Evening star., 1925-06-29
Tin, of Bush Valley
BY A. M. CHISHOLM.
careful of the stove drafts. I'm 6
BY A. M. CHISHOLM.
copyright, 1925. by Street Il Smith CorpD


careful Of the stove drafts. I'm goin'
to walk"
why, Tim"-Tessie began.
Il said l was goin' to walk" Tim
repeated, and cut further quest'""s
short by jumping out of the moving
wagon. Keep right on gouA. -
commanded. I'm come home when
I feel like it."
But when the wagon had vanished
in the night he turned and struck
jog trot toward the school. Ar
irving there he peered through a win
dow. Refreshments were being served.
There was a babel of talk and laugh
ter. Tim Rigney, outcast in the dark.
ness, scowled upon the revelry and
made his way to a rear entrance to
the ante room. There, very much an
Mr.. Sankey had listened at the bank
door, he waited for a moment and
| cautiously opened it. There was no
body in the room, which was piled
with overcoats, caps and outer gar
| ments. Among them he saw what
he was looking for, the red tunic.
| false face and beard of Santa Claus,
and the bag which the latter had
borne. He crossed the room swiftly,
satisfied himself that the bag still con-
| tanned the presents destined for the
Jackman children, swung it on his
| shoulders and disappeared as he had
come. Outside he grinned malevo-
lently and struck for home.
For couple of miles he glorified
| in his accomplishment. Then doubts
| began to assail him. Was he getting
| square with Jackman by swiping his
| kids presents?
Sure, I am" he argued stoutly.
| For he'll have to buy them more or
see them go shy, an twill hurt the
| old devil to spend the money. And
! IL he knew us Rigneys had 'em it
would drive him wild"
| The flaw in this reasoning was that
Mr.. Jackman might not spend the
money to duplicate the gifts; and that
| he would not know what had become
| of them. II he did it would be awk.
ward. The last suggestion gave Tom
| some uneasiness, which grew as he
| thought it over. 1t had been his in
tention to give the Jackman children's s
in the morning. But now he realized
that this would not do at all
| He'll raise a row." he reflected.
| ''and maybe he'll catch on, though no.
body saw me. And IL l give his kids
presents to our kids 1 can't tell them
to keep them hid. and il / don't tell
them people will see them. Now what
in hell did 1 ever swipe them for, any
way?"
darkness. He went to the stable, lit
a lantern. and proceeded to inspect
his loot.
Mr.. Jackman's presents to his off.
spring had been chosen with an eye
to utiiity-mittens. gloves, caps-such
things in fact as he would have had
to buy for them in the ordinary
course. There were couple of highly
moral books and diminutive, mosquito
net stockings filed with cheap candies
but otherwise the frugal Mr.. Jackman
had capitalized Christmas.
why, the rotten, mean, old skunk"
Tim muttered as he replaced them
There amt a toy nor a thing a kid
wants in the whole works. His kids
don't miss much
But that did not solve his difficulty
| He was clear now that he could not
give these things to the Rigney chill
dren. He would have to get rid OF
them. After thinking it over, he came
TO decision that the following night
he would make a secret trip to Jack
mans and throw the bag and its con