John Kendrick Bangs & Arthur E. Becher 
A Little Book of Christmas [EPUB ebook] 

Ten minutes later a passing taxi was hailed by a shivering gentleman carrying an iron pot full of pennies and nickels and an occasional quarter in one hand, and a turkey-red coat, trimmed with white cotton cloth, thrown over his arm. Strange to say, considering the inclemency of the night, he wore neither a hat nor an overcoat.’Where to, sir?’ queried the chauffeur.’The police-station, ‘ said Hetherington. ‘I don’t know where it is, but the one in this precinct is the one I want.”Ye’ll have to pay by the hour to-night, sir, ‘ said the chauffeur. ‘The station ain’t a half-mile away, sir, but Heaven knows how long it’ll take us to get there.”Charge what you please, ‘ retorted Hetherington. ‘I’ll buy your darned old machine if it’s necessary, only get a move on.’The chauffeur, with some misgivings as to the mental integrity of his fare, started on their perilous journey, and three-quarters of an hour later drew up in front of the police-station, where Hetherington, having been compelled in self-defense to resume the habiliments of Santa Claus under penalty of freezing, alighted.’Just wait, will you?’ he said, as he alighted from the cab.’I’ll go in with you, ‘ said the chauffeur, acting with due caution. He had begun to fear that there was a fair chance of his having trouble getting his fare out of a very evident lunatic.Utterly forgetful of his appearance in his festal array, Hetherington bustled into the station, and shortly found himself standing before the sergeant behind the desk.’Well, Santa Claus, ‘ said the official, with an amused glance at the intruder, ‘what can I do for you to-night? There ain’t many rooms with a bath left.’

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