The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26
he pushed his face out between the

I cut tree down and I'll come out and
hear all about it."
us your name Santa CLAUSE"
did you hear that, Liph? The lit
tie chaps miles from home and 1 don't
believe he knows it,"
us that your sleigh?'
Eyes, Bijah, that's my Sleigh"
"Those amt reindeers, and you're
bigger n you used to be-"
Hear that, Liph?"
Bijah had not the least doubt in the
world but that lie had discovered Santa
Claus in the very act of getting ready
for Christmas, and his black eyes were
growing bigger every minute, until
Liph began to climb over the fence.
Then he set off on run as fast as his
legs could carry him.
Hold on" shouted Liph. 1--WE won't
hurt YOU"
Let him co." SAID Grandfather vroo-
man. Hes on the way to our house
Well pick him up"
Took me for Santa Claus, declare.
Liph, this here tree'll just suit Your
grandmother"
1t was SPLENDID young spruce tree,
with wide-spreading boughs at less than
two feet from the snow level. Grand
father Vrooman worked his way care
fully in until he could reach the trunk
with saw and axe, and then there was
u sharp bit of work for him and Liph
to get that christmas tree slowed
safely on top Of the sleigh load.
"Now for home. Lipll. Your grand
mother IL cut into one Of them new
pies for you when you get there"
Look" shouted Liph, chat little
fellows waiting for us at the top of the
hill"
The hill was not high one, and the
road led right over it, and there on the
summit stood Bijah.
"Tm so tired and hungry he said to
himself, "and there comes old Santa
Claus, sleigh and all.
He was getting colder, too, ne he
was standing still, and WREN Grand
father Vrooman came along the roal,
walking in front Of the sleigh, while
Liph perched among tho evergreens
and drove, there seemed to he some
thing warm about him.
1t was not SO much his high fur hat
or his tremendous overcoat, or his long
white beard, or the way he smiled, but
something in the sound of his voice
almost drove the frost out of Biah's
nose.
We'll, my little man. don't you want
to come to my house and get some pie?"
Eyes, sir"
Bijah could not think of one other
word he wanted to say, and he mus
tered all the courage he had not to cry
when Grandfather Vrooman picked
him up. as if he had been kitten, and
perched him by the side of Liph among
the evergreens.
On lie went, and Bijah did not an
swer a single one of Lipl's questions
for five long minutes. Then he turned
his black eyes full on his driver and
asked. 'Do you live with Santa Claus
in his own house?'
yes, Stree" responded Liph with
u great chuckle of fun; but all he had
to do the rest of the way home was to
spin yarns for Bijah about the way
they lived at the house where all the
Christmas cane from.
When they got there, Liph's father
and the hired man and Grandfather
Vrooman were ready to lift off that
Christmas tree, and carry it through
the front door and hall. and set it up in
the clark room" at the end Of the hall.
That ought to have been the incest
room in the house, for it was right in
the middle, but there were no windows
in it. There were doors in every dircc-
| ton, however, and in the corner of the
ceiling was "scuttle hole" more than
two feet square, with wooden I'D
on it.
John" said Grandfather Nroonan
to Mr.. Hardy, well hoist the top of
the tree through the hole. You go up
...id open tile scuttle. Hitch the top
good and strong. There'l be lots of
things to hang OH them branches.
Liph's father hurried up stairs to
open the scnttle, and that gave Grand
father Vrooman q clfssNe to think Of
Bijah. "Where is lie Lipl?'
@Oh, he's all right. Grandmothcr's
got him. She and mother caught him
before he got into the hon. &C. He tried
to run away, too.
Bijah's short legs had been too tired
to carry him very fast, and Grand
mother Vrooman and Mrs. Hardy had
caught him before he got back to the
gate.
The way they laughed about it gave
him great deal of courage, and he
Daever cried when they took him by his
red little hands, one on each side, and
walked him into the house.
"Jane, said grandmother, "wI,at will
we do with him? Tho house III lie
choke jam, packed full, and there isn't
an extra bed"
Father found him in the snow some
where. just like him. But what
rosy little dot he is?"
care you Santa Claus wives ?" asked
Bijsh, with CULVER of his lip in spite
of himself.
! How they did chuckle while they
a