Show santa mike ike ca christmas tm as convict story tory fk 13 by y T C BRIDGES zid S december night closed across the desolate moor tho the snow enow ceased falling the clouds broke find and a brilliant moon shed Us its silver light across the wide stretches ot of rolling whiteness with the change it began to freeze flor fiercely cely coating the sodden drifts with a crisp film of ice at every stop II at I 1 k 0 tired feet brolio broke through this coating and sank deep into soft stuff bauff beneath making the traveling so BO terribly hard that in spite of the bitter cold perspiration stood in beads beada on his thin brown face ho fie was vaa breath breathing tn hara and evidently desperately weary yet ho he never stopped for a moment though now and then as he plowed his way onwards ho he would turn his big head and cast an apprehensive glance back over his shoulder had anyone been near enough to watch him they would easily have understood der stood ills his haste the drab livery plentifully be sprinkled with broad arrows marked him as one of tho the states unwilling guests As a matter of fact mike alike dempsey had been for the last three years a prison inmate and it was with tho the intention of escaping another seven years of unappreciated hospitality that ho he had a few hours previously idone deao a bunk under cover of 0 tho the sudden snowstorm ive puzzled thim screws wan thing sure he muttered to himself and in spite of ills his fatigue a slight chuckle escaped his thin lips but faith ive puzzled too and I 1 dont know where I 1 am no moro more than adam it if I 1 cud only git all a landmark ot of some bortl ho he went on eanest I 1 cud ud find my road to the railway id win clear mike alike dempsey a years yeam for nothing lie ho crunched ills hla slow way across a flat valley lumped jumped a little brook and pushed up the steep slope beyond A gleam of light in the next valley attracted his attention it came from a lighted window and there was something comforting to the lonely fugitive in tho the red glow cast upon the glittering snow enow V ut hesitation he started ward it presently he ha was boualy approaching pro aching a small house aich stood in a tiny garden surrounded by a low dry stono itono wall there was a gate in front fronts but mike alike preferred erred to approach 4 4 4 0 A V it was wa a man lying flat on tits his face from tho the back and clambering gingerly over the wall crept up to tho window from which the light came raising himself till his bis head was on a level with the sill bill he peered through the window luto into it a barely furnished living room lighted by a great ore of glowing turf A couch stood in one ona corner on which lay a youngish matt man whose bandaged lead head showed him to be the victim or of some soma accident on a chair beside him sat a sweet faced woman and on the tha bare earthen floor boor played two children a curly hatred haired boy ot about seven and a chubby girl a year or so BO younger but what arrested a att attention alon was a little fir tree not more mora than tour four feet high which tood stood planted in n an old bucket on an tho the table in tho the middle of the room for a moment it puzzled mike blike pica pen he be save gave a little gasp biggor Bog gor it it aint a christmas tree why ta christmas ove eve I 1 do behave though faith id lost of tho the date 1 in tho the old stono itono lug jug on the hill gut but whores wheres tho the tia no as bare as me own onn pocket he bo went on wonderingly bonde angly it at that inin moment elit tho the boy got up and going formara to tho the woman pulled at her dress to attract her attention alother Mot lier santa claus coming iles hes awful lato late we havo bavo no cismas tree if lie ho diesti 1 come como soon its the snow allow dearle dearie explained tho the mother such a bail bai storm that I 1 expect he be was lato late tn in starting but now its cleared up I 1 daresay hou hell bo be hero here soon ifer her words were cheery but mike alike caught the anxious glanco glance she gave her husband go out and see it if williams in sight yet alice said eald the mon man lie ito ought to have been here an hour ago I 1 only hope nothing has happened to the poor old fellow alike dropped on oil hands and knees behind the angle of the wall as the door opened and the woman stood on tho the threshold looking out down the empty snow clad valley somehow tho the pathos of the bare little littie christmas tree and the anxious family appealed to his hardened old soul and when the door closed again lie he rose to his feet and instead of following out his first intention and entering tho the house to demand food and clothes climbed tho the wall again and made off down the valley it williams coming this way therell bo be a road of sorts ho he said to himself and uro enough there was though covered deep in snow ho he found that there was a path down tile the valley which ho he had little doubt would lead eventually to the malu main road to town ile ho had bad gono gone another mile when a dark patch in the snow straight ahead attracted tits his attention and he caught ills hla brea breath th sharply as ho he stopped b bo 0 side it for fo it it was a man lying flat on his face and judging by tile snow which almost covered his body ho he had been there in the same position for some time beside him lay a half filled sack also covered with snow miko alike gave a short sharp glance around tile the moonlight horizon was still bare ile iio stooped and turned the man over dead he bo muttered dead and coldi cold ns as lio lie laid his bis hand against the chill cheek for a moment he stood staring at the dead maar face which was that of a little old man wizened and bearded and very rauch much 0 of mikes alikes own type and build then like it flash it came to the convict that hero here at last was lits hla chance and a thrill shot through hla his weary frame Il hell willell not need thim duds duda any more he muttered aud and dropping on his 1111 knees lu in the snow enow began with trembling fingers to strip the dead man of his clothes they were worn and old but to mike alike as aa precious as aa broadcloth for once he ha was rid ot of his convict garb he had multiplied his bis chances ot escape a hundredfold not till he be had completed the whole change of costume down to boots and hat and had buried his broad ar rows rowa deep in a neighboring drift did mike alike bethink himself of tho the sack lie ile snatched it up eagerly hoping it might coln contain food and turned the contents out upon the snow A small drum a bag of lead soldiers a cheap doll a box of wax tapers and one of crackers and a couple of packets of sweets not an article of the lot which had cost 25 cents and the value of the whole not five dollars alike stood and stared at them hem the box of soldiers had fallen open ile he stooped and picked up the little painted figures and replaced them carefully so poor santy claus he muttered and the children will be waiting on him hard luck 11 again ho he bent down and quickly bundled everything back into the sack he laid this by the lead dead body and turning on his heel beel walked rapidly away ire ho could riot not be more than four or five miles from the town now and with his knowledge of railway matters it would be easy enough to stow away in a truck and lying under a tarpaulin be carried scores of miles away from the hated prison besides there was money in his brou trou ars pockets poc keta only a little littie but plenty to buy food and drink a clay pipe and a plug of tobacco mikes alikes mouth watered as aa he bo thought of a square meal ile ho tried to keep his thoughts on the prospect ot of these almost forgotten luxuries yet somehow it was difficult tho the picture seen through tho the cottage window kept rising before hla his mind and though he bo did his best to thrust it aside the effort was unavailing long years ago mike had a home of hla his own a wife find and a 9 baby wife and baby both bad died swept away in a wee by an epidemic of diphtheria and that had been the beginning ot the irish frish naviys downfall but bet fie bo had never forgotten theland the them mand and tonight they seemed strangely near him A sound between a grunt and a groan burst flum his bis lips no tio stopped and looked back a tool fool yo ye are mike dempsey he ha exclaimed aloud oil vid ye and dont be delaying for the screws to nat nab yet yel again he started forward but moro more slowly than before and nenad babad not gone a hundred yards before once more he bo came to a dead stop 1 11 als no use tie he groaned ill jut just run back an lave thim things at ano ane dure therell Th bo be time to reach town by midnight tho the bitter wind was lit in his fuce face as he bo turned back bach up the hill but now alike lid did not hesitate liesl tato for a moment head down lie ho hurried onwards and presently was again beside the corpse of santa claus frozen messenger without a glance at tile tho body ho he snatched up the sack flung filing it over his hie shoulder and aad continued his way uv the be valley alloy tho the glow from tile the lighted window threw its red beam across thos tho snow novi sa as ho he rounded tho the curve and camu camis within sight eight of 0 the lonely cottage and a corresponding glow warmed mikes alikos heart as he thought of the pleasure plon suro ot of tho the children when they found their long delayed christmas gifts seeing no sign of life lie he slipped in at the front gate and stepping steeping very quietly up the path gained the door dropped his sack and giving one sharp top tap turned the bolt hut he had not counted on the eager children and before hn could got get round 4 em all right 1 he said bul sullenly lenly ill come quiet the angle of the house curly locks came flying after him william where la Is santy claus piped the childish treble it aint william sonny tell your mammy as aa williams got lost aud and I 1 brought brou glit the things instead now ive got to go for or im lu in a mighty hurry 1 I expect you are came a jeering voice and it a blue uniformed man carrying a carbine stepped out from the dark shadow round tho the corner followed instantly by a second alike gave one glance around cut ho he was cornered the wall cut ok oft escape all right he said sullenly ril ill come quiet better retorted the warder whose temper long hours in the snow had not improved A mammy lammy the policemen have took santy claus claua cried the little lad mike alike glanced up the boys mother was standing by her face blank with amazement what does this mean ene ane cried la Is it WI william NIam not unless hes hea changed his name edme since banco morning morn lne blasus replied the warden ile iio was michael dempsey when he bunked from Moor moorlands Mo orlanda lands lust just after dinner dut but I 1 I 1 dont understand iles hes got william crokers Cr okera clothes on and hes brought the things from Asti ampton that william went to fetch tho the other warder a grizzled elderly man shook his bis head youve got me missus I 1 dont know what his little game to la no more than you most alost like he has murdered william put in the younger warder sourly lie ile said sad william was lost mammy explained tho the boy so ao hes boa brought the things instead and here they Is all safe best make a clean breast of it dempsey suggested the elder warder go clo and find out yourself lashed flashed the old convict williams down the tha valley there thera you take the chap into the house ayou leoree orge said the older warder ill go down and see eee halt half an hour later he returned ive found william he ha said briefly iles froze to death dempsey took hla his clothes but he have hava no hand band in killing hilling him then in the namo name of sense what did he be come back here tor for instead ot skimming out inquired the younger warder in blank surprise lie ile came to bring our cismas pros pres enta explained curly locks lie ile told roe me so BO well ot of all the everit sting tools gasped thip junior warder ills senior wheeled on him sharply A good thing it there were a few more tools of that kind in moorlands Moor lands ay and outside tool lla ile turned to mike come along dempsey Demp soy he sail said in amore a more kindly tone ill see a as 11 tho the governor now it was wo we come to take you and I 1 reckon your playing 1 anty santy claus wont do you no harm barm in bis bin oyes eyes any more than tb it not in minell |