Miltiades Gets The Best Of Santa Claus

"Ot course,1' sald Miniados Peterkin Pau!, Ou theday before Chrlstmas, 'Tvo no doubt ata 1 It Is Manta Claus wlio, every Cliriatmas eve brlosi The presenta and cnndy, nnd uil tlic uico tlilngs Whlch I llud in mystoeklng; and.doubtless, 'lis (rue That he drives slx fleet rclndeers aud comes down t 11 ui' Hut I slunild like to see hlm! Perhaps, too, 1 mlght, iri satupanu kept asharp lookout to-night. ' "Bul that neverwould do," czplalued John Henry Jack ; "He wmild tura straight around, and wou ld liever come back. For, you see, the old gentleman's taken a whlm That not oneof youehildren shallcatch slght odilia. If hecame to the house and found oue single eye Kemalned open. he'd wliip up nul gallop st rul ut. by." " Novertheless," thought Mtltlades Peterkin Paul. "I think I shall see hira to-nlght after uil." 8o that night, aftor bed-tlme, wlieu in Ilie house all Was quite stlll, young Miltlades l'eterkln Paul 8oftly stepped from hls bedroom, and, stcalthlly c eeplng Past the d-or where hls ïather and loolher were sleeping, Stoledown to tliö sluing-room, whcro, you must kiinvv, He hud liung by the mantel, an hout 'ga, liulh hl newscarlet stockiugs. ¦Ho!' " hu '' rhuckled he, "Now wkMI .seo. Mr. Santa Claus, whnt we Hhail bet ! " Tlien.from whero he had hldden lt, under curpet, He drew out a steel trap (uot really so sharp Í ' . m i 1 1 1 i In oúIaiiu lm ¦- ii i i ii ', K uimh t . . 1 . 1 ouiu uo HeriouK narmj; ana witn &arg jroiu qulo slHickifiir, He sel It. Hiui placad il deep down In li Is slorklng, Sntlml Siulii Clans, when helnserted hlsilst, Would llml hlruself caught aud held last by tnt wrist. ¦There!' mild llttlu vntiades Peterkin Paul. "If that doeKu'ttlx h i in ril euiii- Umi's all t' Then llttle Mtliiades Pelerkin Paul, tiaviug made thesearrangeineni.s.cn'pt back Ui the hall, And up luto bed nguln. "Now, Ibcn : " be t liouhi. Til Jusi He Klill and walt till thcold fellciw'.i CHlIght, Then III hurry down lairs In and Insüuit hu I Iré' hlm. Uo ! bo! bol We'll ipdn know if a body inay see hlm. 11.' wi.l Itriü In my sock, when ho puts uls haii.l In II. A warm jirlp tlmt will nrt let hlm loose In a mi n ule! "But, beeareful, Millliides Peterkin Piuil," He presentiy added. '11 woo't do to fall Kasl aleep al your pjst." Yet lie hnrdly had Npnken When he wink tmek in Ëlumber. Ihensllenee uiibroken Relgn-d supremo for :m hour in Farmer Gray's dwellltiR At the end of Huil lline BUOll an uniarthly yelllnii And howllng hroke In on the stülncss ol nighl. That the whole hou.ieli!ld woke In n imnir of filgbt! "Oho!" oried Mtilladcs Polorkln Paul As ue started upright, 'the oíd fellow can bawl! Why, at thlsrate, he'II wake ihe whole houso from lts mtp ! I'll go down aud release liim atonoe from hls trap." öo he bouneed out of bed and ran down In a JlflTy; Then, arrlved at the thretsliold, ho stopped short as If he Were siruck by a thunderbolt ! W'ell, too, ho mlgot, For he certaluly ,shw an Eutontabing slght. It was nnt Santa Claus (as befor" thls #ou all ay havo guessed) that Milthidm Pelerklu Pau! Bfthelil- but hls grandfaiher danelng about, Aud calllng for some one lo come help hlm out "Oho ! " crl' d uur hero, beginning to see At leugtli i lio oíd Santa Claus real ly must be, "Was It you, after all, had a hand In It, pray?" "I stiould thluk that It toas!" answered Orandfalher Ur y.