The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-12-19
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4 nonsense" Hilda answered. IF yol
knew the trouble | have with her
Mrs. Holmes, you wouldn't be askin,
me to put any new ideas into he
head. She is contented with he
dolls and is satisfied, and my worl
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 II
to others"
What do you mean by that?"
i 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 disconcertingly, contain
ing foolscaps and notices and paper
ornaments within their fat and criuk-
ling bodies; a jack-in-the-box. too.
and doll. just large enough to be
cunningly concealed inside a 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 real Santa
always feels.
"Tll wait till Mr.. Cunningham has
come in and then I'll do it," she re-
solved. Mr. Cunningham. the last OF
ler 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's deliberate craft she
lad deceived the good-natured land
ady. She waited till she heard Mrs
Holmes go into her room, and then
he rose up ever so softly and pulled
n the empty stockings, dressed her.
elf, and crept into the hall. She
listened In terror at Mrs. Holmes
DOR. She was reading aloud, as she
i'd of an evening, and the solitary
dice was terrifying. Not much less
D was the regular breathing of Mrs.
bennett next door, the middle-aged
oman who always insisted on stop
ing and speaking, no matter how
usy Eunice might happen to be- The
DOR creaked, and once Mrs. Holmes
topped reading and sat up in her
hair. Eunice shrank into the recess !
stween the hall curtain and the UNI !
rella stand Then all was right
gain and Mrs. Holmes voice droned I
!. The child opened the hall door
i'd fed out into the December blasts. c
She had gone to find Santa Claus. !.
r she knew that he would not come :,
her u
The theater was only three blocks :
Tay. and Eunice could see the dis !. :.
MT glitter of lights as soon as she !,
Is In the street The road was full =
vehicles, and pedestrians went hur-
ing along the sidewalks, but no a,
dy molested her or was curious !
out the little, thinly clad girl that e
pped among the crowds. lodging :,
re and there until she reached the -
rner of the third block. Then r,
nice halted before the rush OF au- q,
mobiles that whizzed past her In ~ ~
YER ending line, and big police -,
n took her by the arm. ~
Where are you going little girl?" -
asked gruffiy. -
Thanta Clauth,' said Eunice. point. q.
toward the theater lights. -
Do you belong to the theatery' ~,
ed the policeman obviously. -
here is your Mammal" 80
Over there said Eunice, and the -
iceman carried her across the ~,
get. while the automobiles parked - -
IN either hand on a wave OF his ~
lily fingers He set her down 1t ~
stage entrance. n,
Anybody lost baby?" he asko1