80 . Hans Brinker

scramble followed. The children fairly tumbled over each
other in their eagerness to fill their baskets. Mevrouw cau-
tiously held the baby down upon the sheet till the chubby little
fists were filled. Then the bravest of the youngsters sprang
up and threw open the closed doors. In vain they searched the
mysterious apartment. St. Nicholas was nowhere to be seen.
Soon they all sped to another room, where stood
a table, covered with the whitest of linen - damask.
Each child, in a flutter of pleasure, laid a shoe upon it,
and each shoe held a little hay for the good saint’s horse.
The door was then carefully locked, and its key hidden in the
mother’s bedroom. Next followed good-night kisses, a grand
family procession
to the upper floor,
merry farewells at
bedroom doors,
and silence, at last,
reigned in the Van
Gleck mansion.
Early the next
morning, the door
was solemnly un-
locked and opened
in the presence of

 

SHOES ON THE: TABLE ON ST. NICHOLAS EVE. the assembled
household ; when,

lo! a sight appeared, proving good St. Nicholas to be a saint
of his word.

Every shoe was filled to overflowing; and beside each
stood a many-colored pile. ‘The table was heavy with its
load of presents, — candies, toys, trinkets, books and other