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come. . Then, about X o'clock, a sharp ring came in. No, it was not Billy's voice; "Give me one-naught-six-four, quick!" Now, it-invariably irritates a telephone girl to be told, to bo <fuick. She is qlways quick. The "quick" aroused Miss Sadie's temper, but she said nothing; 1,064 was the number of the Blade editorial rooms, the rivafof Billy's paper. "Hello! that you, Barker?" continued the voice. "Say, there's the biggest thing on, to-night, and we've "got the deadwood on the Argus, if we work it right. Therd's been a Christmas eve tragedy in the Ital­ ian quarter at. 70S Bremer street. Two men are dead, and ,one's so bad he'll die before morning." - \ "Who's on that beat for the Argus ?"• came the bi'eathless inquiry. "Oh. I've fixed ,that--Billy McGuffy, and I've got. him wit the way. I had a fellowtell him there Was a frightful acci- JOHNSY AND JENNY. THE BRAKEIVjiANiS STORY OF ONE NEW YEAR'S STVE. . It Was To'd in the^abooafr of a Cattlo Train Between Stations-^Wliat Cams of Holding the Front" t»f No. 6 in a Storm of Sleet. • A Sad Romance. q--- -j? T wds so quiet out- 1 ? side that when the • long freight train {S A would come to a /Safes yp~- standstill with Van i awkward jerk, We II ' ̂ rl?Pl co'vd almost hear j-.-lj. y ithe drifting flakes as inT" "* Tlie soft jP[l co»il tire spluttered fitfully in the old- fashioned, cast iron Kt 'jve. W i t li o u t < |T*^iT| " knowing. precisely WTljjM?*ky. we sat mostly f J/ j ' IJJ j j lfa silence. We were ' /*?-" -°ur hoars behind Sitting in the little • " • ; red caboose, rum-'" bliiig along through a blind fog of snow with a flying expitsss'at our heels gave , an uncanny sehs&tion. The drummer who had boarded the train at Dubuque sa t morosely pn'a pile of grips. A couple of shippers a.nxnrlsly discussed the, pros­ pects tor getting ffteii' Stock to market. At the entrance ot'^oe, the brakeman,, how­ ever, the 'glum, little party seemed to thaw. He swuag dowii off 'the roof, ili a cheery sort of fashion. "Joe," said -<rne of the shippers,, "be we going to resell Chicago in time for a, New Year's d.iu tier ?" . »"'• "Iefe't this gf.od enough for you to live in? Ilow'd you like to be out braking to-night?" " 'Tain't no snap, that's,a fact." '"No, you b?;t it ain't," said Joe. decis­ ively. "But rhis ain't a patching to what it is sometimes. Somehow to-night re­ minds me of the night afore New Year's two years ago. That was when we brought Johnny Haines home. Guess you must 'a known Johnny," he added, turning to the shipper. "Nope. Heard of him. Go on, Joe. What was the story?" "Not much of a one," .Toe replied dep­ reciatingly. "Just a brakeman's yarn. The first day I ever saw Johnny 11-linos I thought he was about the handsomest lad I ever set eyes on. He came up on 'No. (i on her first trip, and there wasn't a girl along the road that hadn't a smile for him as he went by. One of the fellows told us Johnny belonged to a good family, ljut got kicked out for some reason or other." Joe stopped, pulled vigorously at his pipe for a few minutes, and linally the rather husky voice went on: "Up the road not very far from here there is a pretty little farm and right at the corner of it was a water tank. It happened that on this farm there was a dark-eyed little girl who was the idol of all the boys along the road. To woo was to win with Johnny, anil regular as the train passed- the farm Jenny was always there to meet him. Things ran along through the summer and fall, and we fotfnd out that Johnny had been promised a r a i se,- tHid-along about the holidays-he., was going to get married. I used to no­ tice, though, that every once in a while his brow would cloud up, as if he was thinking of something that hurt him. "We had a big train that New Year's Eve, and with the snow and sleet and the cold it gave us no end of trouble. She parted three or four times, and it was dangerous work setting brakes or get­ ting down to make couplings. Several times we thought we were stalled in drifts. We wanted to get through to Chi­ cago, for the next day was New Year's, and all hands had a day off. Johnny and I fought like beavers against the cold. I was more anxious about him than myself, and was warning him how a sud­ den fling might send a man flying down under the wheels, when the whistle sound­ ed down brakes. Johnny ran ahead, the car tops being slippery as glass. I looked up, and through the snow and the dark I recognized the water tank. Just at that moment the train gave a frightful jerk, and 1 saw the engine go rearing in the air, a lantern swing wildly and go down. I went flat on the car and hung there for dear life. We stopped in ton or twen­ ty yards and 1 swung off the car like mad. "Something made me feel that Johnny had prone under the wheels, and when I crawled ahead,a few cars there I found him, lying all white and still. We picked him up and started to carry him to the house--where Jenny lived. I saw that the wheels had gone over both legs. A white little face came to the door and ipoked at us a moment, but Jenny didn't faint or cry. We just carried him in and put him on the bed and she took charge of him. One of the boys rode over to get a doctor. Johnny lay very quiet, until the doctor's examination was finished, and then pulling Jenny's hand weakly, he said in a husky voice, 'hittle girl. I want to go home.' And that lie insisted on all the rest of the night. We decided to put Pvf\\M§ Thar won't be any Ch-ri'uitis fun Eround car house this year. For- Safidy-Claws, in passin' by, - 'UI1 jest lean down his car. An' w'en lie feels the ehimbley's cold, ' He'll grunt,: "I'll put- right on; No need' r.' st-oppin' in' to Clay's, The chili em's all gone," An' yIt. I've seed the time" when lie 'lid hev to jnimp hisse'f To fill the stock in'* hatigin'up Bi'-l »ii' pur ehimt'ley she'fT ". An' roe an" nniw'd np till "twelve Br one. a-poppi.n" eo'n No jiso •o , 'seehdlke doin's now; The ehjiiern's all gone. '; If I should die before' I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to,take." Niles Nelson paused, at the sound dismayed, And then-^and then Nlles Nels'tin prayed; "Lord Save," Was all he could think of .then. "Lord save," lie muttered, ' 'Lord - save, . amen." Then 'staring to northward, and. into-the night, - " "1 see it!" he shouted, "Thank God, a light," 'Twas a be>rm from a lamp on the window silt; Of hip own scd cabin. With right good will His pony quickened its lagging pace, And soon In that dear, familiar place, His cosy cabin, Nlles kelson stand's; He kisses his wife and he holds her'hands. "Where's Mollie?" he-'cries; "where's little ' . Poll ? . I 've brought her a wonderful Christmas doll:" " Then he points to the bed where the blanket lies In a queer little bundle: "That's my surprise. Why don't you answer? You're deadly pale; You tremble and shiver, you sob and wail. Answer! Where's Mollie?" "Oh, Nlles," she said. IT was Christmas eve, and the wind blew keen Across the prairies that ,lie between Fort Dodge, on the Arteaitsaw, uudet the hill. . . ... v And the straggling hamlet of I'urdyvllle, Where dwelt is'lies. Nelson, Who rode that day From his home to the northward, far .away.. Over the bunch grass,-bare and'brown. Into the bustling frontier town... • The night .was dark--not a star .on high--• And a blizzard, brewing up there, in the -sky. Niles Nelson stepped out into the street; The Wind was driving, a blinding sheet Of powdery snow right into his* face.* JHV. Xiles was happy; he left the-place ' With a glow in his heart, for little Moll. H.s* baby daughter, wonldget her doll, : •The Christmas gift lie had promised long. ^ Niles Nelson, trolling a Christmas song, •• And facing the north wind, sturdily rode, While past lil.n the Storm Fiend's coursers strode. t nster feci plump like",a boy, , ' To see them, young, 'uns sit -. An' talk o' Chri'mus bein" .nigh, An' wonder whut "they'd git. Ah' fix. {"helrse'ves to stay awake Till Sandy kehi alon"! Thar's no otic watches for him now, The chiilern's all gone. BILLY, MY SOX. 1 'At 'SE .VXD REFLECT. dent out at Bioomfield, and lie thinks he's got [i scoop on it. Take the murder case; here's the details." Sadie had made up her mind what to do. She knew she was wrong, but--poor Billy! She had been on the newspaper wires long enough to know the. value oP time to a morning paper. She listened carefully to the message, then she rang up the Argus. "Hello, Banwell. city editor," she said. "Take a frightful tragedy in the Italian quarter. Billy--Billy McGuffy." "All right; hurry it along. Say. Billy, you're scared --you talk like a girl." "It's enough to scare anybody--two men dead and another on the way." Sadie gave the full particulars, rang off nbruptly. and sat back looking scared herfclf at what she had dared to do. About 4 o'clock a call came from the Argus office, and Sadie's answer had a tremble in it. "Hello," sounded Billy's voice. "Is that you? .Merry Christmas. I just got back from running down a rumor. Do we make up. Sadie?" "Well. I'll be free at G o'clock, and then you may come over and see me home." At the Argus oflice. Billy just arrived from his bootless errand, stayed all alone rill daylight. As he started after Sadie the watchman handed lvini a copy of the paper damp from the press. He read the startling headlines: AWFUL CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY. They're all grow'd tip an' married off Exceptin' little Joe. They spoke for him np yander. An' we had to leave him go. 'TWHZ po'rful rough to lose him. Hilt now we're gla<l thar's one Thet's still a little shaver. Though the chiilern's all gone. An' settin' yere this Chris'tr.us night, I sez to maw. it seemed Sz if I sensed his rosy tace- Right whar The firelight gleamed. An' maw. she lowed that mebbe he Had lent us back our own, Cuz Chri'mus an t a smeller w'en The chiilern's all gone. The snow grows deeper, the night more wild. fv'heti he hears the wail of a little child, It kinder made my bones thaw out To jedge ther w'en wc- die We'll find^our little tad ag'in. Not grow'd a smitch more high. I want him like he lister be. Jest big enough tc run. I won't stay up thar--ef I find The chiilern's all gone. -New York Ledger. Two Men instantly Killed in a Brawl, „ and a Third Dies This Morning. "Oh. dear! oh. dear!" wailed Billy. "I'm a goner! Right In my district, too! Here I was fooling about the suburbs, and Banwell so short-handed. Well, it's ail up with Bill McGuffy." „Ile hurried to the telephone exchange building, where he found Sadie at the door waiting for him. "Oh. Billy!" she cried; "I've done the most dreadful thing." "So have I." . "But I'll lose my situation if I'm found out." "I'm found out now," sighed Billy, "and my situation is as good as gone. But tell me about your trouble first," and Sadie told him as they walked along. "Y'es, Billy." she said, as Billy accused himself of being a fool (they were stand- Santa Claus on a Pullman Car. "Say, mister, Santa Claus doesn't trav­ el on this train?" "Oh, I really don't know," was the re­ ply. "Well, I suppose not." "That's what mamma said she 'sposed," with a little sigh. "But course he couldn't,"' with a half laugh. "Santa Claus has too much to do Christmas eve to bo takin' trips." , "And he doesn't travel by rail," some one suggested. "Course he doesn't," with enthusiasm. "He goes kitin' along with his reindeer, scootin' over the roofs and down the chimleys--my! But," with another sigh, "I don't know how he'll find me!" The porter now came to make up the berths, and so mamma led the boy to an­ other seat. The next man behind, com­ ing to his berth a short time later, stopped with a stare of surprise, and then met with a smile the smile of the lady across the aisle as she nodded toward the cur­ tains which closed outside the boy who had missed a visit from Santa Claus. Upon the button of the drapery hung J. small stocking. "A poor place for that sort of thing, I'm afraid," said the next behind to the lady across. "Perhaps not so bad as one might think," was her answer. She opened a lunch basket, and, just as the man, after fumbling in his pocket, dropped a silver dollajr in the toe of the stocking, drew out a box of candy, which followed the dollar. But the gifts did not stop, for the spirit of the season was fully awakened. Small coins were passed along from one hand to another, and shaken >vell down into the toe by the man behind. A woman with a bag of Christmas gifts for a fam­ ily of expectant small friends made a se­ lection from them and brought her offer­ ing. "Wh£, the stocking's full," said the man next behind. "But, here--this'll do." Ho pulled out a large silk handkerchief, and when she laid her gifts inside tied it by the four corners, and pinned it to the stocking. The word had passed along, and travel­ ers on the next car came through to take a peep at the traveling stocking. Scarfs were tied around the stocking, and hand­ kerchiefs filled out with nobody knew what fastened'on. ' In short, if Santa Claus was not traveling on that train, some of his near relatives must have been. --Harper's Young People. THE city editor sat at his table hard at work, when the green-shaded electric lamp revealed Billy Mc­ Guffy, the youngest reporter, approach- I ing, embarrassed and apologetic in de­ meanor. "Mr. Banwell." he began, "could I have j two passes for the th.ea,t£r to-night?" "Passes for two?" responded Banwell, Staring hard. "Two! Oh. Jouesey, come here, quick! Billy's gone wrong. lie wants theater tickets for two!" chuckled the editor, throwing out the coveted pasteboards, and Billy, blushing like a girl, fled from the office, followed by Jones' solemn warning: / "Billy, my son, pause and reflect." Billy made his way down the street till he reached a tall building that rose from i a corner* i?ntered it. took the elevator to J the top floor, and paused at the open door j of a great brilliantly-lighted room. Facing j the wall, on high stools, sat some dozens ! of girls, aparently playing games with ! pegs on a continuous brass checker b6ard I that extended around the room. The j girls had small round discs fastened to ! their ears, but hauds free to place the pegs or ring up a subscriber. It was the city telephone exchange. Perhaps it was the free magnetism of electricity of the place, or Billy's hypuotic glance that made one girl turn her head, smile and l.gracefully slipping from the tall 6tool come quickly into the hall. Billy narrated how he had just stot theater tickets, and exhibited them. The telephone girl took them to look at. "Why. Billy," she said, after a pause, "these tickets are for the 24tli." "Of course. Christmas eve: that's all right, isn't it?" "I'm on duty. Why didn't you tele­ phone to me, and ask what night I could go? Yrou knew I was at the end of your wire, and you would have done it, if you cared anything for me," and down went the tickets to the floor. It was evident that pretty Sadie had a temper of her own. She turned with dignity, and left Billy small balls the size of a small marble. These are declicious. Stirred cream walnuts--Take two cup- fuls of sugar, two-thirds of a cupful of boiling water and one-half salt teaspooh- ful of cream of tartar. Boil until it be­ gins to thicken. Stir in chopped walnuts and drop on tins. "My God, how can-I? Oh, Niles, she's dead." "Dead?" "Yes, Niles, she's lost in the snow; To-day was pleasant, and Mollie would go On the prairie to play, and she didn't come back. When the night shut down, all stormy and black, I set the lamp on the window sill,. . „ „ Rushed into the storm and sought her until The blizzard drifted me .back to the door, That shall open for Mollie, our Mollie, no more." Lost on the prairie and doomed to die If heaven prove deaf to its feeble cry. He leaps from his pony, he searches long; He feela It; he has it within his strong, Rough hands; he presses it to his breast-- A place of shelter, a place of rest. "Don't cry. little honey, you'll catch more And he wrapped the child in many a fold Of his blanket coarse, and he hugged it tight To his big, broad breast, but the blizzard's blight Still strove to wither Its tender life. He mounted his pony, and then the strife With the wolfish wind, and the blinding snow. And the biting cold (that the plainsmen know When the Storm Fiend flies) began once more, ' And under his breath Niles^'elson swore. Then a silence fell in the tumult wild. And he heard the voice of the little child: "Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep; Niles Nelson stood like a statre of stone; Then he raised his hand and said, with a groan: "Is theie a God .that will kill a child And bring its father across the wild Of wintry plains to save from death The child of another?" He drew his breath With a savage hiss, as he snatched away The blanket in which the baby lay. The blue eyes open; the rose lips call: "Oh, papa, you're home! Now I want my doll." HE HEAD THE STARTLING LINES, ing in the porch of her home now); "yes, Billy, you're green. Y'ou never know Enough to do the right thing at the right time." "Oh. don't I?" said Billy, and he kissed her as they stood there. "Oh, Billy," she cried, catching her IV.tent New Year's Resolves. \ I will get up and dress when the break- l fast bell rings. I I will not complain when everything i goes to suit me. * ' I will treat my wife as politely as 1 though she was a perfect stranger. I will strive to be more thoughtful for my own comfort, that others, seeing me happy, may also endeavor to ;be con- 1 tented. I vfill not spend so much money this year on the useless frivolities of life. I will endeavor to impress upon my family the duty of greeting, with cheerful voices and laughing faces, the father of a family when he returns home, wearied with the depressing cares and labors of a long business day. I will go out by myself oftener, in or­ der that my family may enjoy the tran­ quil and improving pleasure of a long, jniuterrupted evening in the quiet sanctity of a happy home. I must be more unselfish, and take bet­ ter care of myself that I may long be spared to be the joy and light of the home which it has pleased an apprecia­ tive Providence to bestow upon'tne; I will pay my pew rent this 1$^,, if I have to deny myself a new overcoftt, and my children have to go without shoes. X feel that we have not heretofore suf­ ficiently denied ourselves in little luxuries for the sake of maintaining a good ap­ pearance at church. 1 will be, in all things, an affectionate husband, a loving father, a good provider; and I will rear up a family 'that will love and respect me,'and render" to me prompt and cheerful obedience, with perfcct de­ ference to my comfort, or I will break their backs in the attempt.--Burdette, in Ladies' Home Journal. Chrlstinfjles. Christingles are made in this way: A hole is made in an orange and a piece "of quill three or four inches long set upright in the hole, and usually a.second piece in­ side this. The upper half of each quill > is cut -into small strips and the end of «ach str ip inserted- into a raisin. The LITTLE G1KL, I WANT TO GO HOME. him on board the morning express. All Jenny would tell us was that his father lived in Cincinnati. But she gave the conductor an address for a wire. We didn't think that he Would last the jour­ ney, and about half way down he .sudden­ ly clutched Jehny'sil»ah4 ha&t ' The lit­ tle girl threw herself upon him sobbing as if her heart would break. Poor John­ ny was gone." Joe paused a moment and looked into the fire. "Well," he said, "to cut it short, when we got into Chicago Johnny's father was there. I led him to where the boy lay. He looked very hard at the little girl who sat there sobbing,- and said, slowly, 'Is this--Jenny?' And then he took her very quietly in his arms and kissed her. "I Went to the funeral the next day. That was the day after New Year 's. The old man's hair had turned white, and his* face was as lined and rigid as though he was mounting a scaffold. It seems that Johnny had been brought up, like ,aost boy.s, to liaye all the money he wanted, got wild, in with a fast gang, and went adrift. The father never spoke to him af­ terward, and when Johnny, after a year's good service on the road, appealed to him for money enough to get married on, the old man returned his letter. I found it in Johnny's coat pocket the morning we took him home." The train whistled for a station, and "Joe," grabbing his lantern, csc&ped into the nightitnei the falling snow. , *I#.WAS EVIDENT SHE HAD A TEMPER OF HER OWN 0tand|p{^'v|^e. The. quarrel had come \'breath. "I did not think you had the "on so IsuddCSuiF1 that he hardly realized it ! courage." « was all over. Then, feeling as if all the All of which shows that a young man world had suddenly turned to ice and ink j on a daily paper learns many things as hV mournfully regained the street. tinfe goes on, which thought passed Sadie sat at her work, as the night went through Billy's mind as he modestly and on, listening to calls from people who silently listened to Mr. Banwell's compii- wished "Merry Christmas" over the ments that afternoon on his enterprise !Wires, and wondered why hers did not and wide-awakenesa on Christmas eve. I foe**