The Washington herald., 1920-11-01
AN O. HENRY STORY "W'H: :.s fetch s.t sa s5G,> R5y
COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON % when someone will do i" for
) OF THE SEASON

He counted out into Fuzzys hand
ten ten-dollar bills. then dropped
his eyes upon the door. transferred
II TO James, its custodian, indicated
the obnoxious Garner of the reward
with the other, and allowed his
pumps TO watt him away to secre-
tarial regions.
James gathered Fuzzy with his
own commanding optic and swept
him Is far as the front door.
When the money touched Fuzzy's
dingy palm his first instinct was to
take TO his heels: but second
thought restrained him from that
bIunder of etiquette 1t was his; il
had been given him. It-and. oh.
what an elysium it opened to the
gaze of his minds eve, He had
tumbled to the foot of the ladder.
he was hungry, homeless. friendless.
ragged, cold. drifting; and he held
in his hand the key to a paradise
Of the mud-honey that he craved.
The fairy doll had waved a wand
with her rag-stuffed hand; and now
wherever he might go the en-
Chanted palaces with shining foot
rests and magic red fluids in eleam-
ing glassware would be open 70
him.
He followed James to the door.
He paused there as the hunkv
drew open the great mahogany por-
tai for him to pass into the vesti-
bule.
Beyond the wrouEht-iron gates in
the dark highway Black Riley and
his two pals casually strolled, fin
Gering under their coats the inevi-
tably fatal weapons that were to
make the reward of the rag-doIl
theirs.
Fuzzy stopped at the Mnlionaire's s
door and bethought himself. Like
little sprigs of mistletoe on a dead
tree, certain living green thoughts
and memories began to decorate
his confused mind. He was quite
drunk. mind you, and the present
was beginning to fade. Those
wresths and festoons of holly with
their scarlet berries making the
great hall gay-where had he seen
such things before? Somewhere he
had known polished floors and ohors
of fresh flowers in winter. and
and someone was singing a song
in the house that he throught he
had heard before. Some one sing
ing and playing a harp. OF course,
it was Christmas-Fuzzy thought
he must have been pretty drunk to
have overlooked that.
And then he went out of the pres
ent, and there came back to him out
of some impossible. vanished. and
irrevocable past a little. pure-white
transient, forgotten ghost-the
spirit of noblesse oblige. Upon a
gentleman certain things devolve.
James opened the outer door. A
stream of light went down the
graveled walk to the iron gate.
Black Riley, Mccarthy and "one-
ear" Mike saw, and care1essly drew
their sinister Gordon closer about
the gate.
With more imperious gesture
than James master had ever used
or could ever use. Fuzzy compelled
the menial to close the door. Upon
a gentleman certain things devolve.
Especially at the Christmas season.
1T is cust-customary,"., he said
to James, the fuGtered. when a
gentleman calls on Christmas Eve
to pass the compliments of the seas
on with the lady of the house. You
und'-stand? ! shall not move shtep
till I pass compliments season with
lady the house. Und'stand?'
There was an argument. James
lost. Fuzzy raised his voice and
sent II through the house uupleas-
antly. / did not say he was gem
tleman. He was simply a tramp
being visited by ghost
A sterling silver bell rang. James