Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-01-20

whirllng the dear old saint away
over the snow, and everybody waved
goodby to him. As Be sped away,
there seemed to be more light in the
landscape. There was a sort Of red
glow on the snow around the flying
sledge.
The gnome who had packed mp the
pemmican and things came back with
them presently. He invited the chill
dren to stay ali night, but they said
that they must get an early start In
the morning, and that they must be
going.
"Vere you sleep dis cold nightT'
asked the gnome.
II think can make an igloO,n said
Brother. II don't mean an igloo OF
stones, but a round one Of snow"
''You got snow knifeT asked the
gnome.
mo-" said Brother.
The gnome disappeared into the shop
and presently returned with q broad
fat knife more than a foot long.
"Dis my present" said the gnome
with a grin. "Dis de gnome's Merry
Christmas to dat Mericanische boy"
Brother took the knife and thanked
him. In a few minutes they were
under way, and in an hour they were
back in Greenland.
Then they came down, and Brother
went to work He cut blocks of snow
and arranged them in a circle. Then
he cut another set of blocks and built
them on to the first circle, making the
second circle smaller. In this way he
went on till he had made a round
dome of snow blocks. He found that
he had to cut all the blocks at once ex-
cept those Of the first two rows, be-
cause he couldn't hop out again. Sis
ter handed him the blocks. When just
small hole was left, he ducked down,
and Sister slid the last block to him.
He fitted 1t in over his head, and left
no hole at all. He didn't intend to
have big fire, and he needed no Chin
ney.
Then he knelt down and cut hole
in the side and crawled out. Then
they all crawled in again and put the
block of snow back. Then they lighted
the lantern. Then they spread down
the blankets. Then they opened Santa
Claus bundle Of food.
The pemmican ewas not a bit like
the canned pemmican which they had
been eating on the way. 1t was ball
Of seal tallow, with pieces Of boiled
seal meat inside 1t. You stuck in your
thumb and you pulled out a plum.
That Is, you stuck in your fork and
you pulled out your pork-Or at least
what looked like pork. They ate some
pemmican, because Santa Claus gave
it to them. And they just dotted on
the reindeer cheese and the pumper-
nickel. They saved the picked shrlmps
to show mamma. They melted some
snow In the silver dish and had some
tea.
The igloO soon became warm and
the children went to sleep. When they
awoke It was four o'clock. They had
slept from six till four. That is ten
hours
After more cheese and tea and pum-
pernickel they got on Old Useful Work,
ready to fly. They had to drag Arts
totIe on by the collar, for he was de-
termined to eat all that ball of penn
mican up.
They made the trip home in three
and one-half hours-the fastest trip
that was ever taken by mortals on the
earth.
They came dropping down gently
into the farm yard at quarter to
nine. Their family nearly smothered
them with kisses.
Among the family was Aunt Ma
tilda. She had come to spend the day.
She brought Bridget ami Maggie and
JOhanson and Mrs. JOhanson and Baby
JOhanson and Baby Johanson's older
brother, a little boy six years old. He
was named John.
John came to Brother and showed
him a present that he had found in
his stocking. Brother was very much
surprised, but he knew he could not
be mistaken 1t was the identical boat
he had made in the shop at the North
Pole. And Baby Johanson got the doll
that sister made. This showed moi
only that Santa Claus had beat them
home but that he had remembered
They forgave him for taking them fol-
EskimOs. In fact they never cared
anyhow.