The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-12-19

IZzE GUILD ZLIGEDZOA
nonsense" Hilda answered IF you
knew the trouble have with her,
Mrs. Holmes. you wouldn't be asking
me to put any new ideas into her
head. She is contented with her
dolls and Is satisfied, and my work
takes up every minute of my time"
And you don't do your work"
cried the Scotch woman. There's
better and more natural work at your
hand for you to do. and you leave it
to Others"
What do you mean by that?"
Il mean Eunice." said Mrs. Holmes
defiantly, and wiped her hands on her
apron and stalked away, leaving Hilda
Groves indignant and resentful.
Mrs. Holmes had put her little
charge to bed on Christmas eve and
later stole on tiptoe to the door,
Eunice was lying with her face to
the wall, her head resting upon her
arm. The good woman looked visit
fully at her. and at the little stockings
which hung from the head of the
bed. She had never had child Of
| her own,
She was going to fill them to over
| flowing with a certain store OF good
things that she had purchased and
! hidden away In the linen closet among
the sheets and pillow-cases. She had
candies and oranges. and firecrackers
that snapped dsconcertingly. contain
ing foolscaps and notices and paper
ornaments within their fat and crink.
ling bodies: a jack-in-the-box, too
and doll, Just large enough to be
| cunningly concealed inside stock
ing Mrs. Holmes watched the child.
! Her sleep did not seem sound, for
once or twice she stirred, and the
! good landlady had that morbid ter.
ror of discovery which a real Santa
always feels.
til wait till Mr.. Cunningham has
come in and then I'll do it," she re.
solved, Mr. Cunningham. the last Of
her boarders to come home. was al.
ways punctual upon the stroke Of
eleven. Eunice would then be sound
asleep. no doubt
But Eunice had not slept at all.
With child'J deliberate craft she
had deceived the good-natured land.
lady. She waited till she heard Mrs
| Holmes go into her room. and then
she rose up ever so softly and pulled
on the empty stockings, dressed her.
self, and crept into the hall. She
| listened in terror at Mrs. Holmes
| door. She was reading aloud, as she
! did OF an evening, and the solitary
| voice was terrifying Not much less
so was the regular breathing of Mrs.
! Bennett next door, the middle-aged
woman who always insisted on stop.
ping and speaking, no matter how
busy Eunice might happen to be. The
floor creaked, and once Mrs. Holmes
| stopped reading and sat up in her
chair Eunice shrank into the recess
| between the hall curtain and the um.
brella stand Then all was right
again and Mrs. Holmes voice droned
on. The child opened the hall door
and fled out into the December blasts.
She had gone to find Santa Claus.
for she knew that he would not come
! to her
The theater was only three blocks
away, and Eunice could see the dis.
! tant glitter of lights as soon as she
was in the street. The road was full
of vehicles, and pedestrians went hur-
rying along the sidewalks, but no.
body molested her or was curious
about the little thinly clad girl that
! slipped among the crowds, lodging
here and there until she reached the
! corner of the third block. Then
Eunice halted before the rush of au.
tomobiles that whizzed past her in
never ending line, and big police
| man took her by the arm.
Where are you going, little girl?"
he asked gruffy.
"Thanta Clauth," said Eunice, point.
ing toward the theater lights.
DO you belong to the theater %
asked the policeman obviously,
Where is your Mammal"
"Over there" said Eunice, and the
policeman carried her across the
street, while the automobiles parked
upon either hand on a wave of his
! lordly fingers. He set her down al
the stage entrance.
Anybody lost baby! he asked