a letter to one whose name I honored although I had not written
it in years.

"Next mornin' I plunged into a lawsuit an' was workin' night an'
day, until the jury came in with a verdict an' court adjourned for
the Christmas holidays.

"An' that day a decision was handed down in my appeal to the court
of last resort. It was a cablegram from an Italian city, an' a
verdict in my favor. I am to get in that case the best fee on
record--a wife and the love of a dear and beautiful woman. We went
to school together, and I am ashamed that I didn't ask her to marry
me years ago. So much for me had Lizzie an' the kids accomplished.

"I was to dine with the Warburtons Christmas Eve, and be Santa
Claus for the children. I bought a set o' whiskers an' put on my
big fur coat and two sets o' bells on the mare, an' drove to the
villa, with a full pack in the buggy an' a fuller heart in my
breast.

"Bill an' Mrs. Bill an' I went over to the farm-house together with
our arms full. The children were in a room up-stairs with Mrs.
Hammond waiting for Santa Claus. Below we helped the two maids,
who were trimming the Christmas tree--and a wonderful tree it was
when we were done with it--why, sir, you'd have thought a rainbow
was falling into a thicket on the edge of a lake. My friend, it
was the tree of all fruits.

"We filled the little stockings hanging on the mantel. Then they
helped me to put on my beard an' the greatcoat an' cap an' the pack
over all, an' Mrs. Bill an' I went out-of-doors. We stood still
an' listened for a moment. Two baby voices were calling out of an
upper window: 'Santa Claus, please come, Santa Claus!' Then we
heard the window close an' the chatter above stairs, but we stood
still. Mrs. Bill seemed to be laughing, but I observed that her
handkerchief had the centre of the stage in this little comedy.

"In half a minute I stole down the road an' picked up the bells
that lay beside it, an' came prancin' to the door with a great
jingle, an' in I went an' took my stand by the Christmas tree. We
could hear the hurry of small feet, an' eager, half-hushed voices
in the hall overhead. Then down the stairway came my slender
battalion in the last scene of the siege. Their eyes were wide
with wonder, their feet slow with fear. The little captain of
three years ran straight to Mrs. Bill an' lay hold of her gown, an'
partly hid himself in its folds, an' stood peekin' out at me. It
was a masterful bit of s