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Show 9&0!d Toymafcer aI Christopher tXf G-Hazard. fjtffltS. JONES has been makln' pies," observed Kuth. "Mince pies?" replied her sister. "No, Jones pies," answered Ruth. It was promising for somebody, for Ke-turah Ke-turah Jones never made pies without making one over. The batch might he mince, apple or pumpkin, but there was always an extra pie for good nature na-ture and good luck. This time it was a Christmas pie and destined for the old toy maker. It was his only chance of holiday Joy, for, while he could whittle out boats, carve dogs that could almost bark and cats that seemed afraid of them, and make doll houses, he could not cook, and he lived alone. ne was an old man, queer but kindly. His old house seemed to be falling down, or at least It was leaning that way, but yet it sheltered shel-tered the toy shop bravely and tried to feel as young as ever because it had seen old Hans stand on his head just to show how young he was. On the way to him with the pie the children chil-dren wondered if he would sing for them again as he had done the last time they watched him at his work. It was the song about the miller's dog that they wanted, but they found him working on a toy horse, and when they noticed that there was something wrong about the horse they forgot about the dog. "You haven't got that right, Mr. Hans," said Ruth; "you shouldn't put a necklace of sleigh bells around his stomach." "Well, well," said the old man, "I'll have to see about that ; but perhaps I was thinking think-ing about something to eat when I put the bells In the wrong place." "Well, here It Is," said Ruth, uncovering the pie, "and we wish you a Merry Christmas." Christ-mas." "Sure," said Mr. Hans, "sure It will be merry, and you shall be merry, too," and he took down a bundle as he put the pie upon the shelf. It was a very Interesting bundle, but the children suddenly remembered the song and forgot the bundle. This was the song: The miller's blfr dog lay on the mill floor, And Bfinpro wns his name, oh. A wonderlnfr what he lay there for. And why he was bo lame, oh. B-a-n-B-ooo O Bango was his name. The miller ho satd If the dog was dead, Why, that would be the end, oh; But since he only lame instead, Old Hans would soon htm mend, oh. B-a-n-g-ooo O Bango was his name. The special fun of It was when they spelled the dog's name around the circle, each singer taking one letter, and then all Joining in on the last line. Then the children forgot the song and remembered the bundle. It was well wrapped, fur they took off paper after paper, like peeling nn onion, until they came to the girl doll that could call for mother and the hoy doll that could play on a mouth organ. Then, wllh both the presents going, they also went, leaving a pleasant smile on the old man's face and all (he toys looking happily at each oilier. Mrs. Jones welcomed the travelers hack with a taste of her cooking for themselves, and was as happy as all guild Christinas cooks are. She said, "You can't make chocolate almonds out of horse cl.eslnuls, but those youngsters surely did put In their thumbs and pull out plums." ((c), l:)lai. Wi'iitorn Nowiiimpnr Union.) |