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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1907)
Barney Flynris Partner HE boy stretched the long black stocking and re garded It with satisfaction. 'Til take it," he said. "How much?" "Twenty- five cents a pair," Dorothy Winslow answered. The customer fished out a dime and three pennies and laid them on the counter. "I'll take this one. he said. "But we never break a pair!" Dor othy exclaimed, with some amuse ment. "Oh," she added, sympathet ically, as the boy's face fell, "was it was It for some one with only one IeK?" "It's for my partner. He's got two legs, but he's crippled just been let out of the hospital. And I'm going to give him a Christmas." "Oh!" said Dorothy, comprehend ingly. "And you wanted the stock ing to hang up? I'm Borry, . but wait!" she cried suddenly, as the .boy was gathering up his money In disap pointment. "I can let you have it, I think. Cash! Cash!" The little girl who came In re sponse to the summons nodded to the boy, and then sped away to the desk with the quarter that Dorothy substi tuted for the dime and three pen nies. When the customer had departed, carrying his package, Dorothy contem plated the odd stocking which bad come into her possession. "Well, what an idiot I am!" she murmured. "Why didn't ,1 give him both of them? But of 'course he wouldn't have taken them as long as he was paying for one." She called the little cash girl again. "Do you know the boy that was here a little while ago?" she asked. "I thought I saw you nod to him." "Barney Flynn. He lives on the floor above us," "Cash" answered, "with Billy; and Billy got run down by a 'lectrlc. Barney sees to him." Customers claimed Dorothy's atten tion, and for awhile she was all hurry and bustle. During the afternoon, however, when the neighboring sales woman volunteered to watch over her counter for her, she slipped down the aisle to the shirt waists, says Youth's Companion. She was quite excited for fear that the particular shirt waist should be gone. There was that woman with the bargain counter hab it. Dorothy had tfeen her dallying at the counter. She rummaged a moment in a pile of shirt waists; then she looked trag ically at her friend behind the coun ter. "O Peggy, it's gone! I knew it! I knew it! I saw it in that bargain wom an's eye!" She had watted so patiently for that waist to be marked down! It would have suited her complexion It had Just the. right warm, rosy tints. "Peggy, why did you let It go?" she cried, reproachfully. "Had to, my dear. I did my best put It at the very bottom of the pile, but she fished It out." Dorothy went back slowly to her counter. "Dick would have liked it, too," she thought, disconsolately. "And now he'll have to see me In just my shab by old one." It occurred to her that other peo ple probably had Christmas disappoint ments; and then Bhe thought of Bar ney Flynn and his partner. "He's going to hang up the stocking for Billy and I don't believe he ever had a Christmas for himself in his life," Dorothy meditated. "I know what I bought the odd stocking for so long as I can't buy myself that lovely waist." And she felt a glow of enthusiasm as plans legan to take shape in her mind. It was almost closing-time when the little cash-girl came darting up with a message from Peggy. "She's brought It back the shirt walt sleeves too short. If yon want It, better hurry. Dorothy hesitated. "No, I've changed my mind," Bhe said resolutely. "Tell Peggy J'm much obliged." And Bhe added to herself: "Now if Dick doesn't like me In my old plaid waist, I guess we'll have to quarrel. When Dorothy returned to the store the morning after Christmas, the lit tle cash girl came running up to her, and cried: "I got it in for you all right. Miss Winslow! I worked it fine. I crep' In in the dark, when Billy and Bar ney were asleep; you couldn't have heard me with an ear trumpet. And I felt for Billy's stocking, and hung yours alongside. And then I filled em both with all 'the things you'd given me." , f "Well," said Dorothy, eagerly; "and what happened?" "O my. sakes: said the child. "All of us on the floor below was waked up that early Christmas mornin' Such a yellln' and stompln'! You'd like to have thought they'd never had a Christmas!" jjorotny turned away to hide a smile. "And Dick was glad to see me just as I was," she thought, contentedly. X. -rv. J aX 'rx-Y SANTA'S LIGHT LOAD 9 I I y DEAinA Km DVin " I It i ; t By BERTHA E. BUSH. i laiiai.MimmiiimiiMi' (Copyright, IMi. bj right A. MMm.) UT, mamma, Santa Claus can mgo anywnere wnere tnere rs enow. He has his sleigh, you know.' And there Is snow here, plenty of snow." The sick woman, lying on the bed in the little pioneer cabin, looked' at the white whirl of flakes that shut out all but the gray daylight from the little windows and shuddered. Yes, there was plenty of snow. You could not see even the dimmest outline of any thing that was ten' feet away. And But Even Mark's Ghost was Welcome. somewhere out in the snow she knew not where her husband was journey ing. Three weeks ago he had start ed to the nearest town 60 miles away for supplies. He had been sure that he would return in a week. Was be lying now under one of those huge white drifts? Was he out in this dreadful blizzard, perhaps freezing to death at this very minute. She turned away from the window and moaned. She could not bear to an swer the child. But Hattie, the hired girl, who never seemed to lose heart, answered cheerily: "Land sakes, yes, there Is plenty of snow, Lillie. But you know Santa Claus is getting old. He can drive in the snow of course, but a howling blizzard like this might freeze him stiff. You'd better make up your mind not to get any Christmas .pres ents this year, Lillie. You wouldn't want dear old Santa Claus frozen to death." "No, of course not. But papa goes out on the prairie. Why shouldn't Santa Claus? Don't you think he could get here with a light load? You know, when we came, we'got stuck in the sloughs lots of times and papa unloaded the wagon and got it across empty. Don't you think Santa Claus could do that?" "Yes, he shall," said Hattie, with determination. She was only the hired girl who had come in friendly pioneer fashion to help the settler's wife through her sickness; but to the inmates of the little cabin she was a ministering angel. Strong and faithful and effi cient, an angel could hardly have done more in that prairie home. Yet she did not look in tb least like an angel as she put on the pioneer's old cap and coat, tied a red woolen scarf around her neck, drew old stockings over her shoes and floundered out through the drifts, stout and rosy in the wind, to do the chores for the night Not a glimpse of the near by barn could be obtained from the cabin door. Hattie tied a long rope to the door knob and carefully held the other end as she walked toward it. She pulled down hay and fed the stock and milked. She brought out pails full of the snow water she had melted in the big wash , boiler for them to drink. She brought in a great supply of fuel and made every thing outdoors and In as snug and cheery as possible. Then she cooked the supper that did not take long for there was little to cook and washed up the dishes and cared for the sick woman and the little babe. She put' Lillie to bed in the queer little trundle-bed the child chattering about Santa Claus every minute and I tucked her in as happy as if there were no fear or anxiety In the world; oh, what would the pioneer families have done without the "girls" of that time? The mercury ranged 4 and 5 de grees below zero. The storm outside howled with the fury of a legion of demons. In some drift out there in the whiteness John Carver might bt slnking to death now. The baby cried and the sick woman moaned. - There was no lack of occu pation for the young helper. Hattie's strong arms held the child till it wa3 quieted and at the same time heated flannels, brought water, smoothed pil lows, and did everything that could be done for the anxious young mother. "Hattie, you haven't anything to worry you," cried the sick woman, en viously, i ' "Not a thing except what worries other people,' answered Hattie. But she knew that all the time she car ried beneath her songs and cheery words a heartache that was as hard to bear as the young wife's own. ' It was Mark for whom her heart ached. A year ago she had thoosht that by this time she and Mark would be settled iu a pioneer cabin of their own. Her quilts were all quilted, her store of household -goods was ready. Hut a coldness had come between them, and Mark , had gone away "back east where girls were plenty." Since then she had been learningito live without him,, and it was a bitter lesson. True she did not speak of it, not even to her best friends, but the ache was always there. Her work, was done at last. She had time to look at little Lillie slum bering in her low trundle-bed with her stocking spread out trustingly on the pillow beside her. Now, was the time for Santa Claus to come. But the sick mother was too ill and broken with anxiety to be bothered. There was nobody to fill that stocking but Hattie, and nothing to fill it with ex cept what her girl's wit might devise. She was vefy tired. All day she had been battling against storm and sickness, doing a woman's work and a man's too. Now she must do Santa Claus work. Was ever a Santa Claus so sleepy? Oh, what would she not give to throw herself on the bed, dressed as she was, and sleep? But there was no time for that. Santa Claus must come to the waiting chilS. She knew that in a little while the sick woman would rouse again and need her. Softly and wearily she lift ed the one little drop-leaf table over to the window farthest from the sick mother and placed the lamp upon It. Then she sot out her precious, dimin ishing store of letter paper that had to be brought to her from 6 miles awa$ like the rest' of the supplies, and the clumsy shears, and began to make paper dolls. , - ' Clip, clip, went the big shears. That and the rustle of the paper, were, the only sounds to be heard. Gradually she realized that the howling of the wind had ceased and the blizzard had gone down. Lillie's words kept repeating them selves sleepily in her tired brain. "A light . load." Surely , this Christmas gift would be light enough for Santa Claus to take anywhere. Clip, clip, went the shears, and wonderful crea tions fell from Hattie's hands. There was a father with a miniature news paper spread out before him. There was a mother with a baby In her arms and another in a tiny paper cradle at her feet. There were brothers and sisters. ' , , Snip snip Her hands went slower and slower until the last of the paper family ' "trailed off into aimless cut ting. Then Hattie's weary head sank down on the table and Hattie was asleep. Asleep and dreaming of Mark. In the daytime she could keep the thought of him away from her with fierce determination. , In the night it would come. Bhe was dreaming and she knew it. She had dreamed of him too often not to know. And in her dream the door burst ' open and Mark stood before her. Of course It could not be real. Or, rather, it was a dream of . Mark's ghost all deathly white. But even Mark's ghost was welcome. There could not be any harm . in embracing a ghost in a dream. She threw her arms around his neck - 4 : ; , But this was no dream. It was too solid and it was too cold. It was a real man who stood before her, be numbed with cold, and covered with snow from head to foot. - In a flash she eame ' out of her dream. It was well for Mark that she was just what she was, and that she knew what to do. She brougkt the great tub of melting snow-water, cut off the frozen footwear and mit tens and plunged his feet and hands in it. She rubbed his face with snow. She made hot coffee blessing the forethought that had kept the kettle filled with boiling water for the sick woman's use and forced him to drink it.' Little by little life and ilrengtn came back to him and incoherent words. "Started with Craver. ". fie wanted to see his wife. I wanted to see you. Blizzard came up.- Lost our way. Dug a hole in the snow and stayed two night. Went a long while and came to Smith's farm. Craver too badly frozen to go on. Will dp all right after awhile, but couldn't gv on then. , Wanted to like fury. Smith had to hold hiji back. Good thing. He couldn't have come on his frozen feet. I came on alone. Got lost again. Been lost all day. Pretty near gave out. Thought I'd - have to give up. So dark and cold. Saw your light when wind went down. Came to you." The words might be jerky and dis jointed, but Hattie understood it and never words sounded sweeter. "Santa Claus did come In the night," chirruped' Lillie. "'. saw him. He was all white. And he brought me this." She held up the precious paper doll family. . , . : "Aren't they lubbly. I fought he could get froo with a , light .load.' Then another thought came to her. . "But he didn't bring anyfing to you. Hattie. - That's too bad." "No, no, it's as good as it could be."- Hattie laughed out in pure joy. - "He brought me the one thing I wanted most in the world. And I shall be thankful to him every day I live; for if I had not kept my lamp burning In the window while I was working I mean waiting for him Mark would not have found the way." . V His Ear to the Ground. f'Dp yon expect people to believe i that-you tell them?" "That Is not Idea," answered the sagacious cam paigner. "The way to win the hearts of-'the people is to tell ' them what they already believe." , Working Him. - "They certainly are working that boy too hard at college," mused the fond papa, as he thoughtfully signed up another check for his industrious son. ' v Knives, Spoons and Forks. . Knives and spoons are of great antiquity; but the use of forks is com paratively modern. Indispensable as these adjuncts of the table may now appear, they had not become at all general at -the beginning of the eigh. teenth century. , " Cosmopolitan City. The city of Eperjes in Hungary is " one of the most cosmopolitan places , in the world. Nearly every one who lives there speaks six distinct lan guages and several dialects, and has to use them all in order to do any. -thing. " ' Manila Is Thriving. According to the census of the board of health, Manila has 11,022, houses of strong material, 15,142 of light material, and 3,311 of mixed material, a total of 29,745 houses. The population is 223,542, says the Manila' Dally Bulletin. Both Worlds. . The grand difficulty is to feel the. reality of both worlds, so as to give each its due place in our thoughts and feelings, to keep our mind's eye and our heart's eye fixed on the land of" promise, without looking away from the road we are to travel toward it. ' Augustus Hare. j, ' "Chicken -May Die of Grief. . Twin chickens were hatched fronv one egg last spring on the farm of. John Paulus in Bethlehem, Pa. Both" developed fully and became great pets' of the family. One of the twin chick ens was crushed to death. Since then -the other twin has refused to eat an Paulus fears it will die of grief. Couldn't Take the Job. A middle west graduate came to New' York to seek' employment, says' Success.. . Through" a friend he re ceived an offer of a place as shipping." clerk to a certain firm. : In reply he wrote as follows: "I regret , that , I cannot accept your kind offer of - the , position of shipping clerk, but the fact is that I am always sick when on the water." Advised to See Real France. C. A. i Le Neren, in Modern Lan guage Teaching, says: ."If tourists would go farther on into old France, into the old provincial life, instead of remaining quartered itt Paris or some other big. fashionable town, they would really learn to know what French is like. ' They would feel they . have wrongly judged us, and they, would acknowledge that French- -women are good wives,' good mothers and good friends." ' , Lincoln Directory HIDES Highest cash price paid for Hides and Calf Skins. No commission or dravage. I carry a full line of HARNESS, SADDLES, FUR COATS . and ROBES, and allow one cent above market price on all bides sent in exchange for above merchandise. ' . H. C. WITT MANN THE A. D, BEI1VAY CO. Exclusive Agents for Hoosler Kitchen Cabinet, Ostermoor Mattras ses, Macey Sectloaal Bookcase a, Saattarlre Iron Beds. Write for catalogue of above-goods and . prices, freight prepaid, to your to wn. 1112-1114- O ST., LINCOLN. NEB. NO PAY UNTIL CURED! naiTBJ suffering' from youthful errors or , tVIEn vices of laser yoars, I have a positive and certain method of cure. No oare, no fee. Write for plan. Proofs and references. , DH. tEARLBI, Box it, Lincoln, Hod. CHICAGO-DIXIE it 6 known ledges of ore, gold, silver and copper, work progressing day and night, shares 7 cents, lc par mo., news and marketletter FUEL tslisss ! traktragi Co., (Brass stHcs) 1014 Ikksris sHdlsc, Usun. Iwsraslu. - "ffiVt FUR COATS Lap Robes, Rugs and all kinds of Hides. Furs received for tanning. Highest prioos paid for. hides. 313 and 31S O St., Lincoln, Men., Shipping tags and circulars mailed free. El UER'S FPFn Ull I nn. Manuaaotnrers of Power and Sweep Peed Mills. ' Capaaitr unequalled, lightest draft.. Save from SO to SO per cent on cost of feed. Orinds ar corn, shelled, corn, oats, wheat, etc Write for prices. - - SAVOY HOTEL .atWft lar-priced Cafe in connection. 11th and P Sis.; Lincoln, l. i. UHESET, Prosrirlor EDUCATIONAL 'f TBEUliTVa OrHlUsic. Affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Greatest College of Music in the' West. Send for beantifal catalog to t. WILLARD KIMBALL, Director, Lincoln, Neb.l .