying
for you now. but | told him you would
be back with us next Christmas
Eyes. sir. if God spares me-"
But you can't go back to the streets
to make a living. l have a job for you.
l belong to a syndicate which owns a
skyscraper downtown. and we need
another night Waterman. You will
nave a whole fiat furnished on the top
floor and every comfort in summer and
winter that a man might ask"
"A night watchman!' cried Gottlieb.
ITS too good to be true. sir"
The gift of laddie's father to Santa
Claus was a well filed purse, in which
was one of his business cards. THE
card in the wallet will admit you to my
Office at any time after the holidays"
he told Gottlieb. "In the meantime,
find a good place to stay and buy all
the things you need. We had better
get out to the lodge. where you can be
| cOmforta hla uptil Won oro rnadv IN