Show santa from the south bu delesle ferree cass i while the newspapers throughout ghou the united states were busily an noun cir the warlike operations of gen sancho fernandez here there and elsewhere that december it was vas a tact fact that the revolutionary dictator of 0 mexico was really in washington D C where he had bad been peremptory per emptor 0 lly ily summoned the ills his conference con terence at tho the capitol was short and very much to the point it was pointed out with painful decisiveness to the senor general fernandez that hereinafter he would have to make his ragged army respect the rights of U S A the pill that general fernandez was thus made to swallow was not sugar coated but it unquestionably did him good lie he went down the white house steps that day before christmas a sadder and a wiser man however the dictator of mexico was a pher general fernandez muffled his tice face deep in the soft warmth of his bis fur collared greatcoat and started off down the avenue by and by he came to the business district where throngs of last minute 8 shoppers hoppers were bustling about snow had begun to tall fall heavily great fleecy flakes that filled the whole air and supplementing the gay holiday decorations and shouts of street hawkers gave the scene an air of fairylike unreality the jolly freehanded christmas spirit was contagious tag ious but it made him feel very lonely ile he wanted a corn comrade r a d e someone J anyone in all this big busy city who would hall him simply as a friend and not as the celebrated general fernandez he came to a street corner where he heard his own name shouted in a shrill childish voice close by Hux tree there people dolphi doimer spend a cent and read all about general fernandez the mexican butcher hes mur murdering murder derin ln women and babies down there right now bf big g battle at guarimo Gu aremo three hundred killed here all about the bloody general fernandez at first the dictator scowled then smiled queerly and approached the ragged wait waif at the newsstand she was blue with cold and shiver a beneath scanty rags below an old shawl her thin prematurely aged face ace looked wan and pinched genuine pity an unusual thing in the dictator seized him as he surveyed her do you really believe that this general fernandez Is as bad as all that he asked her with a whimsical halt half smile the street wait waif stared up at him suspiciously gwen gwan away from here you dude cant y see im bryin to sell my polders pol pers To nights christmas eve an I 1 wahna sell out so as to go in one of 0 the big stores an see santy claus how many papers have you left to sell little girl twenty one ill take them all heres a quarter you can keep the change chadda y doin this tr fr still suspicious the great general e r a I 1 fernandez smiled at the wait sadly indulgently child im a stranger here and im ever so lonely everybody else has a welcoming home tonight has someone to whom he an can give presents and know that be appreciated its christmas eve and I 1 too want to forget myself tor for a while and play santa claus tor for somebody it if I 1 really thought y meant all that muttered the wait waif skeptically id say why not practice some 0 yr good intentions on me lordy knows I 1 need em the dictators face became radiant he laughed wholeheartedly whole heartedly as he be had not done before in years and took one of the wee girls halt half frozen hands hands kindly within his big gloved one it shall all be just as you say he be cried much to her astonishment come along with me now first some where to get you a warm coat and hood and some furry mittens then well go to a fine restaurant and after youve eaten every bit you can hold well go see the toys and you can pick out your own present yr not kiddan me mister 10 on n my honor no then it if its all the same to you lets hit the toy departments first ive had in eye on a big yellow headed doll real hair it Is too there in the emporium tr fr six months well do just as you say by B y kiddle kiddie but on one condition that mister you must tell me that you dont believe all the things you said about general fernandez of mexico ill call him santa claus it if bu alt it y any better mister under present circumstances that name strikes me as quite appropriate for or him murmured the dictator but come on now its going to oe 00 1 really merry C brist mas after ill |