Woman's enterprise., 1922-12-15
A Night Before Christmas

The grumbling guard stopped sud-
denly, almost dropping his gun in his
amazement. For, as he had paced
the length of the beat, dark figure
had darted from an angle Of the
prison, and had run swiftly across
the yard. Now, as the guard turned,
the figure was climbing the wall, with
desperate haste, slipping, half fall
ing, struggling up again, finding
footholds in seemingly smooth places,
tottering backward, but never falling,
he reached the top and stood, for the
fraction of second, clearly outlined
in the white moonlight. Then there
was a sudden plunge, just as the
guards gun spoke, sharply, and a
babel of voices followed, as excited
keepers dashed from the prison.
"Where is he-did he make it,
didn't you hit him."
II couldn't have missed him; fired
twice." The guard thought it was not
necessary to explain that his shots
had been delayed by his temporary
paralysis Of amazement. "And he
jumped headlong from that wall
we'll find him on the other side with
half his bloomin' bones broken"
There was a rush for the gates
tumult of excited voices around the
spot where hard heels had stuck
deeply into the soft soil, but the man
who had taken the desperate leap was
not lying there, with crushed bones.
He was running swiftly, steadily,
along a friendly sheltering hedge,
across the fields, towards the rail-
road, where a freight was due. His
hight hand was clasped tightly
against his left arm, and between his
fingers the blood oozed.
"God help me to reach my little
/ girl" he prayed, as he ran.
And miles away where the lights
Of the city flared against the sky, a
baby voice was pleading: "Bless my
dear daddy, and keep him safe.'
"The night has a thousand eyes,
might will have been written by an
escaped criminal instead of an en-
raptured lover. 1t is always easy to
trail the fugitive, particularly when
the men in pursuit know that there
is home drawing the hunted one
with an irresistible lure. Still, there
were accidents and delays, and it was
several hours before the leader Of
the chase knocked heavily upon the
door Of the tiny tnement, to be con-
fronted by Mary, white-faced and
shuddering, holding up pleading, ST.
lencing hands.
"Oh, hush," she begged, "just a
moment please, for the child's sake.
Don't let her see you; come, hush,
low now"
Officers of the law have hearts be-
meath their blue uniforms, and when
a woman lifts her eyes to them they
can read virtue and truth, if it is
there. Bareheaded, with light tread,
they stepped into the tiny room.
Over the fireplace the wee, red
stocking hung, and pinned to each
one was clumsy leather doll. "See,''
Mary whispered, "he made them for
her-he ran away to bring them
oh, give him a few minutes with his
baby girl. Look thru the door at
them. She thinks he is Santa Claus
He ran in all faint and wounded, and
I bound up him arm, and he dressed
himself in the old Santa Claus suit
that he has worn every Christmas
since Mary came. Let her have hel
Christmas before you take him."
Tiptoeing softly they looked into
the bare little bedroom. On the
floor, besides the child's cot, the
. father knelt, his convict's clothes
covered by a scarlet white-furred
! suit. A shaggy white beard hid his
face, but the eyes that gazed down al
? the sleeping child were full Of blend
, ed love and pain. AS the watchers
) looked, the little sleeper stirred, sud.
. denly, and sat up, her eyes opening
, wide.
"Oh,' she cried, "you've come, San.
, ia Claus. I knew you would, cause
t I prayed for you.'
She threw her arms around his
neck, her golden hair mingling will
n the white fur, her eyes starry will
excitement.
: 81 just love you Santa" she said
a 81 love you better than anyone, 'cep
d my daddy. I prayed for him too
8 he's been away such long time-ev
d er since mama went to Heaven
d Couldn't you bring him back to me
It Santa Claus? do want him so bad