At half-past nine down-town was pretty well deserted, which made it easy
for the chauffeur of a certain red taxi-cab to make fairly good time
down Broadway; and when at nine-forty-five the panting mechanism drew up
before the grim walls of a brick tenement, numbered 469 Varick Street,
the man on the box was commendably proud of his record.
"That was goin' some, sir," he said, with a broad grin on his face. "I
don't believe it's ever been done quicker outside o' the fire
department."
"I don't believe it has, old man," said Hetherington as he alighted.
"Now if you'll help me up-stairs with these packages and that basket
there, we'll bring this affair to a grand-stand finish."
The two men toiled slowly up the stairs, Hetherington puffing somewhat
with the long climb; and when finally they had reached the top floor he
arrayed himself in the once despised garb of Santa Claus again. Then he
knocked at the door. The answer was immediate. A white-faced woman
opened the door.
"Jim!" she cried. "Is it you?"
"No, madam," replied Hetherington. "It's a friend of Jim's. Fact is,
Mrs. Mulligan, Jim has--"
"There's nothin' happened to Jim, has there?" she interrupted.
"Nothing at all, madam, nothing at all," said Hetherington. "The work
was a little too much for him to-day--that's all--and he keeled over.
He's safe, and comfortable in the--well, they took him to the hospital,
but don't you worry--he'll be all right in a day or two, and meanwhile
I'm going to look after you and the kiddies."
The chauffeur placed the basket inside the door.
"You'll find a small turkey, and some--er--some fixings in it, Mrs.
Mulligan," said Hetherington. "Whatever ought to go with a turkey should
be there, and--er--have the kiddies gone to bed?"
"Poor little souls, they have," said the woman.
"Well, just you tell 'em for me," said Hetherington, "that Santa Claus
received little Mary's letter, will you, please? And--er--and if they
don't mind a very late call like this, why I'd like to see them."
The woman looked anxiously into Hetherington's eyes for a moment, and
then she tottered and sat down.
"You're sure there's nothin' the matter with Jim, sir?" she asked.
"Absolutely, Mrs. Mulligan," Hetherington answered. "It's exactly as I
have told you. The cold and hunger were too much for him, but he's all
right, and I'll guarantee to have him back here inside of forty-eight
hours."
"I'll call the childer," said Mrs. Mulligan.
Two wide-eyed youngsters shortly stood in awed wonder before their
strange visitor, never doubting for a moment that he was Santa Claus
himself.
"How do you do, Miss Mulligan?" said Hetherington, with a courtly bow to
the little tot of a girl. "I received your letter this afternoon, and
was mighty glad to hear from you again, but I've been too busy all day
to write you in return, so I thought I'd call and tell you that it's all
right about those shoes, and the hat, and the new doll-baby, and the
things for Jimmie. Fact is, I've brought 'em with me. Reginald," he
added, turning to the chauffeur, who stood grinning in the doorway,
"just unfasten that bundle of shoes, will you, while I get Jimmie's new
mitts and the base-ball bat?"
"Yes, sir," said the chauffeur, suiting his action to the orders, and
with a right good will that was pleasant to see.
"Reginald is my assistant," said Santa Claus. "Couldn't get along
without Reginald these days--very busy days they are--so many new
kiddies in the world, you know. There, Jimmie--there's your bat. May you
score many a home-run with it. Here's a ball, too--good thing to have a
ball to practise with. Some day you'll be a Giant, perhaps, and help win
the pennant. Incidentally, James, old boy, there's a box of tin
soldiers in this package, a bag of marbles, a select assortment of tops,
and a fur coat; just try that cap on, and see if you can tell yourself
from a Brownie."
The children's eyes gleamed with joy, and Jimmie let out a cheer that
would have aroused the envy of a college man.
"You didn't mention it in your note, Mary, dear," continued Santa Claus,
turning to the little girl, "but I thought you might like to cook a few
meals for this brand-new doll-baby of yours, so I brought along a little
stove, with a few pots and pans and kettles and things, with a small
china tea-set thrown in. This ought to enable you to set her up in
housekeeping; and then when you go to school I have an idea you'll find
this little red-riding-hood cloak rather nice--only it's navy blue
instead of red, and it looks warm."
[Illustration: She stood with her eyes popping out of her head.
_Page_ 39.]
Hetherington placed the little cloak with its beautiful brass buttons
and its warm hood over the little girl's shoulders, while she stood with
her eyes popping out of her head, too delightedly entranced to be able
to say a word of thanks.
"Don't forget this, sir," said the chauffeur, handing Hetherington a
package tied up in blue ribbons.
"And finally," said Hetherington, after thanking Reginald for the
reminder, "here is a box of candy for everybody in the place. One for
Mary, one for Jimmie, one for mother, and one for popper when he comes
home."
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" cried the little girl, throwing
herself into Hetherington's arms. "I knowed you'd come--I did, I did, I
did!"
"You believed in old Santa Claus, did you, babe?" said Hetherington,
huskily, as the little girl's warm cheek pressed against his own.
"Yes, I did--always," said the little girl, "though Jimmie didn't."
"I did so!" retorted Jimmie, squatting on the floor and shooting a glass
agate at a bunch of miggles across the room. "I swatted Petey Halloran
on the eye on'y yesterday for sayin' they wasn't no such person."
"And you did well, my son," said Hetherington. "The man or boy that says
there isn't any Santa Claus is a--is a--well, never you mind, but he is
one just the same."
And bidding his little friends good night, Hetherington, with the
chauffeur close behind him, left them to the joys of the moment, with a
cheerier dawn than they had known for many weary days to follow.
V
"Good night, sir," said the chauffeur, as Hetherington paid him off and
added a good-sized tip into the bargain. "I didn't useter believe in
Santa Claus, sir, but I do now."
"So do I," said Hetherington, as he bade the other good night and
lightly mounted the steps to his house.