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Hiilunliiy, Doromlirr art, UllIO wii u mr.
O O U N T V , O It 15 O O N
?a5! unci 1 !fSn drudging along in the office of Mall
W$SkW t b,s.mo fo,1 four years, lie had started in as a clerk
lSkT I(VVaS 1 ,l,clerk- Max was not lacking in ability lie
M-aU. hn(i em d a(, vancomcnt , u 0ver but nho-id
iH worried about the wolfnm nP lhn7"""lZ Z '1 10C
Hc-or" If W on,i u., . . it w"""v- wumuu iur mm. . ",,u t,uu umiruiiriaiuu xor me evening uy
3S u h i,? J,mV ? puri)os; t0 ei'an efficient clerk slaving Abraham Erskcine, in the interests of property
NiN a W.G(ik' ,:hl,e le .hired a stranger for an' owners of his own class, felt it incumbent upon him to
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friend's car. Be a bit easy on us, seein' as its Christinas."
But the policeman was obdurate, and during the pal
aver that ensued, all of the party made their getaway ex
cept Jake, and Max, who was too stupid to realize that re
treat was the better part of valor in this instance.
A 1 J t J 1 ...... -
ji ine trial, it developed that the car belonged to
niiwi ncwl U.wl K ...... i.,... .'. i .1 p it. f
... ,7 1,, iJUf,wu a louoie or treble that amount, ho did! pi'osoento the, case. Max and Jake were given two to
1 nV " ,erk4 wantetI to, qit, ho could do so. There' fi.e yara apiece in the state penitentiary. On account
nnf'S, ,V- Of.m.enito f,H 8ch positions even if of 1 is ago, Jake wua paroled upon good behavior,
most of them are inefficient. wc:u over the rord.
w ifi ...
Max
S"7
" ' Ui Awivjr-xivw. rur ne nau oeen a dreamer
--one of those unhappy mortals to whom it is given tc
dream wonderful, beautiful, nnsnlfich ,1,.,,.,. t. 71
s given to toil all through life in a vain effort to bring to
?u?S.S? of reallzAtion fc.he i(Jcals for betterment and for
nn . n r; happiness among earth's unfortunate
-r- in iui uvuiur, nia iace was drawn and
niggard. Long hours of toil for many days in succession
had reduced his vitality. His resistance to suggestion had
reached the ebb. It is to the vast hoards of men such as
..p wuum society owes much of the crime which it so
inuuii uuprecaies.
Hello, Max. Going out with the Girl tonight?"
... ijr i ujjbuu liiu umce uov.
T t..i. r i ii . '
nui;niKc, i naveirt any girl. Too busy here. Don't
mvu any ume to live, you Know. Damn it all Jake, I some
times wonder what it is all Ibout. Why do men like me
toi their lives out here in iM city of seething millions
selling their lives for a pittance, while other men, like old
brskeino, pile up a hoard of wealth they can never use? It
is enough to drive a man crazy, some times. Oh well, I
guess I'm tired. That's all I'll be all right in the morning."
y 1 wnias me mauer Willi you, Max.
You ve been working too hard during this Christmas rush.
Now it s over. Come on, Max. A bunch of us are going
out for a iov ride toninrhL fini nf Plu-icf
you know. Join in the crowd. We'll show you the time of
while anyway. Don't bo an old man, Max life is worth
living, if you make it so. Come oh."
And Max went. He was just a poor denizen of one of
ui ujg ciuch, wnose playtime or life had been denied him.
When the call of youth and pleasure came, he could resist
no longer. It was a wonderful time they had that night.
Four couples in a big car, out for a time. All of them, like
Max, overworked victims of the Christmas rush season.
Now that it was over they were celebrating with a ven
geance. Max asked no questions about the car. He didn't
care. For the niirht he had let down tho. hn
. i i tin i .
ana convention, wnat did tne world and its silly conven
tions and laws mean to him that night? He knew the
crowd he was with. t A poor, hardworking lot out for a
spree. Whatever the cost, he could bear his shaue alone-
ill- 1.1 A 1 11 1 i A . . . w . . C
wiui uiem. ina tne nignt wore on. Uh, what a night
It was worth a year of life such as he put in at the office.
ne saiu as mucn, and ne meant it.
The dawn was just beginning to streak the east. What
a beautiful Christmas morning. The gay party driving a
breakneck speed down a suburban street in the early
dawn called out a "Merry Christmas" to a few workmen
they passed.
A motor cycle chugged up behind them. Passed
slowed up and ran along side for a short distance.
"Halt," bellowed the rider. He nulled back his coal
ujiu iiuj luxi. it mailers not to tnom wnnr.nnr n mnn tmna
uvur uie wan or not. uesides it is Ulinstmas eve, and the
man on the wall, poor uneducated, illy-paid for his irk
some and uncongenial task, is quite as much dissatisfied
with the world as the man he guards. Both alike have
come to feel through long years of prison life, with all
the unwritten hates and insultos and fnin1Hon whioh rlnilv
find their place in the community life, but find no echo in
the official reports, alike they feel the injustice of the
system, though unable to frame a better one.
A shadowv fitrurc croons tin in Mm wnll T?w mnnu
kllOWn best to the CraftV. lonir-SllfTorinir nrisnn inmntna Tin
es the wall.
Pacinir his beat on tho wall tho inuitvl Vionta n alinrVif
sound behind him. He turns quickly, gun lowered. His
uwu me ih in conunuai danger. Death may be creeping
up behind him. The shadowv fm m IS snmo flilrfv nnnno
away, crawlinir slowlv awav Lfmvnrrl fmointn Tf ;u fii
duty of the guard to shoot instantly to kill, without ques
tion. He raises his
and continues his beat. Reaching the end, he turns to go
back. No one is in sie-ht. "Moirv niiristni!ij" hn nfn..r
... ( 1 " " . I tmr . lltlll 11V. L I L lit. 1
,...rii.. ii-r l. i .. ' .
auiuy.
m
iftly. t You have done your time, Max, and then some-,
aybe its all ritrht and mavbo it jiinf. hnf T' m rlnmnn1 if
J, , f x.v ... iiV,ll II
II plug you on Xmas eve."
Half an hour later the guard fired his rifle four times
in succession, and turned in the Gonor;il an,.,-. 'To the
guards and officers who rushed to hi a.wVii'!n, he tohl
ajurid story of how he had been attacked n escai)ing
convict "iid thrown from tho wnll rH- ,n chase em-
mediatejv, out liio dogs lost the trail
The Capffin f (j10 G"'ird Hif nr Mo TOIind
i .... ii .. .. . . wvui,
Missel! up me snua'iou. walked up to tho on dutv and
shook hands, wilh a knowing wink. "Mrt"- r'hristmas"
he said, and walked away.
That niirht the stfe of Mall and Erskoino was opened,
by someone who eviflonf.lv know tim .nmKi
learned much about the technique of opening strange
safes. They found no betraying fingerprints or other evi
dence to identify the theif. One thing onlv did they find.
- wvr un wiucn was printed
the words, ''Merry Christmas;'
That night, also, there mistoriously appeared upon
the doorsteps of the poorer people of tho groat city, in the
mailljoxes of the slums, and in many strange and unfamil
iar crannies, a miscellaneous assortment of silver and irold
lapel and showed a star.
"Where s your driver's license? Whose car yu' got
here."
Confusion reigned. Jake, at the wheel, faced the
cop. "Say, old top, I aint got no license. I'm drivin a
wiwo, im uuun injies oi smau denominations. A Merry
Christmas, truly -for many a poor, starved human being,
a now lease of hro to mnnv n invnt ni
01 destruction ill tho soofnino Monlof
Christmas morninrr f.horo onmn n fii
man who demanded admittance. At first he was refused,
but when he showed his nrisnn ninfVi no hnnnnfti 4-V.
coat, the gates opened hastily.
merry unristmas," he saluted the guard on the fence.
Merrv Christmas " flionriw onnr.AA . j
And when he murmured something under his breath, they
did not know that he said, "God, I'm glad I didn't plug
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