Well, of course he wants a coaster and skates, but that's absurd. I
thought some sort of a gun--he's gun-mad, and perhaps a book of
fairy-tales."

With no further comment her husband gave her a five-dollar-bill, and
went on his way. She saw that he had other bills, and went impulsively
after him.

"Wallie! Could you let me have a little more? I do need it so!"

Still silent, he took the little roll from his pocket, and gave her
another five dollars. She saw still a third, and a one dollar bill.

But this was more than her wildest hopes. Joyfully, she went, shabby
and cold, through the happy streets. She walked four blocks to a new
market, and bought bread and butter and salt codfish and a candy cane.
She went into a department store, leaving Teddy to watch the coach on
the sidewalk, and got him the gun and the book. She gave her grocer
four, her butcher three dollars, with a "Merry Christmas!" Did both men
seem a little touched, a little pitying, or was it just the holiday
air? The streets were crowded, the leaden sky low and menacing; they
would have a white Christmas.

Teddy hung up his stocking at dark. The big things, he explained, would
have to go on the floor.

"What big things, my heart?" Martie was toasting bread, eying the
browned fish cakes with appetite.

"Well, the coaster or the skates!" he elucidated off-hand.

His mother's breast rose on a long sigh. She came to put one arm about
him, as she knelt beside him on the floor.

"Teddy, dear, didn't Mother tell you that old Santa Claus is poor this
year? He has so many, many little boys to go to! Wouldn't my boy rather
that they should all have something, than that some poor little fellows
should have nothing at all?" She stopped, sick at heart, for the
child's lip was trembling, and a hot tear fell on her hand.

"But--but I've been good, Mother!" he stammered with a desperate effort
at self-control.

Well, if he could not be brave, she must be. She began to tell him
about going to California, to Grandfather's house. Later she put the
orange, the apple, the gun, with a triangle puzzle given away at the
drug store, a paper cow from the dairy, and five cents' worth of
pressed figs, into the little dangling stocking, placed the book beside
it, and hung the candy cane over all. Mrs. Converse, the doctor's wife,
had sent a big flannel duck, obviously second-hand, but none the less
wonderful for that, for Margar; Teddy had not seen it, so it would be
on