Show rar i nrlaaee Midnights Mistletoe Bough By Dcltna Marlccn Eugoncs ODD mawnln Mist Roberti Fine Christmas weathor GOOD Fine Chris fine i Cameron bluntly Ignored the cheerful greeting and the newspaper which Midnight Mid-night tho colored newsboy held out for him and walked on briskly down the street his gaze directed toward tho pavement Mldlnght tumbled back against his newsstand a queer expression of bewilderment be-wilderment and sadness spreading over his face Data do firs time dat Mist Camron evah clone Iftiy n papah from somebody else ho soliloquized n lump gathering In his throat Dats do firs time ho ovate pass mah place wldoiit sayln Good mawnln He aint nevah got no kick an no complaint com-plaint t make t mo Dats do llrs time Ah ovah sea him go bustln by like dat an so cogltntln he aint lookln whar ho gwine Dah am sholy tiomcthln do mattah All tho rest of the day Midnight was In a sort of a trance Ho watched the elevated stairway from early afternoon after-noon for the return ot Cameron Ills fitful vigil was rewarded when the young lawyer walked wearily down tho steps Midnight watched his every move jealously to see whether ho purchased an afternoon paper from his rivals Cameron stopped at the little negros stand Good evening Midnight ho said languidly Merry Chrlstmus Mist Camron De world am treatln me fine as silk an Ah nlht got no complaint t mae t no ono returned the boy bravely 1111 r i I I 1 I ill il f1 11 t I l AiffiIIII1t1 iii P z f i le r rr may t soia C = Half Unconsciously the Two Young Persons Reached for the Bough concealing the anxiety that had been overshadowing him all day Yas rah said the lad aloud to himself after Cameron had passed on toward his home dab nm sholy some thin do mattah but It aint me Midnight closed his shop that night In a happy framo of mind and wandered wan-dered off toward his home whistling Ho was around bright and aarly the next day and when Cameron came along on his way to his office made It a particular point to see that ho was not overlooked Hours later when tho flying snow was painting the dusk a speckled I black Cameron came back alone tho I sidewalk more slowly and uncertainly uncertain-ly than over It wns Christmas eve and Midnight felt at peace with all tho world People wore flying past their arms laden with presents and all anxious to be home As he stood In a sheltered corner of his booth counting up his prollts of the day ho called to Cameron MIst Catnron Ah got a Chrlsmus present fo yo motha Ah wans tax t-ax you ef you will como roun in do mawnln an be do firs pusson t buy a Chrlsmas paperIts good luck tome to-me you know Why Mist Camron suddenly exclaimed the lad as the young man came under the light am you sick Yo tare am white as a ghos an you wak like you done sit dls grip what evryono takln bout Mist Drown cross do street hynr ho gut It Mist Slmpklns up at do cor nab Lordy ho git do misery so ho stay in do house an dat loboly Miss Wllloughby you know do ono Ah mean Miss Helen Wll loughby not dat sistershe come long dls abeam an dough she smllln nn happy like Ah know alto mils glt U toodat mus bo why sho aint wak down do street wid you tday an yes tlddy YesIIguess she must be tooling a little under tho weather said Cameron as no turned away Merry Christmas Midnight ox claimed a musical voice Whywhygood obenln Miss VlMouKbby Merry Christmas Skuse ar OiailYSal aala r aaaarrlrr I mo fo not seem you but nh dont I fogot my mannahs Ah guess fo do time beta Ah was Jus thlnkln bout do foks ob mah fallibly Why Midnight you never told us about your folks as long BB you havo been serving papers at our house Are your folks alive Jus1 malt ole granmnmmy nn she lib wid same ole frens ob de famblY an Ah seas her do monoy dat she need t lib on Ah aln had no daddy an no mammy fo do longer tlmo cause doy bofo froze t def In de blew zard what como long bout six year ago agoHow How did you over happen to como heroMist Mist Camron done brought me hynr You see malt mammy been a cook an malt mammys sister a nurse III Mist Camrons fambly fo near 30 year an when Mist Cnmron come hyor mammy ax him t git me a job some day an den he sen fo me Ho try me fo n cook but Ah guess Ahm a pretty bad cookrennyway Mist Camron ho say one day why not staht a nows stan an he glvo mo do money an dats all do hlstry what Is bout mobut Miss Wllloughby Ahm glad you como long tonight cause Ah got a Chrlsmus present fo yousome nllstlctoe a fine big branch what mah grail mammy sens up from Marylan git It offen do trees right In de swamp back o do shanty Ah wans C ax you cf yo wlfc please be so good an kin as t como roun In ndo mawnln an buy io firs paper cause It means good luck you know Hardly had the Christmas horns blown their first greetings of the tiny when Midnight saw two figures coming com-ing down tho street from different directions di-rections Ono was Cameron walking slowly along tho main thoroughfare and the other was Miss Wllloughby Merry Chrlsmus called Midnight even before tho young lawyer had reached tho stand Ah hopes you Is feelln bettah dls mawnlnV Thank you Midnight I feel all right Here hurry up with that mistletoe mis-tletoe and glvo mo that first paper you wanted me to buy ho added quickly as he glanced up tho street and saw Miss Wllloughby approachIng approach-Ing briskly AhAhAhdoan know Jes wha Ah did wid dat mlstlcmtoe ainAhonc fool nlggah Ah put It right hyar under un-der dls shelf Jes two minutes ago but Ah cant find It he replied rummaging rum-maging nervously among a pile of papers pa-pers underneath the top shelf Merry Christmas called another voice and Midnight raised his head and smiled Into tho face of Miss WIl loughby Who stood at the other end of tho stand taking great pains not to see Cameron who was striving equally to avoid her Where Is that mistletoe you wanted want-ed me to have Midnight You see I got up very early to bo tho first Conc here and you know you promised it to mo moWell Well ef dat sin do funnies thing replied Midnight laughing mischievously mischiev-ously Ah sholy had two fine pieces ob dat intslcmtoo right hyar but Ah cant fin em t savo mah soul Ah done promise dls t you Miss Wllloughby an deed Ah dono promise it t1 you Mist Cainron fo yo motha an Ah holy doan know what t do bout It Ah cant bus It In two Half unconsciously tho two young persons reached for the bough then hesitated Why of course let Mr Cameron havo It for his mother spoke up Miss Willoughby Give It to Miss Wllloughby said Cameron Perhaps you will find tho other piece after awhile Ahll give It t Miss Willoughby if Mist CamronH toto It home to do lady The girl glanced Cameron and In another moment tho young couplo were walking away from tho stand carrying tho bunch of mistletoe between be-tween them Midnight grlnnod as ho leaned against his stand and commented com-mented Ah guess Ahll take dls otha piece right straight up t Mrs Camron mah self cause Ah know dat piece ob tats tlomtoo aln novah gwlno t leave Miss Wllloughbys house ef Mist Cnmron kin hop It |