| Show hello santa clans aiom s DAILY A very little boy stood on a chair and tiptoed to reach tho telephone his yellow curls hung over his broad collar his bine velvet suit caught the gaslight in a dozen rich tints of shade his eyes were sapphire blue and his skin exquisitely fair yet there was nothing delicate about his looks he was simply a radiant healthy happy saxen boy the other little boy who leaned against hie chair was pale and dark with a curly wavy little wig of black hair and sparkling black eyes he aras as handsome a little i fellow as the first boy but he had no beautiful clothes to off his beauty no poor little byrons toes were out of his shoes and his clothes were patched and faded hello santa called the little boy on the chair hello called santa clans now bertie had often telephoned santa clana before but never bad santa clans said anything back it almost knocked the little boy off the chair with delight santa clans ho cried very fast for fear santa clans might go away be fore he had finished will you please give box christmas cause my paint box officer our dog swallowed somo of the paints and the rest of tho box got lost I 1 lose it it lost of course said santa chaux yes sir and please wont you bring byron a aled and some candy and a red wagon like my best one and a drum hes been a very good boy he banged bunged up his stocking last christmas but ho get nothing bat a tin trumpet and some candy and a apple byron santa chaus his name is byron the eager little voice answered and he lives over on the alley on van caren street where the red street cars are and say santa clans I 1 guess if you aint got enough for both of us yon can give byron his things and not give mo my paiit box cause maybe I 1 can tease mamma to Mamma who sat in the other room exchanged smiles with auntie who was visiting her that afternoon who are you said santa clans why dont you know me said the little boy im bertie hardin and my papa is mr egbert hardin and 1 I know him said santa claus he is a nice fellow so are you sometimes im bad put in bertie out of his sturdy little conscience say santa chaus you wont forget course id like the paint box if youve got enough presents to go round you know you give our baby any he cant talk at all and he dont know about you either and he threw his rattle into the fire so I 1 guess hed throw his christmas presents away too all good bye santa biais hung up the telephone tube and began to walk up and down the brows knitted and his hands n his pocket like a man perplexed the floor was marble because he was in a hotel office and his footsteps make ringing sound he was not an old man neither would any one have suspected that he was santa claus in fact he looked a good deal like byron cameron presently a man passing said going tonight to night mr cameron there was a very slight pause before santa claus answered no I 1 shall stay over christmas not much like australian christmas weather take it 7 said the man and laughed at santa clans shiver santa glaus himself smiled a queer smile after the man he has decided for me he was thinking why not stay it must be nod and ho has named his boy after me he cant feel very bitter to have done that he gave a harsh dighe years ago the brothers had it is no matter and so bitterly that the younger went away and never more had any dealings with his brother for ten years they were alone in the world these two brothers therefore the more shame that they should quarrel nevertheless so angry was even in far away australia whither he had drifted he could not forgive his brother it was business that had brought him to this western city he never guessed that hero it was that his brother lived he did not even know that his brother had a little boy as old as bis own little son the fact is he had stepped to the telephone to make some arrangements about going to another city but berties innocent boyish call to him and what bertie said touched a heart soft with aching for the sight of his own byron this christmas eve he had become a very rich man he felt a little lump in his throat contrasting tr the presents over which his own boy would rejoice with that poor little tin trumpet and that apple in boons blocking if he should look like my boy 1 thought he well what harm to play santa claus they see me tho air was dark and cold through which little byron ran home and ho had no winter coat because his mother was piecing down the arms of the old one boys must grow no matter how little money their parents may have poor little byron I 1 fancy ho often was cold he never was hungry but then his mamma never wanted to oat much his father was always sick too now and sometimes he would give byron some of his grapes or the piece of an orange when byron got into the room he thought it pretty to see the coal in the stove made the nice windows glow so red and the lamp was lighted and the shabby furniture yon mav bo sure never bothered byron ass father as usual lay on the lounge ho was getting stronger but could barely crawl downstairs mamma was beside him showing him one of those pretty cards that she faed to paint to sell at the shops she had a wooden shoe besides all gilded with mistletoe and holly painted on it and words byron heard her say the bardins hardins Har dins man is waiting for them the last dear then im going to be lazy indeed she did nothing all that evening she took byron on her knee and told him about santa claus will he como here to highl said byron battag his mothers pretty check and hair will he bring me lots and lots cf things did I 1 hit yon with my foot papa for papa made a queer little sound like a gran no dear not lots but something Yon know santa chaus has so many bitle boys and he know always what they want telephoned said byvron with triumph and santo clans said yes aad understood afterward bertie and me both telephoned him for our mammas buthe say nothing whirr whirr like that so may be he did not hear bout you ant I 1 know he did bout me and yon can havo some of my candy dont you love candy mamma you never eat a single bite nor pie nor apples Say mamma berties folks are going to have the biggest turkey did I 1 ever taste turkey its very lik chicken dear you used to taste it ofton When papa gets well yon shall again wont a great big chicken do as well tomor to mor row ye es inaam said byron dolbt fally then he whispered mamma look at papa is he crying cause he aint got a hea put his hands all over his eves I 1 dont mind a bit A big chicken is much nicer for three people said mamma papa is only tired he but nobody will ever know what mamma would have said for byron caught her tightly round the neck listen listen I 1 hear a pin out side its santa clans ill catch him he cried then mamma and he ran out of boora together there on the biaza was an amazing sight you would suppose that a toy chop and a grocers had been unloaded together Ob mamma od byron santa clans beard theres everything bertie telephoned for my sled my wagon a red wagon and oh look at tho oranges and the candy and a turkey look at em look at em thank yon santa claus why mamma byron byron cried mamma but she looking at byron at all staring down the street at a man who had turned round under the street lamp byron she sobbed after all these years we know we wronged you now coma back and what was stranger the man did come back and hugged and kissed mamma next day byron was trying to describe the glories of the evening to bertie shaw said bertie why you catch santa claus ought to have gunned out kuicks quicks lightning and seen the sleigh 1 I did see the back of a sleigh apologized byron but my uncle you see he come long just then oh uncles said bertie with high scorn catch me talking to uncles when I 1 could see santa claua but I 1 never saw my uncle before neither pleaded byron then changing the subject abruptly what do yon think bertie santa claus came back what did you see him no humbly but I 1 know ho did cause I 1 found another sled and another red wagon and a drum and candy on the porch I 1 forgot he left the others buesa he forgot and came twice to me too exclaimed bertie deeply excited for I 1 got two paint boxes and one was out on the piazza with a whole box of oranges and marked from santa clans but maybe mamma and auntie who were smiling very much in the other room could have explained that is hat it is to tamper with santa clas |
