The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-12-22

| thousand dollars WOuIu keep HlIn
| clothed. housed and fed for the few
remaining years of his life and there
would he enough left over to keep his
old body out of pOtter's field. His
| hands trembled and the white fire Of
the diamonds flashed more temptingly.
He closed the case and placed it 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 around 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 the
| lad
81 fell asleep, son." he said. What
are you going to do with me?"
Ladies' eyes opened wide. 1t was
not a mask that he gazed into, but
| real human face. 1t was not his ia
theirs voice that had spoken. but the
voice of 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 have ex-
listed 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 a Christmas carroll
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 song
Which now the angels sing.
Then came the patter of little feet
upon the stairs and the joyous laughter
of the parents, and in moment they
were all around Jerry Gottlieb and the
| little boy. who snuggled in his arms,
contented in his new found faith in the
good saint.
81 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 sympa-
thy, Santa is crying!'
Gottlieb forced Il 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 irEtheir 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. hurrying 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
weather beaten felt hat. Then he
opened the drawer in the table and re-
moved therefrom four slices of bread,
piece of meat and two potatoes. 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, suddenly fac
ing the man who had employed him.
"I thought might get ready to leave.
sir" he explained. "If the little boy
saw me again before next Christmas It
n hit upset matters.
The little boys .ather put hand on
the old mails shoulder.
"You don't know how much you have
done for me-" He spoke feelingly.
"Why, man, you've saved to my eldest
born whole year of the faith and
happiness of childhood. He's crying
for you now, but I 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 living. I have job for you.
I belong to a syndicate which owns a
skyscraper downtown. and we need
another night Waterman. You will
have a whole fat furnished on the top
floor and every comfort in summer and
winter that 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 Gottieb. ain the meantime,
find n cool 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 la k to the city. | am afraid the
laddie will begin to search for you. and
If he Goes he will not rest until he has
had every room and closet opened and
all the chimneys swent." The happy
parent laughed his delight at having
put one over on the boy"
GmGerly they gained the servaI s.
y