Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 5, Number 299, Decatur, Adams County, 12 December 1907 — Page 7

( **’*** ; *'*’A < *’>‘*n | Jimmie’s j J Christmas } \ Stocking j ? r- « 1 B, OWEN OLIVER - £ J —"" ( r?opjrl<bt. IWT », IM*** B is honor among the denial teas ot Paxton allay, but Mr. k/ Smith'* toy-shop stood at tha ter y entrance, and they reckoned him * u t of bounds From time to time evil-looking tnea muttered to one another about the long stocking that Mr. Smith was ,upposed to have filled; but he had figured tn the prtxa ring In his younger days, and he was said to sleep ■with a big knob stick beside him. So the matter ended at mutterings. A big, powerful man was Mr. Smith; and he had a powerful edge to his tongue. Every one In the alley feared him except Jimmy. Mr Smith knew him as the extraordinary paper-boy who brought back a dime given him In mistake for a penny, an event which was historical in the alley At the time it gave rise to doubts as to Jimmy's sanity, but afterward it was held that he was "playing up to the old man " Anyhow, Mr. Smith took two papers regularly afterward; and the day after his funeral —which was the day before Christmas eve—a sleek man In a shiny top hat invaded Paxton alley, escorted by a policeman, and took evidence as to ths identity ot "the boy called Jimmy who sold papers” to the public generally, and in particular to the late Mr. Smith. When the sleek man was satisfied upon this point he proclaimed Jimmy the sole legatee of the estate which comprised the little shop and house and all their contents. ■"■You'll find a long stocking somewhere, I expect." the lawyer said, "and you’d better bring it to me to

jrw.z ®W : *qK? wjwr iy j Jimmie’* Xmas Stocking — Jimmie Opened His Eye*. take care of; and if I were you I should take the name of Smith. Under ordinary circumstances Jimmy would have been elated by his good fortune, but somehow the world had not interested him lately. He bad bad a terrible cough for weeks —Ms business exposing him to the climate—and Just now he felt tired, and bad nasty pains in his side, and seemed to be burning all over. He moved in on the morning of Christmas eve. and explored th* house with a kind of numb curiosity. He spent most of the morning In th? shop parlor in the arm-chair in front of the lire. He did not even go out to the quick-lunch room for the beautlful dinner that he had promised himself. He had taken a lot of milk from the milkman, and be kept drink tag that He did not seem to care abowt anything but milk, and *v*rythlag felt strange and uncanny, figure on the mantelpiece a w ebearded old gentleman which b«» lleved was called Santa Clan*the strangest and uncannie*t of a t The fire was almost out, »o *>e P on some more coal. He saw that it was nearly four o’clock. ■ Lumm *. he muttered. "I’ve let the day •aren’t done no bus’ness. This won t do. I’ll take down the shutter*. M open the shop.’’ There was a wild chorus of recognltion when he appeared bet ’TA dingy green curtains that s a rail. “Jimmy! ’ “Jimmy’ any one to run your emusJ.mmr “Yer might give us my?” He heard all these greetings and a dozen more. He shook his head and returned his seat. He certainly d d feel and he seemed to lose th ngs few minutes, until Bill Blackca lB for three little toys- J*>> looked up to in the alle. Bltcks ■who did “big jobs, <e n-to-do; were generally reckoned! well but Bill’s transactions h very profitable lately, an ;■»£ k. „Md. "

Bill growiefl under his oreatn. ~ir yer didn't look half dead I d knock yer bead ors, yer young hound,” he said. "Inslnywaitln' ag'lnst an honest man. Goin’ to offer to do anythink fer yer, the missus was, wot I’ll soon put a stop to now." He gave Jimmy a ferocious scowl as he went out, and Jimmy resolved that if he found the stocking he would take it to the lawyer at once. He went to the door and faced a crowd of excited faces that ranged tn rows from the front of the shop right across the alley. ■’Jimmy!" they cried. "Give us somethin*! Yer might, Jimmy!” Jimmy always said afterward that he only did it because be thought he was dying, and the toys would be no use to him. and the pains In bis heart "drawed him out of himself.” He tried to speak, but his voice was only a whisper. So he beckoned to a big boy and whispered to blm; and the boy stood up on the doorstep, and shouted to the crowd: ‘‘Jimmy’s goin’ to give yer a toy each. Jimmy—” The big boy went sprawling before the crowd that swayed and struggled in, and Jimmy was driven back to the counter. Women came In to plead for their babies at home. Boys and girls came in to remind him qf their brothers and sisters. By nine o’clock he had given to every small Inhabitant of the alley. Then Jimmy tried to go to bed, , but was so weak and giddy that be I could not climb the stairs So he sat in the arm chair instead. He felt strange as well as poorly. The chairs, the fire-irons, the coal-scuttle, the table-cover, everything, seemed to turn into fantastic figures, and long tailed demons were running up the blinds. Santa Claus on the mantelpiece was scowling and sneering at blm. Jimmy got Into a sudden rage with Santa Claus and struck him with bls fist Santa Claus tottered on the mantelpiece, but righted himself. He was more solid and weighty than Jimmy bad imagined, and there was a clinking sound as he swayed—a sound of clinking money. The truth flashed upon Jimmy as he sank back exhaust ed in the arm-chair. The "long stocking" was in Santa Claus, and he could not get to it, and he never would, because he was going to die. He saw Santa Claus leering at him when he woke, and in his drcams, and when he dozed. Then he sudden ly looked frightened. Some one was knocking loudly at the door. That was what frightened him. Jimmy woke completely just as the knocking ceased. There was a grating noise outside the window—the noise of some one slipping a knife through the frame to press back the catch Jimmy struggled to move, but bis limbs only wriggled a little. He tried to shout, but no sound came The shutters came open with a crash, and Bill Black stepped within Jimmy closed his eyes to escape the sight of the knife, but he felt Black looking at him. Then, to his surprise, he went away into the shop. Jimmy heard a noise of un barring and unlocking. Then he felt a cool hand on his pulse. ""Collapse," a pleasant voice said. "It’s lucky we weren't an hour later " Jimmy opened bis eyes, and saw the doctor and Black bending over him.

"I've been playin' at Santa Claus, matey,” Black said. “We Judged yer was pretty bad not to answer the knockin’, so I got in. Rare nice toys them was yer gave my young ’uns Judged yer was pretty bad. so I fetched ’em.” Bill Black looked at the fire thoughtfully, and repeated to himself- " Rare nice toys." Then be carried Timmy upstairs and helped tbe doc tor put him to bed. He was wonderfully gentle in handling Jimmy. Three weeks later Jimmy came downstairs to the shop parlor, and the first thing he noticed was that Santa Claus was gone from the mantelpiece. He was very weak, and he could not help a few tears coming to his eyes; but he bad brushed them away before Bill came in “Feel all right, boy?”’ Bill asked. "Ye*. Bill," Jimmy said. ’ Pretty fair" . . ~ "S**t*s strange down here, dost it?” j "A little Strang*,” Jimmy agreed. Bill cut some hard tobacco in the nalm of his hand, and whistled sottf“nd filled his pipe. “Notice anything pertlckler strange?” he sug rested His eyes were on the manfelpiece, where Santa Clau* w«n t, and so were Jimmy*. ■ No ,“ said Jimmy, bravely. No, I '"N-ot on the mantelshelf?" jimmy pressed his finger-nail* • , hl. nalms. "There was a agalnS . fl£rre P there." he said, "wasn’t s ° rt ?_ f J ir i_i s'pose it got broke BUI. it-H wasn’t *MI U°X’ -d slapped his leg ° e f re fi was e a curious old piece of stuff lorhle or 1 ain’t no Judge. I aD Jthe notion o' lockin’ Tm away took the notio pu( . h(g upstairs, - boy's shoulder. Sreat were inside him! “ Th \ Xu 2 dollars. I took the °’ e L nf us “the odd money in the llberty Mr yer but the thousand 1. bus’ness ye _ mateT> there ' A «.s dealin' with an honest as Ter T mtabt have been diffrlnt 8 "“ “• ““ „ is honor among-Paxton F ° r XT Paxton all*? extßDds t 0 alley; and Pax yOUDf th* toy-»hoP now Jim«v Bill ar* tk*re! _

THE WATERMELON. Not What It Used to Be, at Least In tha Eating Thereof. In the old days, when the world was much better than it la now, there were good watermelons. As we remember them, the watermelons of twenty-five or thirty or thir-ty-five years ago were huge affairs. They were none of your overgrown cucumber effects of today, but were great big round fellows, and the outside was a dark green. It was the same shade of green as the reflection of the trees in a swimming hole. And when you sunk the knife Into it the rind ripped and cracked for two Inches ahead of the blade, and the melon just laughed itself open. Hold on! You didn’t use a knife. You lifted the melon above your head and dropped It to the ground, and it burst open, as red as a rose and a hundred times as sweet. And you ate nothing but the heart—just the chunky red heart. Nowadays the marketman shows you an oblong affair done in pale green and greenery-yallery stripes, with a white blotch on the underside, that he calls a watermelon. And you cut It Into slices like bologna sausage and eat It with a fork, like pie. And you have forgotten whether a watermelon goes plink-plink or plunkplunk when it is ripe, because it doesn't make any difference now.— Wilbur D. Nesbit in Chicago Post. THEY WON’T SHUT DOORS. And They Will Ride Backward, Reports a Traveler of Englishmen. Travelers returning from England tell of two habits of the people of that | country which Impressed them. One . is the average Englishman’s aversion to shutting the door behind him. “I don’t know how it Is In the English houses.” remarked one who has toured England, “for I was not in one ’ of them. But I stayed in a hotel in 1 London where there were a good many ■ English people, and a dozen times daily I had to get up and shut a door to keep the draft away. t “It didn’t make any difference < whether it was a servant or a guest

who went through, the door was left open. This was in the spring of the year, too, when the weather was chilly. I noticed the same thing in railway coaches and hotels of smaller towns.” The other English peculiarity is a preference for riding backward on trains. The Englishman will make for the seat with its back to the engine every time, plant himself down in it with every evidence of comfort and look wonderingly at anybody who picks out a seat facing the direction the train is going. Not once did one American traveling in England see a native choose a seat facing the front of the train unless there were no other seats.—New York Sun. A Wife In Bondage. He is that rare and greatly to be admired person, a real live duke, and he holds sway over many workers. To give him his due, he is a good master, and for the most part his kindness is greatly appreciated by his retainers. But Bob Willet is a laborer with democratic proclivities and marked distaste for work, and recently his ducal master determined that the one thing to do with Bob was to dismiss him, whereupon he did so, and Bob came to the conclusion that the time had now arrived when the pride of the peerage should be humbled. The difficulty was to think of something sufficiently biting, for the duke was a good master, as has been remarked. Then an inspiration flashed on Bob. The duke’s duchess had been appointed a lady in waiting to the queen, and this was Bob’s opportunity. “All right, yer grace,” he said, “I’ll go, but I’ll take heart to say this: Though Tm a poor man I’ve never had to send my missus out to service, and that’s more’n some people can say.”—London Chronicle. Voting Term*. “Ballot,” as generally used, has wandered far from Its original meaning of “little ball.” Even “blackballing” is no longer necessarily literal. Language has several fossil relics of primitive methods of voting. Most famous is “ostracism,” which perpetuate* th* memory of the “ostrakon,” the potsherd or shell upon which the Athenian citizen voted for the banishment of * too prominent personage. Another Instance Is “spondulicks.” the slang word for money. A “spondulos, properly a vertebra of the spine, cam* to mean any round thing and tn particular the voting pebble or Its metal equivalent

Custard.

Concerning custard, or “custad. as It was formerly called, it was a common joke at civic feasts in the olden tln)P to place an enormous custard in the middle of the table. Into which at gome stage of the proceedings the down unexpectedly Jumped. Ben Jonson uses the term “custard leap jack of one who “in tail of a sheriff’s dinner’, took “his almain leap into a custard to "make my lady mayoress and her sisters laugh all their hoods over their shoulders.’’— Blackwood’s Magazine. No Answer. Tommy-Pop. a man’s wife Is his better half, isn’t she? Pop-So we are told, my if a man marries twice there isn’t anything left of him. is there? - London Telegraph. Avarice weak and devour the fruits of hU IU bore, and I will say that it to has so ordained.” Volnsy.

□EMOCHAT WANT ADVERTISING WANTED WANTED —Boarders wanted. Inquire of Mrs. Alice Smith over the city laundry. 296-6 t WANTED *0 BORROW—Money in amounts Os SSOO and up. First mortgage security on Fort Wayne real estate given not to exceed 60 per cent of Its valuation. Interest six per cent payable semi-annually. Inter-State Realty Company, 115 east Main St., Fort Wayne Ind. 290-30 t WANTED —10 men to husk corn. % mile of Decatur on interurban. Will pay by shock or bushel. Phone Ml 3. Vietor Ulman. WANTED. Corn either old or new; any quantity at the highest market price. Bijp your wheat and get a premium. 285-24 t A. VAN CAMP. HUSTLING MEN WANTED—Distribute samples and circulars. No canvessing, steady. Globe Adv. & Dist. Ass’n, Chicago. 295-6 t for” sale FOR SALE OR TRADE—Buggy, good as new, runabout style. Inquire at 335 north First street.

FOR SALE —Number one seed corn. I Inquire Roy Runyon, Deca'ur, Ind.. R. R. 10. 294-6 t FOR SALE —Duroc Jersey swine, either sex, any age. Also black Langshan cockerels. Inquire E. F. Miller, R. R. 12, Phone 14G line. 291-ts FOR SALE —White Wyandot pullets. Birds from high scoring pens. They are extra fine. Inquire of S. E. Shamp at postofflce. 280-24 t WANTED —To exchange for your dollar a choice lot of coarse anthracite coal. Feeds down in stove perfectly when a portion of coal is broken at | @56.50 per ton while It lasts. Tricker & Merica, Phone 543, Res. 311. 296-4 t FOR SALE —An invalid’s chair, good I as new. A bargain if you need it. Inquire of Nick Miller, Murray House, Decatur, Ind. 294-6 t I am desirous of purchasing some wheat and corn and will pay the highest market price for the same. Call on H. H. Bremerkamp. LOST—A female black amd tan beedie hound. Finder please return to Clem Voglewede at Shoe store. All engraving free and articles laid away for future delivery at Lehne’s Jewerly store.

FOR SALE—A kitchen cabinet good as new. Inquire of Eli Sprunger, FOUND —A small bundle of goods. Owner may have the same by inquiring at this office. HAY FOR SALE—Good timothy hay. Inquire of J. F. Keifer, phone 8, line j 297-6 t Jmi received a car load of Portland -anient. Will sell It for SI.BO per barrel. My last car load this season. Julius Haugk. TO TEXAS —If you want facts about a cheap trip to Texas immediately after the holidays, of if you want to invest in the fastest growing country oa earth call on or write Dan N. Erwin, Decatur, Ind. 296-30 t FOR SALE —A house and lot, one of the most desirable locations in Decatur. Inquire of P. K. Kinney. 298-6 t First street. 298-61 Call and see my line of fine rosar-

les. Also my line of pearl necklaces, pins, brooches, made out of pearls found down in our river and they are surely beauties. At Hensley s. 297-6 t Everything In the jewelry linewatches, clocks, bracelets, rings, in fact everything, except silverware, has dropped in price same as all the market Be sure you get the reduction You surely will at Hensley's. 297-6 t

FOR SALE OR RENT—7S acre farm one and one-half miles north of Pleasant Mills and three quarters of mile south of Rivarre. Will rent for cash or sell right. Good land and well improved. Inquire of Erwin Acker, First street, near jail. 291 ‘ 6t Wait for True and Runson special holiday sale on Cut Glass and fancy china. You will get great bargains next week. Get ready for it. No goods charged or put back at this sale. 297’41 FOR SALE—A church organ, second hand, but as good as new; has been used two years; will sell at a bargain. Inquire of Gay & Zwick. To appreciate the reduction in all our goods you must see our prices. Jewelry has taken a tumble same as all the markets. We will surely give you the best market prices. Hensler democrat want ADS. PAY big try democrat want ads.

FARMS For Sale _ln Michigan. Ohio and Indiana 1 . Call on 1 W. H. PARKER I 1 212 Burt Street, Van Wert, Ohio »♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»»♦»*** :: Flower Bulbs | Hyacinths, ♦ o Tulips, t ;; Lillies, ♦ o and other ♦ o Bulbs for t £ fall planting | : J. D. HALE : ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ P. J. HYLAND SANITARY PLUMB NG Gas Fitting, Steam and Hot Water Heating, Gas and Combination Fixtures 23 Monroe St. Phone 256

For Spouting, Roofing Galvanized Iron and Tin Work Copper and Galvanized Lightning Rods. See T* A. Leonard Opposite Hale’s Warehouse. STOVES MENDED I am now in a petition to mend and fix all kinds of stoves and can furnish all parts broken or missing. If you have anything in this line see F. E. SMITH.

PUBLIC SALE. The undersigned will offer for sale at his farm 4% miles southwest of Decatur and 2% miles northwest of Monroe, at 10 o’clock a. m., on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 1907, the following described property, to-wit: Horses—One brown mare, 10 years old, with foal by jack; 1 chestnut bay mare, weight

1,400 pounds, with foal; 2 year old Belgium mare, 1 8 months’ old mule, 1 gelding coming 5 years old, 1 mare coming six, 1 horse coming two years old, 1 horse colt coming one year old’. 8 ’ months’ old Belgium colt. Cattle—One milch cow, to be fresh in spring; one Durham cow, fresh soon; 1 extra good Jersey cow, to be fresh in spring; 1 fat steer 18 months old; 1 fat heifer 18 months old. HogsFive brood sows, 1 with pigs by side, 13 shoats, average weight 100 pounds. Sheep—Shropshire ewes and spring lambs. Chickens—Two dozen pullets, 2 dozen old hens, 6 Pekin ducks. Harness—l set heavy breeching harness, 1 set buggy harness. One Harrison wagon, two-seated surrey, road wagon, buggy pole, wagon tongue, McCormick mowing machine spring

tooth harrow, Scotch Clipper breaking plow, spring tooth cultivator, pair of good hay ladders, good mud bo it, 10 -hoe wheat drill, Richmond Chunpion; log benches and chains, seed sower, Royal incubator, poultry net ting and chicken troughs, 175 sho-ki of corn. 30 shocks good fodder, '.ft • in mow. 5 tons good wheat straw, onethird timothy in mow, 35 bushels gold wheat, new hotblast heating stove, cook stove with reservoir, large size kitchen cabinet, good as new, A. B. Chase organ, couch. Singer sewing machine, Globe washing machine, car pets, large mirror. Terms _All sums of $5.00 and u«der, cash in hand; all sums over $5.00 a credit of nine months will be given by purchaser giving note with approved security. p R. GILPEN. J. M. Burkhead, Auct. If you havn’t selected your Xmas presents at Hensley’s you are surely •missing great bargains. Z976t

Christmas is not a real Christmas unless you buy the wife, the daughter or son a nice and useful present, say a pair of shoes for dress or house, slippers, over-gaiters or spats. Bear Skin Leg- I gins for the children. Come in and see our line before si you buy. I out J. h. Voglewede & Son. I 6pp. the Court House I

HENSLEY’S For Your Xmas Presents If you are looking for high grade watches we have them. We aleo carry the cheaper ones at prices From 65c to $65 You surely are aware this has been a big fall in prices everywhere. Be sure to get the market prices. See our line of Umbrellas, Ladies and Gents, Rings, Chains, Pins, Charms and Lockets. Our line of diamonds is unexcelled. If you havn’t already selected your presents, don’t delay as you know you miss good opportunities by waiting. Come while we have a large stock to select from. H’GnsleytheJow'elor

I WE SELL Nyafs White Pine and Tar Cough on a positive guarantee. It contains no alcohol. cloroform or opiates. Try it- If not satisfied your money will be refunded. MAKE US PROVE IT THE HOLTHOUSE DRUG CO.

What s a Better I XMAS PRESENT Than a I GOOD PHOTOGRAPH I THE HOLIDAY prices are I now on at the Sautbine Stu- I dio, above the Nachtrieb I drug store. All I ask is for 1 you to call and investigate 1 my work and prices. I R. L. SAUTBINE, The Uptown Photographer