don't want to hear nor yet see
it no more. And you folk suit me and I suit you, so I'll put you first,
and if all goes well in the time to come, I dare say your lad, if not
yourselves, will be the gainers."

They was very pleased, of course, and Minnie showed it by fussing over the
man a bit and looking after his linen now and then and doing such chores
for him as he'd let her do; but he was very independent and, finding he
weren't over anxious for her and her husband to be in his house, though
always very willing to come to hers, she gave over her attempts to
befriend him in that direction. Little Joey, however, was always welcome
and he'd often drop in on the old sailor and never in vain. Teddy was fond
of sporting dogs and he'd got a lurcher bitch from somewhere, and when she
bore a litter, six weeks before Christmas, he had the thought to give Joey
the best of the bunch. When they was a fortnight old, he drowned all but
one, and on Christmas Eve, after the child was to bed and asleep, he took
the little dog over and stopped and had a drink and explained his purpose.

'Twas strange to 'em to hear the hard-faced, grim-looking chap talk so
tender of their only one; but they liked it well enough and fell in with
his wish. He'd promised to eat his Christmas dinner along with them and
Joey; but the pup was to come as a rare surprise next morning, and though
Minnie Ford didn't much hold with a young dog about her spick and span
home, she couldn't withstand the little silky creature, nor yet Teddy's
wish to pleasure the child.

"You do this, Minnie," he said, for he called the family by their
Christian names by now. "You keep the dog till dawn and then you put him
in the stocking, what's hanging at the foot of Joey's bed, along with your
own gifts afore you call him. Then first thing he sees when he rises up to
grab his toys will be the little dog atop of all the rest."

Which Minnie promised to do and did do, and Joey toddled over the minute
after he'd swallowed his breakfast to tell Mr. Pegram how 'Santa Claus'
had sent him the wonderfullest little dinky dog ever was seen.

"I'm the Santa Claus that sent it, my lovely cherub," said Teddy, kissing
his beautiful face; and 'Santa Claus' he was to Joey from that day
forward. It pleased the man well to be so called, and he got the nickname
in Joseph Ford's house and became 'Santa Claus' to all of 'em.

"There's much in a name," said Teddy, "and more in that one than you m