ur after hour passed and he did not come; then she grew alarmed. At
two o'clock in the morning she could stand it no longer and she went
over and awakened Blinky Scott, much to that young gentleman's
disgust, who couldn't see why any woman need make such a fuss about a
kid. He told her laconically that "Chimmie was pinched fur t'rowin' de
bones."

She heard with a sinking heart and went home to her own room to walk
the floor all night and sob.

In the morning, with all her Christmas savings tied up in a
handkerchief, she hurried down to Jefferson Market court room. There
was a full blotter that morning, and the Judge was rushing through
with it. He wanted to get home to his Christmas dinner. But he paused
long enough when he got to Jimmy's case to deliver a brief but stern
lecture upon the evil of child-gambling in New York. He said that as
it was Christmas Day he would like to release the prisoner with a
reprimand, but he thought that this had been done too often and that
it was high time to make an example of one of the offenders.

Well, it was fine or imprisonment. 'Liza Ann struggled up through the
crowd of spectators and her Christmas treasure added to what Jimmy
had, paid his fine and they went out of the court room together.

When they were in their room again she put the boy to bed, for there
was no fire and no coal to make one. Then she wrapped herself in a
shabby shawl and sat huddled up over the empty stove.

Down in the alley she heard the voice of the day before singing:

"Oh, darkies, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home."

And she burst into tears.

A MESS OF POTTAGE

It was because the Democratic candidate for Governor was such an
energetic man that he had been able to stir Little Africa, which was a
Republican stronghold, from centre to circumference. He was a man who
believed in carrying the war into the enemy's country. Instead of
giving them a chance to attack him, he went directly into their camp,
leaving discontent and disaffection among their allies. He believed in
his principles. He had faith in his policy for the government of the
State, and, more than all, he had a convincing way of making others
see as he saw.

No other Democrat had ever thought it necessary to assail the
stronghold of Little Africa. He had merely put it into his forecast as
"solidly against," sent a little money to be distributed desultorily
in the district, and then left it