bedpost was a poor, worn little stocking,
arranged with much care so that Santa Claus should have as little
trouble in filling it as possible. The edge of a hole in the knee had
been drawn together and tied with a string to prevent anything falling
out. The boys looked on in amazed silence. Even Savoy was dumb.

Little Willie, or, as he was affectionately dubbed by the boys, "the
Kid," was a waif who had drifted in among them some months before.
Except that his mother was in the hospital, nothing was known about
him, which was regular and according to the rule of the house. Not as
much was known about most of its patrons; few of them knew more
themselves, or cared to remember. Santa Claus had never been anything
to them but a fake to make the colored supplements sell. The
revelation of the Kid's simple faith struck them with a kind of awe.
They sneaked quietly downstairs.

"Fellers," said Tom, when they were all together again in the big
room,--by virtue of his length, which had given him the nickname of
"Stretch," he was the speaker on all important occasions,--"ye seen
it yerself. Santy Claus is a-comin' to this here joint to-night. I
wouldn't 'a' believed it. I ain't never had no dealin's wid de ole
guy. He kinder forgot I was around, I guess. But de Kid says he is
a-comin' to-night, an' what de Kid says goes."

Then he looked round expectantly. Two of the boys, "Gimpy" and Lem,
were conferring aside in an undertone. Presently Gimpy, who limped, as
his name indicated, spoke up.

"Lem says, says he--"

"Gimpy, you chump! you'll address de chairman," interrupted Tom, with
severe dignity, "or you'll get yer jaw broke, if yer leg _is_ short,
see!"

"Cut it out, Stretch," was Gimpy's irreverent answer. "This here ain't
no regular meetin', an' we ain't goin' to have none o' yer rot. Lem he
says, says he, let's break de bank an' fill de Kid's sock. He won't
know but it wuz ole Santy done it."

A yell of approval greeted the suggestion. The chairman, bound to
exercise the functions of office in season and out of season, while
they lasted, thumped the table.

"It is regular motioned an' carried," he announced, "that we break de
bank fer de Kid's Chris'mas. Come on, boys!"

The bank was run by the house, with the superintendent as paying
teller. He had to be consulted, particularly as it was past banking
hours; but the affair having been succinctly put before him by a
committee, of which Lem and Gimpy and Stretch w