The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1916-12-22


out his hand, and his kindly voice and
confidential smile seemed to reassure
the little girl, for she came nearer and
nearer and smiled back timidly.
you've come to tell me what you
want? Where's your mamma, honey?"
Ell haven't any," she replied in
a tone of gentle resignation, putting
her little hand into his big one. 81
came by myself, because it's Aunt
| Bertha's present I wanted to ask you
about, and she mustn't hear. 1 asked
her to wait minute for me around the
corner of that big pile of dolls"
Il see." Santa's rosy cheeks grew
just a little reddcr, for Bertha was
the name that had been in his
| thoughts moment before, and invol-
UNFAIRLY, for that names sake, his man.
ner held special friendly interest for
| The plainly dressed, thin-faced little
girl. "Well, do you know what your
auntie wants me to bring herr" Santa
smiled behind his beard at the incon-
gruOuS situation, but the child'S look
was gravely concerned.
"ThatS just the trouble, Mr.. Kris
But l know there's something she
wants very much. She was crying yes
terday, and when l asked her how
she could feel bad so near Christmas,
she said that was just it, and when
l asked her some more questions, she
splained that she had a lovely Christ
mas present last year, and she lost
it, and it was her own fault, and now
she'd never have it again. But she
wouldn't tell me what it was"
Don't you remember what presents
she had last year|
"Oh, she didn't live with US then.
She's my papas sister, you know, and
he wrote and asked her to come and
take care of me when-when mamma
died" The brown eyes blinked
bravely. "Aunt Bertha lived way up
in the mountains, with grandma and
grandpa, SO of course 1 don't know
about her Christmas presents. I
thought, maybe, as you're "a sort of
q fairy, you would know how to find
out"
"And where does she live?" he asked,
with his heart humping under the
| scarlet coat in q manner i'll BETTING
his age and dignity. The little girl
gave an address which he recognized
as small street in q section of the
city near his own modest lodging.
"Now, don't you worry any more
about it," he charged her as he wrote it
down. 81 feel sure that we're going to
find out what that Christmas present is
and see that she gets it, too. And we
hope it will make her all happy again,
don't we? Run along, dearie-I must
talk to these other little folks now. It's
our secret and 1 won't forget"
He nodded to her once more as she
disappeared in the crowd, and his eyes
followed her progress to the distant
doll corner. Just one glimpse he
caught of the tall girl who stepped
from behind the showcase and siIli15
down into the happy little upturned
face, but it was enough to make the
glittering scene look misty for a mo-
ment.
Bertha here in the same store with
him! The city to which he had drifted
almost at random during the wretched
year following their foolish quarrel
was now her homeland he was going
to see her again!
Only nine o'clock-ten hours at
least before he could see her. Santa
Claus sighed in manner inconsist.
ent with the jolly red nose and rosy
cheeks. But almost Immediately he
smiled again, as he softly patted the
left side of his broad chest. Hidden
under the gay coat, In an inner pocket
lived the little ring, thus honored be.
cause 1t had been worn on Bertha's
finger for week. One thing was GER
tain; this niece-elect should have the
merriest Christmas In his power to be-
| stow.