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A Window Christmas Into By L. Paid Suter "They're both boy, Judge," Andy declared with brisk finality. The big Santa Ciaus s*nk into a chair, hi* chin on his hand, and regard- ed Andy deeply, with the expression for which he was famous and dread- ed on the bench. Seeing that the i burglar did not quail beneath it, he j rose again with a su<kln determina- j tlon. "I'll call your bluff, Andy Dugan, if it is a bluff," he said, coldly. "Bring the dclh and the sled and show me where this house is." "You're not going there with me?" Andy inquired. Bring them!" In putwit of his regulnr calling lightly as he had enured bed, like other men, with jwrhapa a no four-looted watermen were auoui. iney get it, i m no propiiei,. - gO( ,, thg other long enough interruption to deck an A few kicks against the boards, in; For the moment, righteous satisfac- Andy pocked up the dolls and the evergreen tree for the ben.'ftt of the Imitation of a suppressed scuffle, con- tion had overcome his usual caution. slod -without further comment and fol- youngw Dugsns; but he ha 1 not pull- vinced him thnt there were not. Any Had it not been so, he might have ] owec j his host to the front door. Once ed off a good Job for some time and dog would have responded to such a raised his eyes in time to avert a pain- they were ou tsi<le he led the way to funds were running low. : challenge. So he clambered over and f u [ surprise. When he did look up, a t j, e j^^ a u ey an d d own j t t(> t h e open He had in mind a certain house mude has way quickly to the siue of big man stood in th doorway, quietly w j n d ow of the mean-lookine house, toward the suburbs which l*re the the sleeping mansion. i regarding him. The man was clad in fh e Judge was silent throughout and d'.rtJMtioa of being a magistrate's. The kitchen window was locked, Santa Clous costume, and his arms Andy did not presume to tpeak. Once The fact that the magistrate '.ived which meant that the other windows were folded on his breast. or twice, however, he glanced incredu- there was incidental, though it had a would be locked, too; but a few skiM-i Andy put down the toys with great lously at the big man in the festive virifiicUve interest for Andy; but a f u \ prods of Andy's "outsider" brought j suddenness, and drew his revolver. garb walking beside him, and out for wel'-defined presumption that the forth a satisfactory click from within. [ "Up with your hands!" he said, in the toys in his arras he would have household was supplied with plnte and He waa about to throw his strength businesslike fashion. been tempted to rub his eyes to make !...._ \__.. . . _.* **- _ 1. : _U .. i w-+ . * j. *_ _ _ j__ _> > .j , _ * 3 . .* * . .1 ,1 mi _ 1* . . A ~ - - - - ..... _- *. Jewelry was of the highest import- against the window when instinct told ance. Andy figured that if he could him that if he raised it a burglar effect an unobtrusive entrance, and alarm would go off. couU .withdraw again without being, So he wnt to perceived, the empty coffers of the Ihigan family would be well on their way toward replenishment. Strange what trifling temptations SMOKE The big man kept his arms folded. sure that it was not all a fancy of "Are you going to put 'em up, or the night. ain't you?" Andy demanded. I In front of the window Andy care- w ... on the little "When you come before me, Andy fully laid down his burdens. in~front"of him. It was ' Dugan, 111 give you five years for this "This is more in my line than i large enough to admit a man j Job!" was the reply. "A man is get- yours, Jud<ge," he ventured timidly. ......>r> size, even with squeezing, ! bing down to pretty small potatoes "You'd better let me boost you inside, _ I7Ut Andy waa considerably below the : when he steals toys from children's and Hand up the sled and dolls, then cooie to thwart one's plans I Andy Rv e Perhaps its narrowness had j stocking-s." il'lfoWow after." was nearly at his destination. An- ]ed the Designer of the burglar alarm Andy replaced the revolver m his "As you say," the Judge returned Andy made a "step" with his clasp- hands and the Judge scrambled up enough, but not in that rig. " You say without much noise. He took the toys you're going to give me five years} as quietly and put forth a hand to then maybe you won't give me any help Andy over the windowsill. other square, whit* had a convenient to C(m9i<ter it beneath his attention. < pocket with an air of resignation. cw Bey running through it, would have At ^ , w aterm responded. 1 "I might have known you, Judge," taken him there. But Instead of com- A , . waitod to ,, himself that he said sad-ly. "I've seen you often ed Dieting the distance, he stopped be- no Delayed buzz w ^g coming; then, enough, but not in that rig. You say wi etmg the distance, he stopped be- delayed buzz was coming; bud a comparatively mean and in- whjh a / uddm effort ^ - /Jsmiflmnt looking house, merely be- dow ^ ifcs m extent and cause the window was open. rays of hu flashlight right and left more for speaking out and saying that Andy delayed picking up his bur- ens to turn the flashlight on the TneTobaoco of Quali ty e /2LB.TIWS and in packages if anybody's getting down to Small po- > ens w mm me UBBnugnb on mo tetoes it's yourself when you have sleeping children for the Judge's bene- An y turned uncertainly toward his ............ .... ~ ------- Once. A man gave me a job, and Jet on to him that I wa a crook. f* ._ m _ i f j 'i > -i ' ' i 11 La iiaaiiiiKJrir i m in- *i n * Open windows had a f ago:nton f or through the baeement to pick out Andy. They were me signs and sym- ] bn< |j ne place -- - - --- - - - ---- bols of his caHing. Pernaps a brother m. ~t ,^ tut , ,-,,.i< Presents like these for your own kids gt, then piloted his guest to the kit- companion. operator was at work within. Perhaps j n * , . ^vT^i .land let kids within a block of you go chen stove, which was nov. cold and "How about the five years, Judge?", Then I was fired. I was going to and fchds was the thought which nerneath the wndow nignu f^'^^ ^xt to nothing. You think I dead. Here he placed the light so that he asked, with anxiety. | swear off when I got that berth, but warmed his heart-the window had 1&&Jf3*&*&JX**&\m taking these things for myself, it would shine full been carelessly left open mum of effort would secure well worth the trouble. 1 ..-. .-<--,,., , , . possibility was worth testing, anyway. V 1 , 86 ?, He plfcced both hands on the win- dow eilL, raised himself with the ease of muscles long trained to that sort of thing;, and landed quietly in the u* wiiinc, ann j::n-i-<i uuivuy in i i*u . . - , : ,, T - room, llere he turned 'on his flash- tion -ufficed to open H. Inafcw mm- Idtfht and paused to look around. _ f i "You're not drunk," he said, with .Tud-sre?" he asked prcsentlyT " i some time before he spoke. antee that your previous record shall t *k m fl P rcvent 'a keen glance. "Are you crazy? If The Judge nodded. He had pulled up ; "Andy Dugan," he said, softly, at no* * against you, will you take it?" ctauenng to 01 f | to> now ^ the tjme to prove it It a i^t^en chair and put the two dolls length. "How does it come that "I **". J"dge." Andy answered, Ihe door leading up from wie cei- may wvc yQU a h(>avy sentence _ upon lt with grtRt care ^j^t they n^n i ike you s h O uW follow such a promptly. "My wife has been praying 1 "I'm neither the one nor the other," should not roll off and ho damaged, calling?" for^ it, ever since I mamed her." , , , . - '* J but * . utos he stood in the darkened kit- It was evidently a bedroom. The IL' oh * n - . , whlch I elvftr . window had been left open for air, in ltan " n *'' , . pit* of the sharpness of the night. 1 , It was an axwm with Andy, born of Th* ray of light, /raveling to and fro, ^experience in his *"**$" j*u3 for a moment upon white bed Safet 7 9h u W never ta *** n *othi at the other enTof the room. , , j Obsen-ing it now, he deter- Andy thereupon rfiut it off entirely ?".! and proceeded to Investigate the 00 "* the supers, with eyes which hid some- ' hatof a oat's fax-uHv of seoi H business. He could have secured the I" labe from the Sideboard, but some late member of the family, sitting up two children in It two little They had kicked off the cover- ' with unpleasant results, he contented f the The Judge put out his hand. "Then I promise to find it for you: f __ and I promise not to misunderstand because I didn't go off with your plate 'thing therefrom into each of the 1 "If I told you the truth, it'd hurt] my neighbor, after this, for want of Andy retorted, looking him in the j He had also felt in the pockets of his < Andy shifted his flash-light from one face. "If I was, I wouldn't be trying trousers and 1 underneath the Santa ham! to the other and remainel s-lept. this sort of thing. Maybe I'm a fool|Claus costume and had slipped some-! "Why don't you answer?" had the chance. This is my 'stockings, job to-night, Judge. I didn't! "Is this t.h house when I had the chance, second get nothing at the first house, because he inouired in a whisper, there wasn't nothing to get. From all! Andy nodded. your feelings, Judge." next the corner?"! "Tell me the truth," the Jurt.!,'e re- I saw there wasn't enough to eat, lt| alone to steal. They're neighbors of, mine." I plied, earnestly. Anidy wavered a moment longer; | the will to get acquainted with him. Now. if you will return with me, we will talk over another matter you have children, too/" Then these people are tenants of. but something in the ether's tone',! They turned to go, in the moonlight yours. They live in the same square. ' rather than in his words, told him ; mo ask you, Jud^e," said Andy that it was safe to s-peak. There's three kids, two girls and a i eagerly, "what kind of a woman is "I'm a crook. Judge," he began boy just like yours but it's mighty the mother?" little Christmas them kids r.re going i "There is no mother." to pet. I looked into then: stockings.: Andy drew a long breath. slowly; "because I fell down, and after that everybody he'd me down. I was sent up, and when I got out, "Etching their death o' cold, too!" i * b ". f"^ * l * f *7 revealed f rvtanKlo art ariui mi 1 na atuir rmat little Andy growtad to himnelf. "A nic marble statue on the stair post, which *iiuy nvwMU IM Jiirrimm. J\ m< e j_ i * j *.!_ c i mother they mu*t have! Window openi Arxi 'y c<"teniplated vnUi hurried ap- .,~j wi^-r^^w. .1....... n~,;, uEZ , preciation. He glanced into two or three rooms leading from the hall, to find them ail deserted and silent. Fin-i was evidently to The flicker of a fire in this room and blowing down their spines like a knife." He laid the flashlight down for a where R belonged, then passed out into th* hawv M waa taVinir! lne "ICKer OI nre in Ull room into th. hallway. JI w UUng, ^^ , y m ^ ^.^ fl f e L, t Ithe hallway, so he peeped cautiously tin; i '>MLIJ'*SI. , .1 , *w^^* e Muiif is' rai ' "rouna tne doorpost in" distance, but it w<u a long , *. it ; nin ' No - one w . from it In wealth. The hall had <\i<*er came from a huge w varpet of any kind. He had to tip- ? other s i d * f tl e A - ... to wlS elaborate caution to avoid a lo ^ f 1 ' 11 * u n ;. , A ver .y faant mmkin too mi^h noiw. It was doubt- 1 f r ' )ina . * c f ar 8m . <>k . c tl . t ; kle< , 1 the , noa - firi whether tlm visit would be worth trlls ' ^*, * M hanHy have been while, after all, but Andy mad* a ; perceptible to one not in search of rule of seeing his job, through. Some- such , lrac - Andy considered it times unlike^ places held out a good ** strong enough to be of real reward to the diligent worker. Hii had expected- to find the grown folks' bedroomit next that of the chil- dren. Iwtead, he blundered into the imporbancv. Tho smoker must have left for bod fully an hour before. He chuckled, however, at sight of three stockings hung.ng above the k*t<-hn. The remain of a meal were ^P^e- They were we!, -made stock- lying on the table, which in itself was "JRJ, of e tenture, and they swung , bid omen for the wealth of tha at.ffly with an avr of comfortable full- place. In Uw stove at the farther side nes ?! almost They're getting two fifteen-cent dolls' "That's why the two kids hal kick- ! they pinched im again on suspicion, and a five-cent top, with some popcorn ! ed their bedclothes off. Poor little. You know how that goes, Judge. I and a little candy throwed in for good,inip!" didn't have a chance to do anything measure. That's what they're getting. "Their bedclothes? They were cov-!out of the way, but I got thirty days, I was going to play Santa Claus for ered well enough when I looked at : just the same." After that I was sore, once in mv life and take 'em some- them, just now," the Judge returned, ' and I pulled off a job. You gave mo thin< umrt.1, ki! v>.T, , ^ ame j n suspiciously. | a year for it. That's how it has been /ere tak- ' "So they were," replied Andy cheer- : ever since in and out. Nobody wants e else?" fully. "You don't think I'd se them j to give me an honest job, and hero am e Judge demanded. shivering and not cover thpnmp? I've I with a wife and two kids to keep "For them kids, Judge, s'help me. 'l?t- kids, myself, Judge." I What el*e can I do ? I leave it to you What would I he wanting with two The Judjre turned toward the door. ; Judge. I'd rather work days, if thev'd ,1,,1U nnH R !)?" "Wo mnat tfn hofor nnv r\n ...it..h l^f ,.. " * thing worth while when you came in." suspiciously. "Do you mean to say you were ing those things for someone the We must go before any one catch- "Your chiWiren might play withies us," he whispered nervously, them." , | When they were in the alley again, let "Have you ever tried honest work?' the Judge inquired. EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING. just preceding dawn; but before they had gone far, Andy grasped his com- panion's arm and motioned him to silence. "Listen, Judge," he whispered. From within the house they had iust left came the sound of childish laughter, breathless and 1 hysterical; such laughter as comes only on Christmas morning, and then not to every chHd in the city. Mingled with it, presently, was the deep, nalf-sob- binjr laugh of a man. The "kids" had found their stock- ings. if their wearers were i set himself to coal, were still Hmolderiiig. , insl(k : *S2: * quick eye .-aught thw i onRi ' examine them with more interest than Under objects *uspen<M Wneatn sl "' h th ' n . 3 ** wonl(l have cx ' the chimney hole, ami hk flash brought ^ty m h ! n '- . . ba<-k to him With a start the fact that None ! tho s f ock " 1 S s seemed largo it wa. Ohristnui. Eve. The slender ' 1.up:h to contain all U> presents , o>jis'Ui were stookingH. Two of bhem : ^ hlch ftfe PO****"*"-? were to receive. , be1ng<xl. evidently, t*. the little girls Two of them had Mob a pair of ]ar K e he had jut covered in their sleep; thel^ 'V" 1 ^ J" lithc-r-c.>vere<l chairs | other to another child whom he had i beneath doNs which coul<l not, to tho not seen -probably a boy. | grroswst imagination, have suprested | Andy recognix.od the imporUnce of a nvo-and-ten-cent storp. B-side them , the find. What tho <-hil.ln>n were get- ' wcro sets of T 1 , 8 furniture, complete, . ting for ChratnwR would toll him! " for each of , t:h fl , rst ; two , st ? , km ^; pretty well whether it was worth A mammoth bob sled,, knocked down, ; while to go on with th job. i 1V P" rtl y m front of , the chairs. ; The flrt stocking had a little pop- j There was a smal'ler sled, too, beneath _ i , A ___ i , * ,.1 1 , (V... tliit^l at/\/>kinrr vt |1 h n nil 1 r of 1 corn in its toe, as he could (HI by feel- ing, and a little candy atop of that. the candy was a brown-eyed doll, which he drew out carefully and replaced. "Five-ond-ten-oent store," was his third stocking, with a pair of skates atop of it. Andy innperted all those with grav- ity, and a slow imile lit up his weather-beaten features. "I'm not the man to rob a kid's verdict. I stocking," he said to himself. "But | The next storking wa like the first, ' * strikes me that when these kids' f v pt that the doll's eyes were blue. , h^ve all that pile of stuff, and thrai Th,- third, which Andy had sized up other kid's ain't got nothing but ten- aa belonging- to a boy, bore out his rent dolls and a nvo-cent top, there s surmise. It contained popcorn nnd robbery (roing on somewhere . I' or 'two candy, like the other two, but in place Ki '" r '' ''" ""*" *^t- T'rovi.l-.nce of the dol'l there was a top. <'<> somethmc; tlvat soems to have ovwlookinl, anil thixiw . "A five-center," Andy appraised it, the rest of the job over." th ay skill. "Twenty-three for He hesitated, iin.l pei-ivd with eaay into the jpnel This ain't th place whre Adam wtorkimrs themselves. Worth oloic the Galnnborough. 'Here's a fountain pen, he said; . He crpt back through the hallway,, "and n "stu-kpin -soliil gold and an- pauucd again by the bexlside of the other pen. And this one'i get u two- fwo little glrli to ascertain lihat they bladed knifo, with a saw und srrew- wer stlil sleeping itnd covered, then driver nml a nail passer- -I wouldn t dropped out of tho open window as mind baring that, inysolf, but the kid ain't going to line it through me. And 1 I'll bo pint-hod, here's For OferMlQM the woathor Rtiould be of thai Flckwtrklan kind In which tho grans in "crini> uiui frosty," thn nlr has n "fine, dry, brerlng roIdmtB-x," and the day IH one "that might induce a couple of elderly gentlnmon In a lonely HH.i to tako off (heir Kroatco^ts and pluy at leapfrog In pure lifliii:> , of Imart und guyety." ien 'three. They're jenUoua kida, maylo, tind if one gets n pon, they've nil pot to have it. 1 ain't grudging them n thing, but it d'in't seem right. Diinm it, it ain't right," \\a com-ludod. "Here troos! I'm not foiling for th other job to-night, anyway." With a sigh of ri'iie^, ho se'. himself to the tntik of M>!octiori. A doll from each of the two chairs was set aside, leaving ono apiece beneath thoie ; atockintrs; and aftor judging gravely ' between the dr>lrnbilily of the slod 1 Christmas Candlelight. A group of girl* settled cosily round the fire were putting the finishing touches to the Christmas gifts that they were making. One girl who had brought no workbag spoke In answer to a question: . "Last year I made a new friend in the town where I spent the fall. When I left for home just before Christmas, Anno came to say good-bye and brought me a tall red candle lettered in geld with a Christmas blessing that *he herself had written. Then then told me that it was an ancient custom to lig>ht a camMe on Christmas Eve just before midnight, to sy a prayer and to open the house door wide to welcome the Christ Child as He went through the world looking for open b.imes and hearts that were truly wel- coming. "At home on Christ mas Eve the family assembled to light Anne'e candle. We opened the hall door so that the light shone out into the star- lijrht as -o said mur prayer in silence and waited for the church chimes ro strike midnight. As the last stroke died away we wished one another a merry Christmas on the first* moment of Christmas Day, awl we felt as If that HtUe ceiremony shared by us all : had given us a sort of right and fresh i mood about Christmas which means I in spirit, doesn't it, the most wefcom- j ing, warm-hearted dsy of the who! year? So for this Christmas I'm go- ing to give overyone of you a red i candle. I've put Anne'a Chrietma* I verse on each, and you'll know that i I am giving you her idea for ; Christmas." This stanza was lettered on tha | crimson oamHes that came on the day i before Christmas: ! As in the blessed Christ Child's name ! This sacred wax shall feed the flame, j So let my heart its fires begin And light the Heavenly Pilgrim iv My Hand in Thine. | When baby eyes in mother's eye Their heaven found; i When baby feet first followed hers In joyful round; j When baky lips from hers did learn My Name divine; ! How tenderly my mother placed . My hflnd" in Thine! Jasaio Colby. "~ *^~~" Joys of December. i Oh. I love the bleak December, In eplte of his riwo and snow, i For then I well remember Coinw the cheer of the ingle glow, i The gleam of holly ember And the rite of the mistletoe. , Arch. v M + r . <> i . . . * t I . Q f* ; 4 > is, % i : -r