| Show FIO HOW JOHNNY GOT G A JOB by H BARRETT SMITH copyright by U B bowles it amas was the jay day before clel atilus the e hour lour wi was early the store doors urcal open but crowds had already begun to pour into the shopping dla dis tl let in a big how window now a fairy grotto fill all troal frost and and green santi claus clans greeted the eany comers lie ile knew his business too this santa claus blaus ile he wits was nut not in the bhoj window tor for hla his he herlth alth ile he looked a trifle weary lie he hta hid been working but he nodded aud and smiled and smirked an aal I 1 winked at the boys and girls outside the window johnny stood near the foot of the elevated station not far from sinta santa claus clans there was a cutting vind mind a lowering sky and johnny a jacket was wai ragged so were the knee pints that reached to his ankles but johnny shuffled ills his feet and whistled bunav africa to keep warm the passer by who happened to catch johnnys johnny s eye turned to look at him blin again true johnny had a mond wonderful vonder erful tul pair of 0 orbs arbs big brown wide open and touching chev wre w re dumbly eloquent but bui johnnys appeal was mas entirely unconscious nor was mas it hla his aesha to attract attention lie he whistled jigged and looked innocent there was a game of craps under the elevated stairs and johnny was wag kayin fer the tha cop johnny felt he should not linger at the corner this mo coining ining but it if hla hia fren should win out the order would be coatee and rolls for two johnny had bad to live so he matted for hla his breakfast while hs breakfast bieak fast halted on luck not an unusual situ alion aaion tor for johnny come crap come seven a throw of the dice a cry of victory an oath at f defeat and johnnys nys whistle and jig came to a dead stop together johnny a fren went broke johnnys ees grew wide and sol dmn ile he looked at his fran no ni man could tell what johnny was thinking johnny said yer chump its tough paid eald his him iron fren dis bein a apoi spoil t on a couple 0 cents said johnny in fine disdain I 1 tolt cher not t do it on an empy if yei got t gamble e never nener t do it it if yer aint aln t first got yer roll an acup a cup 0 coffee on the side at this the curbstone winner ani loser joined forces and sent up a howl hol of deil deit blon sion hurling at johnny the choicest bits of their picturesque vo cab gwan G wan yousef youse retorted johnny then adhering to his policy of havin yer ver say bay an quintin lie he suddenly re johnny always lemeni bared in the nick of tinie time that he ha ba I 1 urgent business bubl nesa with santa claus now me big show window and tho the grotto therein had bad no tit attraction traction for johnn johnny had an artistic tern tem pe an imagination the dis guise of this santa claus was too thin ile he ats not the kris kringle of johnnys dieal johnny thou thought git there must n be something queer biti the acrond thit allowed itself to be taken in by dat wise old did guy johnny expected no christmas gift but his uplift was not disconsolate neither was there rebellion in hla his heart johnnys crying want came from his stomach ich he fie hid had to ina so BO he turned ills his attention to the crowd going into the store for a few moments he m was as to lost s t in a moving mass then ho he emerged on the inside of the tha great swinging doors how dead easy johnny thought the warna warm air took him in its fond embrace how hom nice it was but suddenly he squirmed and almost doublet double himself ile he felt a hand grab his jacket at the back of 0 his neck N what hot are you doing here johnny shot a look over his der and thought he saw a giant stand ing over him it was only a floorwalker I 1 I 1 I 1 m lookin fer a jot job don t cher W want ant no mole iloie cash boys I 1 the spoken word would have failed but johnny a eyes got in their fine bark ork how old are you anyhow johnny looked small for t ten en ile he gitlit be a year oi 01 two older but johnny had to live and with as aa much certitude as it if he had his birth to back him up he answered I 1 burteen the giant looked quizzically at the midget well he said I 1 this Is the last do day y of the rush but they are taking every body on you might go up and pee the superintendent ilia his office la is at the head of the stairs there johnny made for the stairs seem angly ie 1 e lost no time as aa ho he through the crowd of shoppers but in that short johnny saw sav heaped counters of ches he saw pocketbooks in every hand and out of tho the pocketbooks flowed rheams sti earns ot of money when johnny reached tho the top of the stairs lie he paused and looked back then darle bartel 1 the hill hall not five minutes later an employed whispered to the house detective thebes trouble up tip there a woman had bad her pocket picked at the top of the first landing there was a gathering crowd and a woman beA ailing tilling ft a ost jost pocketbook the plain c clothes man alrh arrived ed on oa the scene and as aa he was listening to the complaint hla his ees lighted on johnny johnny was slinking along the wall his hand behind lim hm ile he certainly looked a suspicious character nhit lii liale 0 o ou got theroa ariet the detective johnny stared at the detective ant aid nothing yo 1 have a pocketbook 1 the I he do de pounced on johnny sn ani dragged him toward the loser of 0 tte purse I 1 found it johnny produced tho pocketbook book from behind hla his back but held on to it dun don t I 1 lie to bald the detective A alth ith a cocksureness that impressed hla his lib jib feneis lie ile pointed to the tha black an aal I 1 bold pocketbook in johnny johan B hand and said dramatically ibram madam there I 1 bour our pocketbook no it ian isal t snapped the woman Ever everybody body laughed even johnna smirked and dire things might inight hive happened to eliu then and there had not some one called over the balus baluh ti fiade ade heie 61 t ou on lose a pocket book sixty ono one was a oung sale with bright brown brom n hair irish blue blueyes eyes ees and a smile that hat revealed revel led a row of 0 perfect white teeth she ran up tip the tha steps yes yea I 1 thought I 1 hobt it somewhere up tip leie heie anyone find it I 1 yep maybe I 1 did johnny looked up tip at 61 but lie he put the pocketbook pocket bouk behind him sixty one saw the pinched face the big ees she forgot her loss loa oi poor little fellow johnny was not visibly affected lie he just looked at her and asked how much was icv it oh of course she had to prove her ownership sixt one was amused let me see she said there was neither gold nor johnny nodded encouragingly nor bills but a few coppers I 1 believe thirteen johnny producing the pocketbook pocket book the lord save ns said 61 thala ft hi li I 1 lost it data why ion found it sali bah johnny handing her the purse puree that a mine said 61 joyfully id 0 0 ILE HE CERTAINLY A S give a month a pay any time tor for it am I 1 m coiry tor for lour sale sake there here Is not no mole moie in it would I 1 hoodoo you it if 1 gave you the 13 cents not on your life johnny heli out his pilm palm and 11 emptied the con tents of the purse into it A shrewd look that transformed his face cams came into hla his eyes iteen lie he said covering the tha money with lils hla other pana pam as if 1 lit he were about to match pennies thir teen Is my lucky number enough now said the detective chase 3 out of here I 1 johnny rattled his wealth ile he had bad no fear of the detective now I 1 m waltin t see the superintend ent ile he aln ain t in now oh said 61 it if you want a juli juh I 1 think I 1 can help belp you you go autch to the delivery entrance round the cor ner ask for mr hir harris the frel freight glit clerk tell him I 1 sent you walt what a bour name sixty one toie a leaf from her note book and wrote dear charlie johnny la Is a great kid take him on if 3 love me kitty I 1 sixty one nue folded the note and mal about to give it to johnny when i 11 thought occurred to her that made her blush crimson and she blurted johhny can you read I 1 think I 1 could make it out if I 1 tried t well don t try lot to sald said cl 61 emphatic ilia ill 1 e and she pressed the note into johnnys johnny a hand and closed his fingers over it IOU ou keep it just like that till you give it to mr air harris needless to say johnny got a job |
