The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-12-19

nonsense" Hilda answe cred. III 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 II
TO others"
What do you mean by that?'
y mean Eunice." said Mrs Holmes
defantly. 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 10 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
he'd. She had never had child Of
her own
She was going to I'll them to over
fowing with a certain store OF good
things that she had purchased and
hidden away In the linen closet among
the sheets and pilow-cases, She had
candies and oranges. and firecrackers
that snapped disconcertingly. 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 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
I'm walt TN 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's 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. Sh.
listened In terror ut Mrs Holmes
, door She was reading aloud. as she
did of an evening. and the solitar,
, voice was terrifying Not much les,
so was the regular breathing OF Mrs
: Bennett next door. the middle-age,
woman who always insisted on stor
, ping and speaking no matter how
busy Eunice might happen to be TIL,
floor creaked, and once Mrs. Holme
stopped reading and sat up in he
. chair. Eunice shrank into the recess
|, between the hall curtain and the UNI
J, hrella stand Then all was righ
again and Mrs Holmes voice drone,
, on The child opened the hall doc
: and lied out into the December blasts
She had gone to find Santa Clau.
n for she knew thar he would not com
. to her
The theater was only three block
n away. and Eunice could see the ei,
a tant glitter of lights as soon a. sh
@ was In the street The road was fu
Il of vehicles. and pedestrians went hu
p rsing along the sidewalks. but ~
q body molested her or was curioy
n about the little. thinly clad girl TN
Il slipped among the crowds, dodgiu
- here aud there until she reached m
corner OF the third block. The
.. Eunice halted before the rush of a
. tomohiles tia, whizEed past her
never ending tine. and big polio
"A man took her by the arm.
?, Where are YOU going little girl
10 he asked gruffiy,
"Thanta clauth," said Eunice. po,r
10 ing toward the theater lights.
n. 40 you belong to the theaser
asked the policeman dubiousl
n Where Is your Mamma :"
70 over there said Ennice. and 4
A policeman carried her across 4
street. while the automobiles park
tn upon either hand on a wave of
w lordly fingers. He set her down
the stage entrance
nj ANYBODY lost baby" he ask