"Aw" again and
looked superior, but warningly so.

"Maybe Thanty's white an' don' go to see col'red people," said the
little girl.

"But I do know coloured people's houses he's been at," contended Sam.
"Aw, dem col'red folks dat's got the money, dem's de only ones dat Santy
Claus fin's, you bet."

Arabella at the window shuddered at the tone of the sceptic; it reminded
her so much of the world she knew, and it was hard to believe that her
friends who prided themselves on their unbelief could have anything in
common with a little coloured newsboy down on "D" Street.

"Tell you what," said Sam again, "let's try an' see if dey is a Santy.
We'll put a light in the winder, so if he's ol' he can see us anyhow,
an' we'll pray right hard fu' him to come."

"Aw," said Tom.

"Ith been good all thish month," chirped the little girl.

The other children joined with enthusiasm in Sam's plan, though Tom sat
upon the bed and looked scornfully on.

Arabella escaped from the window just as Sam brought the smoky lamp and
set it on the sill, but she still stood outside the palings of the fence
and looked in. She saw four little forms get down on their knees and she
crept up near again to hear.

Following Sam's lead they began, "Oh, Santy," but Tom's voice broke in,
"Don't you know the Lord don't 'low you to pray to nobody but Him?"

Sam paused, puzzled for a minute, then he led on: "Please 'scuse, good
Lord, we started wrong, but won't you please, sir, send Santy Clause
around. Amen." And they got up from their knees satisfied.

"Aw," said Tom as Arabella was turning wet-eyed away.

It was a good thing the reporter left as soon as she did, for in a few
minutes a big woman pushed in at the gate and entered the house.

"Mammy, mammy," shrieked the children.

"Lawsy, me," said Martha, laughing, "who evah did see sich children?
Bless dey hearts, an' dey done sot dey lamp in de winder, too, so's dey
po' ol' mammy kin see to git in."

As she spoke she was taking the lamp away to set it on the table where
she had placed her basket, but the cry of the children stopped her. "Oh,
no, mammy, don't take it, don't take it, dat's to light Santy Claus in."

She paused a minute bewildered and then the light broke over her face.
She smiled and then a rush of tears quenched the smile. She gathered the
children into her arms and said, "I's feared, honey, ol' man Santy ain'
gwine fu' you to-night."

"Wah'd I tell you?" sneered Tom.

"