Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18

/ them to hold the stockings until they
| should be dry. Then he cut small
| holly tree, dug out q hole in the
| ground, set the tree in it and, after
much pounding of the loosened earth
| with the axe, made it reasonably safe
| against any wind that might come or
| the weight of any gift that might be
put upon it during the night.
| No pencil could be found in the
| pockets of the runaways or in the
supply box of the wagon, so the col
/ lars of Rhoda and Buster were laid in
| the light on the ground by the tree,
| in the desperate hope that they would
| be hints not too delicate to be effec.
| tive.
| AS for themselves. in default Of spe-
| cific requests put clearly upon paper,
| they hung both their stockings promi-
nently on strong limbs of the tree and
| decided to be satisfied with any
/ changes that might be made in their
! two lists of wants, though, with mys-
| tic faith, they several times casually
| repeated all the items for the benefit
! of whomsoever might hear. They had
| known of such messages into the void
| to have effect.
! And now they were ready. Kilmer
| had built up the fire afresh, clearing
| away the straw from around it so
| that it could not spread and stacking
| a great pile Of fat knots and hardwood
nearby to keep it going through the
night. The ! light glistened on the
| glossy green leaves and the red ber-
| ries of the holly tree, the wind sang
| low far up in the nodding pine tops,
| the brook at the foot of the hill hur-
| ried along its course, pishing and
| pshawing and clucking at the sticks
] - -. - l1r,rx .r.H
hearty old woman enjoying her own
voice.
| X LINER and Peruna stood by the
~ wagon, looking and listening, and
then they slowly climbed over the
front wheel, laid thick slab of bed
ding, smelling of hay, on the floor of
the wagon, inserted themselves be-
tween its folds and prepared to await
the issue with whatever patience they
could command They did not, alas,
say their prayers, and there was no
one to remind them. but surely some
things may be taken for granted.
They were not afraid. AS for Pc
| runa, she lay close to Kilmer. and as
for him, he was the head of the fam
lily, he was used to the woods and, be-
sides, listen as hard as he could, he
heard nothing to alarm him.
Presently Kilmer felt the taut. small
body relax against him. Peruna mois
| tened her mouth, murmured some
thing about a doll with long. yalleI
hair and drifted swiftly away into
sleep.
But he lay awake for long time
He must make up the fire once more
after a while, he told himself, and
! a a
think what he might say to soften
the shock for her if no visible miracle
came to pass that night by his camp
fire. The air was keen on his face, the
covering was warm, it was softly dark
under the canvas and several times
he caught himself dropping off to
sleep. ''Shucksw he always said to
himself, and If he could have looked
in a mirror he would have seen his
lips curled in scorn at his weakness.
An hour or so later he stole from
under the covers, slipped on his shoes
and piled wood high on the fire, SO
that well into the night it might re.
main a flaming signal, in lieu of a
chimney, and continue spot of beck
oning red until the lighted morning of
| Christmas day. Then he ran back to
the warm bed, his teeth knocking to-
gether and his back all goosey. and
after that the long, rolling waves of
the dark night closed in on him.
When again sleep stole near to call
him, he gave UP and let himself go
and go, oh, so gladly.
y II x*
A nd while the two innocents slept in
secret security countless miracles
came to pass outside the wagon
Great red and yellow flames and, now
and then, thin green one leaped and
wheeled and danced, and at the heart
of the fire thousand towering cas-
ties shaped themselves into loneliness
and faded unseen into gray ashes. At
| the foot of the hill, where the brook
ran into little clearing of the forest,
starlight that had been on the way
for years and years fell upon the face
of ripple, burst into shining beauty
for an unnoted fraction of a second
1 and helped a minnow around a dam
| gerous turning of his course. Under
the earth pine trees were making from
| sand and water giant plumes to wave
at the moon, and high above the earth
| golden suns marched on through that
| stately figure begun millions of years
ago and to be finished millions of years
| hence. And though at daybreak no
miracle had come to the tree of the
sleepers, wonderful story had been
given to one of them and, more won.
derful still, quick words to tell it with.
Rising stealthily and peeping through
the puckered hole in the back of the
canvas just to make sure, Kilmer
sighed and slipped back under the
quilts, hoping that Peruna would not
be awake. But he felt her hand search
ing for his, and he saw in the dim
dght that her questioning eyes were
upon him.
Did he come, buddie? Did he come
at alp"
Long, long time ago he come, he
did. 1t was all black and cold outside,
an I got up to put some wood on the
fire, an he sided down right through
the trees, with little bells a-jinglin' an
a-jangiin'. / was a-standin' there by
the fire a-lookin' at him, but he went
right on a-liftin' things outen a big
sack in his sleigh. ! seen him slip into
the stockin's your doll with the long
yaller hair. an my knife. an a lots
more besides: an then, kinda smilin'
in his white whiskers, he laid a brown
strop all covered with shiny tinklin'
bells on ole Rhody's collar an one on
Busters. After that he stood a while,
like he was a-studyin' somethin'. an all
a. once he begun putin the things
back in the sack.
How come you takin's 'em all
back, mister?' / called to him. An
he said, I'm a-goin' to save 'em for
you an your little sister. Nobody else
shall have a single one o. them. he
said, an when you git settled I'll fetch
tn rvayg akyn in ~ A.C n