Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1919-12-18

they were long. dry, heartbreaking
sobs.
Dent cry, Miss Cargin" urged
Cowles, patting her shoulder clumsily.
Don't cry-Sadie!" She jerked away
from under his hand and cried on.
Miss Cargin." said Roberts, lean
ing over toward her and speaking
very softly, you have been very kind
to both of us. Will you let US be kind
to you Please stop crying Please!
And then try to tell me just how much
money you need"
She lifted her head and glared at
him.
What good will money do that poor
baby when she wakes UP tomorrow
morning and finds She gritted her
teeth and reached for her worn and
rusty gloves and then for the long I'M
touched glass.
watt" cried Cowles in a tone that
made them all start. His voice fairly
rang Wait, wait, waitl" he repeat
ed. pulling out his watch and looking
at it. They were both staring at him
curiously
ITS Christmas Eve" he said. THE
stores are open until midnight! It's
only little after ten o'clock. Come
on for a cab and Eighth avenue!
Here's where we knock the eye out of
one set Of troubles"
The fat little proprietor Of the
Eighth Avenue Five and Ten Cent
Emporium was galvanized from weary
somnambulance into new life when
two young men and a very fluffy (even
though bit shabby young woman
leaped out of a cab to his counters
He bounced around and scolded his
clerks into a state of thorough irri
tation. But their work sick wrath
gave way to curiosity and then hilar-
ity as the three customers went laugh
ing, quarrelng and consulting, up and
down the disheveled counters. The
| fat proprietor went down into the eel
lar and came up with an armful or
pasteboard packing cases in which
! two clerks especially detailed laid
away each toy as it was singled out.
| There were dolls and TN railroad
trains and whirligig things and rattles
/ and stuffed rabbits and woolly dogs
| that sQueaked, and more dolls and
building blocks and flying machines
| and Noah's arks and little stoves and
| dolls furniture ard more dOlls-to
I say nothing of candelholders aud sill
| vered angels and shiny balls,
Time. Call the game a minute!"
cried Cowles Let's count up. How
much have we bought"
| The fat proprietor, exuding greasy
appreciation, made figures on pad
Fifteen dollars and thirty-six cents.
and with a burst of generosity, added:
I'll throw off the six cents"
Roberts laughed, but Cowles was
serious.
"Bobs," he said, I'm afraid we've
gone far enough, Half of fifteen 10
about as far as l really ought to go"
'"But where" insisted Miss Cargill,
gently shouldering between them.
do | come in?'
She thrust a five-dollar bill into Rob
erts' hand.
mo" said both of them in a
breath She flushed, and in the next
breath they both cried: why. yes,
| of course"
Thank YOU" she said quietly
In hanson laden with bundles
and a Christmas tree cut away from
the sidewalk decorations of the En-
porium, Miss Cargill and Cowles de
| parted northward. Roberts couldn II
go because there wasn't room after
the Christmas tree had been put in.
"I'll meet you," he called to them,
at Big Jim-no, not there At til
little drug store on the corner above
Merry Christmas to the kid
1t was nearly twelve when Cowles
lalighted at the drug store and met the