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THE CHARLUTTETOWN GUARDIAN

‘ , l! ,,v / ,//////"////

annual kelbstone 1 1Z5 ezld. for it .. lau- in the

- ilawkers

.961 other wares.

_ 111.; own intimate» lrlcllus o)‘ the Ilia-llama M] Ckucago (. e. He we: 1W Amerl‘ ; l! - police would luve seen.

that Chicago was n0

ul till: presence of its

‘ rllquxrcll the llrme

pz-llod of ills highly l, he 11nd spcntl

l zlzlt city, learn-

trait.

c‘ a. respectable -r possibly the oi‘ wilolll he llaa \ 1:13 llllght be

.111 expression ugerness bud 1n-

., as _ for close on

moved along the _ studying the 111- uczlllll: the ven- lliQ-l‘ tricks on the

pa i 111111 nl. gull,“ was fascinated by one which. to bu. fllUlCi, was the cu.est " z {DC-k the lorln of a

riding a

.1‘). 5JlllllilbLlC5. lgs," bllwled the . people shook uring that it was - But Charlie, , , ' ; bought .111 to elbow his way xlll, llUiilillg tile hex slloll d ue crushed. over you, Chicagv?" e quietly over his emerged. “Buylné

you \. _ uslru-ll-llollse at i110 AQBCI of

1 _ . _ " The In- tlle corner. and decply lnto his ' ilaverft been fun~—" grit anything on . .‘.li\*l'l‘ll])ll1(i ml a llotc, and now the other‘.

,. .1'i 0'1 llltis

omblnations, Wasn't

l lc-C I caught

tulle when

you llt “Tlluilk-t to someone squealing on me," (Jlllcaizo Charlie added. “But I uni my whack, and here I am. What right have YOU W b9 lmwillflfl nrollllzl ilflef nie as if I was domfl souwtlliug wrong? How d0 W11 know I'm not runnulg straight

nolv?" ,, "I'd like to be sure you were, sstld iili‘ detective. "I‘ll BIQIHIF. when 1 stalled trailing you, I clldnt “pm “and be out to buy thys- "A Cllrlsunns present to myself. u yo“ wm-lt in know. If you want 10g, fun lmvrl-stcd in ll toys. .\l1,. . be start- - own in them Happy Christ- is. if you m. nappy?

‘i

other. "Like to lend me l little ca ital to slart?" erg WES 80MB

among the little group circling him.

all ofthem more or less in the underworld net, and the 91011148101‘

said.

"shouldn't be difficult for you u) get the capta‘. Chicago."

Zlhe other made nu answer. bu! picked up the toy, putting 1t back 1mg m; narlmw cardboard box, and returning this to his OVEYCOIW paid for his food and passed Olli- agalrl into the night.

Aild 110w llle g1. 111 look had re- turned to ills 1110b le face. He was pocket. A iew minutes later. he had on nu way to earn that capital. but of that he had remained silent in the restaurant, after bitter experi- ence of putting too much trust in his fellows. This time, his plans all carefully laid, Cllzcago Charlie was taking no such‘ lsks as might land him buck in prison.

The lans he had laid, if all went well, ould bring, him comfoztably 1m‘; nwney, He hoped it nlilzlll. llc me last tqne he wlls forced to get money thzl. way. And when he had earlier asked the prowling lll.\'lll?(.'i0l‘ why it shouldn't be lmnulnud he was running straight there lllld been a. quite pitiful ycrlrl .1 I With- in him for ‘that to be tlue. In a vague way he knew that if his moral strength lllld been cquul to his skill as a craftsll l1 hi: lvouid have been a wel. ' acted cllaicu. The judge ut the tl l had loiri him so. But the mall who ha " time" finds it difficult to r

To-nikht, as Chicago wended his way along slrcc into quiet squares, we‘ l" '- i wealthier -,csidentirll purt which was to find him lliat vnullul, the Christmas crowds s( mctl to him; to belong to another world. in lvilzrh he was only like some ghost, sink- ing by in bitterness.

And slink he did, since that was necesary. hustling tile (in kiln-s. making for the hotlsc he hid so

. 1c‘ out, watched it for s and (nu. cut. fill he needed about those illsl e of it.

He brought out the toy and Proprietor 112s

According to plan, he made entry by wa of the 1llews—-llo\v a collect- iono garages-at the back. He had reached the heat-conditioned warmth of the first floor before very long. And. Rs flu expected. there was not a soul mound. The the inirzmalioll he had received, had gone to the country over Chrirnlns. What servants had been lclt would bc

family, frcnl

of lhc sudden 1px lhe cross- l turllcd

.- l

.. ' .v .. 1.<-

.;~. 1; .1111 i2\'t‘ll given.

.. . - .

along the snow- dlllill: the neifl (lxllisSPii the . .; mind. He had l il-llr o.’ the MW. ":11 <;t.ll.';l~qllcllces ‘lkllllfi of it.

- prided him-

l. r1121 llc had Fill/E" 1 lIifillvV. as he 11cm! rc-

l1f ;he

in the

1- ll1t..v;l 1. 11R’...

\ ‘lillfll llllll ». l"

. l1 b Th0 10v

it

Ti." ED‘ . < -.1..

lllllf: s‘ '11 _ i111" ')("-!\lfl lfe - . gilt. nnlust with

l ills‘ lzculus

"ful direction, lcnliilll! 1l1l.cl1 against his

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n r ‘~*_ h" rf" I u'l1 I1 Hlir- Italian satin: house. - 1w n.9,; u frllzui meal , 1111* ‘!~.~l my and set ' \-- m rlwu llnoz". with p: JI‘i"lIlf‘ lllVi olllcrs locking on. A: :1" p. u; ho d‘d so. the imm- nr < fr-‘l from his face. Which b0- fan“ zl'll1'15t boyish in its enthus-

n'n't it?" he laughs-d as "when round. “Going f (“*5 premntly, I am

~ orks, if I can get

v'n't.

' of sia Pin‘! in the to -

m" : ‘<1 youl elf. Chic?" chuc - led il1r~ ])“l)t>Z‘]P‘Ol‘, who know only too WW1 whnt lll_= roal business was. "Anti-wily not?" he eyed the}

- .1:

. Ulrullllnntcly.‘ .

h'm 10-1

helmv, making the most of their ‘mlploycfs absence. There was fl lprcnounccd .~mv!! of couking. At

a, a ElWSQ he wouc llllvc sold that the ; w.“ u, 1154-, _ u" up; cook had lrrltolten lilv olcu ill the t‘ Willlfh he had made ill the spirit enjoyment of the dance music on]

, the radio. Silent-footed and swift-working, he hnrl found the fi.st floor roonl

-case led dcwnwards.

It working on the floor, others looking on

er and mother, but he'd been

l t lfélm to-morrow. l-led

ft behind tlll

‘laughter at ullslrot or». of bcd to find nu nurse.

lnlliv lhere was no-one around.

"ff you really are Santa Claus‘ you must have some tvvs for me. he ended brenthlessly. "Daddy did prlnllse there would be 50m! when 1 wéke up, tc make up f0!‘ me 11°‘ going wiih them. Couldn't I have

.' only one lltt e one to-nlght, please?

All this vlhile Chicago Charlie had been in fear and trembling lest the child's voice, growing louder with excitement. might attract the nurse, or some other servant. This kid had upset the smooth running of his DIEM. i115! at the moment when he had only to lay his hands on the jewellery and get away.

Hclvcver, Charlie's brain worked quickly. Moved by a sudden in- syliruilon, he slipped a hand into his ovcrccat pocket, bringing out the cardboard box with the me- chanical my.

"If you're a very good little 50y. and don't speak too loud, I will let you have one of your presents," he said, and produced the dgnt- ccluurcd clowns on the bicycle.

Winding this up and setting it dou 11 on the polished parquet floor, it lmzan to whim round and round, the little clowns performing their clumping acrobatic figures, while

kl-‘irlle giggled with gice, squatt-

to watch,

int; do n on the floor eager-eyed.

"Now I do know you're Santa Claus, or 3-011 cxiuldnt have brought me this, could you?" he prattled lwccitczilyy risking Z he might wind i it. up and “mite it go himself.

That was exactly what Charlie ulnlifocl, olry too anxious now to get lhf‘ Cillifi preoccupied. while he nlade u quiet and quick get-away before anyone came from down- sltrllrs. Bef0:e settling about this 11nd helpin: lrmsclf from the open Puff’, h" felt it wisest to make sure tile crust was dear. Choosing a lllarnlcllt when the boy was tog in- lcnt on the icy to noiice. he pass- cd out of the rocm on to the land- llllr crisiclv. where- a brcllLi stair-

.i

with the

But scarcely had he leached the landing when tile smell of cooking he had noticed at first became ,overpowering. The truth dawned lDl\_ him. The smell was of burning lpuult, and as he looked over the . hunulstcrs he saw smoke and flames the well of the

‘I stairway.

He Cifllid hear agitated voices ibelow. impossible to get down by ‘the sun. way, Charlie guessed as he ‘illlfldcd back to the room where he ,l.1ad left. the cnlxi. His only course the perilous way by try.

snatching up the y, who was istiil clinging to the toy, and tellirl llim that he must be good and ho ham around his neck, he made way

‘swccplng frcm

' pride at this season of

1

1p]

1e wanted, hlld worked slicklv and [m- thcm both out of the back wjml

mic uullnlnxz succvss of the sllfu ccm- binntioll, so the heavy stcel door ilnd swung open. With a grlln little chuckle he was colllnnplallng cases of _jclvollury ht- kllCW he must find there, when a shrill little voice bchind him caused lliln to swing ‘round ill sizvtcfl amazement. "Htlllo! lire _‘ S is Claus?" .. ' -l1l\ircd imy ‘Fiflrdllll! l'l illillggl p_v'_.n1ll5. rather too large for lliln, in the middle of

\vi'il his invil on the tumblers

the tiny son of iill.‘ house, ihnuuh

pcckct ,i1clv he came to be here, instvnrl of lug onc lcc: badly. uillch 1 "n the country, with his parents, he!

could 11m mzlgillc. It was ncl-css- izlljv, nnyhn», Ln kccp lllnl quiet and frlcndly, l "Now isn't. to know me. young follow?" ‘sefzcd liv- cpcning gratefully. “Cer- ltalny I'm Santa Claus.” “You don't lnok like him, Where's ‘your Whiskers and red cloak? "The"?! only for swank," in- wentcrl Chicago on the spur nf the lmomcnt. “Don't wear than, tklddkx when I'm going my (311.14 Eve all .

it clover of you

Joys!" piped tllc . in’: lnearer. and show ng not lhc least fear. For the moment Civil-he scarcely knew Wllllt answer in nix-o

“Who says I haven't Int om?" He assumed a note of indignation. ‘That sucks invis'ble, so that chil- (‘specially

dren shouldn't‘ see it. small boys who are out of hrd."

The ad. thhlkinz he culzllt to plain, said in his childish way he couldn't slcrp. He'd wnnle go down to the country with

Charlie l

ex- , m“, . bcncflt of a b‘ d tnlCharhe knew his the boy's father.

Idnw hc hnd forced, began that tlslilous descent into ink-black darkness of the garages. As he did .50 he heard faintly, but growing

louder, the clanging bells of flre- y“ y u

, engines racing nearer and nearer . .

O I I O It was not till some time after- twards, wilen recovering conscious- ness illlfi finding himself being tended by a doctor, with others looking, that Charlie knew he had

, zhc room. he rwoglllzcti at once. ns , had a nasty fall at the end of the

ldescent, stunning him and damag-

The garage people had found both him and the boy, whom Charlie hnd .-(\"lehow managed to shield even as they fell, so he was not hurt, but only frightened. The garage people, recognizing the child, were naturally surprised to find him there and in such com- pany.

The boy's explanation that he

,was Santa Claus only served to hi5

deepen the mystery, even when uhcy had tnkcn him round to the hcusc. on which by then, the fire

_ ,bl‘lRi\i'if‘. had got l0 work.

It urns in the house, and in that ‘.'\Rffll' first-floor room of it, that Charlie first came properly back to (lollsciousncss under the doctor's hands. He could hear the little ‘bny still pratlllng his story about ‘Santa Clnus and the toy he had brought, of which he had never ,‘ let go,

He was in fact, winding it up "Y"! rhcwlnx how it worked for the g, burly man, whom

instinctively to be And the cracks-

man, looking urou the 10ml O

Not a creature was stirring, not

with a little old driver no lively

A bundle 0f toys he had flung on And he looked like l. podler nut

His droll little mouth was drawn

But I heard him exclaim, ere he

Iknewinsmomerltftmustboltlflek. More rapid than eagles his evursers they And he whlstled, and shouted, and called

Night Before Crhistmae

h Dr. (Intent O. Icon ‘rvns the night before Christmas, when all till-midi the house,

IVOXI I. M01189;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with cue,

In hopes that 8t. Nicholas noon would b0 than;

The children were nestled all mug in their bade

While visions of sugar-plant; danced through their heedl:

And Mamma in hel- ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap, when out on the lawn there arose such I elsmr,

1 sprang from my bed 1n no whet no the mama. Away to the window I new llh a flail,

‘Tom open the shutters and thrvvv up the gab.

The moon on the breast of the nuvI-fcllm now Gave a lustre of mid-day to obkets below, when what. to my wondering eyes lhauld appear. But e mlnumlre skill: and elcht tiny reindeer,

11141111163.

came, them by name:

"Now, Dasherl New Dulool-l new. Pronou- md Viral On, Comet! on, Cupldl on, Donder and Bliiunl

To the top of the porch! u» the stop of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away, all!"

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky so up m the house-top the coursers they flew,

And then, in a. twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little roof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with uhel and soot:

hlnbuk. mnlnehlswk.

His cheeks were like roses, his non like a elwrryl

up like a bow.

And the beard on his chin as white as the mow;

The stump of g pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled hLs headlike a wreath; He had a broad face and a. little round belly

That shook when he laughed, lkv l. bowl full of Jolly.

He was chubby and plump. a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word. but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings then turned with c. 3m, And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod. up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a. whistle, And away they all flew like the down on the thistle,

drove out of sight,

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND ‘IO AIL A GOOD NIGHT.”

r“

When Christmas Day dawns fhlsl year, one thousand one hundred; and eighty-nine days of this war. will have run their course. It isl not a happy record; it is not a total upon which we can look with "peace on earth, goodwill toward men." Duzing that stretch of more than three years, we have witnessed the fall and occupation of many nat- ions, the blocdy battering into sub-_ mission of others. l"e have seen Dllr young men and women go forth by the thousands for battle fronts the world over. Later, we received stunning reportt of casual- ties. We have come to see. pray God not too late, that wo.ld dom- ination is the one thought that spurs on our en€m‘es,, world dwnin- atlon that you and I shall live slaves, without those precious free-

doms.

That is the unhappy side of the picture. But let us not forget- indeed. let us make it a point to 1-9- member this Christmas ~that there LS a. brighter side.

It Cannot be a merry Christmas

the safe door, knew ma; he 115d some awkward questions to answer before this was ended.

It was with no great pleasure that lresently Charlie heard an unforgettable voice, even though l; W" 59913-111118 mull’! mole politely than it old to hlm. It was the voice of his old enlmy, the inspector.

"Yes, that's the man, sir, cm. cage Charlie they call him," he W88 Sflylng- "Que of the tricklest men with a. sale. They say there's no combination he can't, master, Lucky for you. air. he doesn't 5881i toflhave got away with anything,"

Lucky. anyhow, that he happen- ed to pay us a call to-night all un. MWWH to us. inspector,‘ the boy's

lther retorted. "From what I can

19111‘ of it, if {his mun mdnlebeen

Jurslins my safe, 1101.111“; could 1ave saved our little boy from be. éiég" kil.ed or-at least-badly burn-

"The servants were nil too nusy fdnllilfli! themselves in the kitchen,‘ "9 Weill? 0K1. "otherwise the fire

scouldlvt have reached the extent it,

did. 8nd mv bQv was all alone in the "¢°'"°X°°P'~ this man. He‘: Proved a Sltnta Claus in more senses than one."

"That's one for you. inspector!" Charlie thrust in here, sitting up on the gfltee Where they had laid him. "‘xou've got nothing on mg

, o see."

"Haven't I? laid the in; “my, "Th!!! 0M1’! safe door s a for itself, but what you've one we; all? gentleman: spin looks like giv-

you a rea — onl u'l1 t adfintalgxg of it." y yo an

e pectork tone luggested tJlat he had no great belief in Charlies desire to go straight, yet if ever any man was ready m we}. ¢°m¢ I brflik. and a clean break with the underworld, that man was Chlca o Charlie.

The boys father was a sportsman. He heard Charlie's story, and gave hm his chance by putting up the m°d¢8t capital to set him up in business making toys ln a small way. He made l, living, and some- time; more. but never t great deal, because Ohnrlle was too fond of toys. He s nt too much time pinyin: with cm and perfecting

em.

"mars Food enough for a kid." his flnanc al backer said one Cay, as he watched the ear-crook taking to bits a new model.

"Maybe," Charlie would answer, "but it ain't quite as I like it to be. I don't feel its an honest job o'work as it stands."

“You're r1 ht, Charlie," his bene- factor l-epl ed. "Honesty! the thing that matters."

"You're felling me, sir!" said Charlie, with an accent that he'd picked up Years back before he bad quite satisfied himself that honesty is the best policy.

§Our Fourth Wartime Christmas man-nl

in the old sense. ‘lio be curry. the dictionary says, l: t0 be full of mirth and ood humor, gay, sport- lve. joval, peasant. The gay light- heartedness with which we have been accustomed. to greet the Christ- mas season is scarcely fitted to a country fightln a war for its very ‘life, its institut one, its future. But that light-hearted Christmas rev- elry l5 not, after all the essential thing about Christmas.

Since that night in Bethlehem I thousand wars have mangled and cruclfelcl hnnanity. Yet is Christ- mas forgotten? A thousand time: ill-will has obtained the temporary mastery over that ancient promise of good will toward men, yet in the hearts of millions of men the flame of good will bums uninterrupted. It is as inextinguishable as man himsef, as eternal as God. It will come again to the surface to light the world once more, 111st as when the glory of the Lord ‘shone down on the shivering shepherd; in old Judea.

That flame reflects other bless- ings too. Standing out boldly in it; deansillg heat l; the brave i1- domitable spirit of our sailors, our soldiers, our airmen; the spirit of Victory at an cost. There, too, we see the nob e endeavors of our brave allies. the skilled hands of our workers turning our munitions of war in ever-increasing quantities, and every Canadian - man, woman and child youn! and 01d - taking the significance of this brutal, ml- ous war to his or her heart.

No, we cannot today have peace on earth. Perhaps, one day again we shall be able to npeak those hallowed words. It depends on us. ye mlust fight the 300d fight-for

caps

mlrlstmas ll a. rich and many- sided holiday. It seems that just about everything that's sweet 5nd gay and oily and generous and traditions goes into the making of it. In addition, it ls one o! our few red-letter days that has g re- ligious quality about it too.