chickens is stole. 'Tis hard to expind th' affections
on a bunch of chickens, but, if any one was t' steal my pig, t' jail
he would go, Santy Claus or no Santy Claus. Not but what ye have a
kind heart anyway, ma'am, not wantin' t' put th' poor fellow in jail
whin he has already lost nine hundred dollars, which, goodness knows,
ye might have t' hand back, was th' law t' take a hand in it."

"So!" said Mrs. Gratz. "Such is the law, yet? All right, I don't
belief in chicken thiefs, no matter how much he comes again. I stick
me to Santy Claus. Always will I belief in Santy Claus. Chicken
thiefs gives, and wants to take away again, but Santy Claus is always
giving and never taking."

"Ye 're fergettin' th' chickens that was took," suggested Mrs.
Flannery.

"Took?" said Mrs. Gratz.

"Tooken," Mrs. Flannery corrected.

"Tooked?" said Mrs. Gratz. "I beliefs me not in Santy Claus that way.
I beliefs he is a good old man. For givings I beliefs in Santy Claus,
but for takings I beliefs in toober-chlosis bugs."

"An' th' busted padlock, then?" asked Mrs. Flannery.

"Ach!" exclaimed Mrs. Gratz. "Them reindeers is so frisky, yet. They
have a right to kick up and bust it, mebby."

Mrs. Flannery sighed.

"'T is a grand thing t' have faith, ma'am," she said.

"Y-e-s," said Mrs. Gratz indolently, "that's nice. And it is nice to
have nine hundred dollars more in the bank, ain't it?"

THE END

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

_That Pup_

_The Great American Pie Company_

_Pigs is Pigs_

_Mike Flannery on Duty and Off_

_Kilo_

Little Comic Masterpieces

PIGS IS PIGS

By ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

The comic classic that made the Nation laugh. Nearly 200,000 copies
have been sold.

THE GREAT AMERICAN PIE COMPANY

By ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

"If read aloud in his presence it would convulse a wooden Indian."
_Des Moines Mail and Times_.

A GOOD SAMARITAN

By MARY RAYMOND SHIPMAN ANDREWS

This has been called the best story that ever appeared in _McClure's
Magazine_. A really humorous tale of an inebriated youth.

BREEZY

By J. GEORGE FREDERICK

A breezily humorous, great little business story. Breezy is distinctly
an American product, and his success is an inspiration.

THE PETS

By HENRY WALLACE PHILLIPS

Red Saunders's curious menagerie, and the tale of a "scrap" that will
make you weep for joy.

MIKE FLANNERY

By ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

Mike Flannery, the express agent of "Pigs is Pigs" fame, in some m