Two National Forest Blazes. There is the possibility of a dangerous spring and summer fire season in the national forests in the West, as presaged by reports that two forest fires occurred in January. Moreover, the snowfall in much of the Rocky Mountain region and in the foothills has been much below normal. January fires are almost unheard of in the national forests, and the snow reports are regarded as especially significant, as they indicate that, unless the deficiency is made up, the forests will be dry earlier in the spring than usual, with a consequent increase of the fire menace. The fires occurred in the Pike forest, in Colorado, and the Black Hills forest, in South Dakota, the latter believed to have been of incendiary origin, according to the district forester at Denver. About seventy-five acres were burned over, all told. They were the only national forest fires reported for January. The district forester at Ogden, Utah, in charge of the national forests in Nevada, Utah, and southern Idaho, reported that the snow in this region also is far below normal. Two Beds for Eighteen. A dapper young man breezed into the Teneyck Hotel, at Albany, N. Y., and said to “Doc” Benedict, its assistant manager: “I want to engage two double rooms with bath.” “For how many persons?” asked Benedict. “Well,” explained the young man, “twelve men are to occupy one room, and six women the other. I want a double bed in each room.” “This hotel won’t rent one room for twelve men or even for six women,” said Benedict. “If I were to tell you,” pleaded the young man, “that I am the advance agent for a lilliputian show, and that none of the twelve men or six women weighs more than thirty-five pounds, would you rent the rooms?” “Oh, that’s different,” said Benedict, and he switched the register around for the advance agent to sign. Thief Returns Santa Claus Picture. “Golly,” the famous pickaninny Christmas painting by Angus Peter McDonall, has come back to the Santa Claus Association, in New York. No one knows who stole it last December, and no one knows who left it on the twelfth floor of 347 Fifth Avenue. Yet it was returned by a friend of “The Meanest Thief” who stole it. With the painting he left a letter explaining that conscience and inability to pawn the work of art had influenced him to bring it back. A man with three days’ stubble on his face and poorly dressed placed a letter and package in the hands of one of the officials at the headquarters of the association. He disappeared down the elevator before any one could learn his identity. The letter read: “Here is the oil painting I stole from you last December. I was hungry and had no place to sleep when I took it. I did not know what it was or what it was for when I stole it. If I had known that it was used to cheer up the kiddies for Christmas I would never have stolen it.