The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-25
WILLIE'S SANTA CLAUS.

pered. that Sanity win surely come
here?"
Wilie's mother smoothed back curl
from the little face and esmiied. as she
said: "Of course, dear"
Well" he persisted. Tad says
| there isn't any Sanity Claus, that it's
only your mother and father who gives
you presents
Tad doesn't know, dear There is a
Santa Claus, and he viii surely, surely
come, so kiss mother good night. and
go to sleep. Good night
Willie leaned back upon his pillow
obediently, Good night - he said.
Nurse waited until Willie's mother
had reached her own room Then she
/ turned down the light and walked over
10 the little bed and kissed the boy.
TN wiring Tad Jenkins neck, SO /
will--the scut." she said.
Willie lay still long while thinking
L spark had been born in r mind. a
little spark OF doubt. and he was not
so sure about this Santa Claus bust
ness What if Tad was right? He
might be. Tad had said that only
babies believed in Santa Claus. Per-
haps they thought he was a baby and
that was why mother said Tad was
wrong. \ baby indeed! His little five-
year-old cheeks swelled up with indig-
nation at the thought. Could a baby
ride q pony? Could a baby smoke?
Yes, smoke. He had smoked once. 1t
was only a couple Of puffs from Jen-
kins' pipe; then Jenkins saw him and
and he was spanked. But he had
smoked nevertheless Could any baby
do that? He guessed not. Then why
did they think he was q baby? Did
they think they could fool him? Tad
was right, and he wouldn't believe in
Santa Claus. He made up his mind on
that point. He positively
But wait, There was nurse to con-
slider. She didn't believe him to be a
baby, and cause once she called him a
little man. and still she believed in
Santa Claus. She said she saw him
once and he had a long beard and was
rat and perhaps. after all, Tad was
wrong. He preferred TO think so. Be
sides nurse had said if You didn't be-
lieve IN Santa Claus he wouldn't stop
at your house and leave presents and
Of course. if Sanity didn't stop at his
house he wouldn't get all those things
he had written for. These and other
thoughts ran through the child's mind.
One minute, he believed and the next
minute he didn't. For be il known.
the Santa Claus question to a boy of
is indeed a puZzling one. and one
that has troubled many, many little
children long before Willie's time.
:
The big clock in. the hall had just
Chimed ?, when q window In the parlor
was softly opened and a man cautious
~ climbed into the room. Over his
eyes he wore something black. with
two holes cut in II to look through. He
stood still q long time listening. and
then as if satisfied that no one had
heard him hs drew from his pocket Il
tube shaped affair and pressed one
part of it with his fingers. Immediate
~ a circle Of light bathed a part of
the room and quickly travelled from
corner to corner-and then went out.
The man murmured something about
a rich haul drew a bag from under
his coat and laid it on the floor He
moved about quickly, guided now and
then by flashes from the little tube,
and started to iii the bag.
Up stairs a little boy With golden
curis crept into his mothers room and,
walking with a soft tread as the man
below, tiptoed to her bed. In the dark
ness he made q mistake and il was his
fathers arm he tugged at.
Mamma" he whispered. he's here,
He's here, and Tad Jenkins was
wrong
The man awakened suddenly and
grasOed the little hand.
"Who is il? Who is it," he said.
willie? What the-what's the mat
ter. child?"
Il Just wanted to tell mamma that
Tad was wrong. cause he said there
wasn't any Sanity Claus; and there is.
l just saw him. / sat up and waited
for him, and 1 saw him come in the
window just now, and
You saw who come in what win
dow?'' his father whispered: what do
you mean"
parlor window and he's down stairs
now. and I wanted to ten mamma
ash'a
The man got out OF bed and walked
softly TO a dresser. He took something
shiny from one OF the drawers.
Don't make any noise" he said in
whisper, and don't wake your mother.
I'm going down to see Santa Claus
myself"
Willie stood at the banisters and
watched his father descend the stairs.
4 minute later he saw q flood Of light
emerge from the parlor, and heard his
Gather say:
'ThorW I'D your hands. you dog"
This was indeed a strange way to
talk 20 santa Claus; santa Claus, who
brought all the presents and nice
things. Willie ran down the stairs as
fast as his legs would carry him, and
burst into the room Then he stopped
short. for something was undoubtedly
wrong. His papa was holding the
other man by the throat with one hand
and, pressing the shiny thing against
Santa Claus's head with the other. On
the floor was the black bag. almost as
big as Willie himself; and it was full.
Willie gaZed in astonishment Evil
IDENTIFY papa had made some great,
great mistake. Something seemed TO
catch in the child's throat.
"Oh, papa" he said. tearfully. Don't
hurt him. papa. It's only Sanity. See,
here's his bag! See, papa! It's Sanity
It's"
II won't hurt him. I'll blow-Tll
blow the scamp's head off in minute.
Tell your mother to come down. quick.
Willie scampered up stairs and into
his mothers room.
"AIamai" he cried. Wake up. wake
up Papa's down stairs with Sanity
Claus. Oh. quick, mamai Papa says
he's going TO blow Santys head Off,
She started. and caught the child TO
her breast excitedly.
What is it? What on earth" 4
voice from below interrupted her,
Kate Oh, Kate!"
rs that you Jack?" she cried.
Eyes. I'm coming, I'm coming!"
She picked the boy up in her arms
and hurried down the stairs, a thou
sand thoughts flashing through her
mind. Willie really never knew how
frightened his mother was that night.
Go 20 the telephone quick!" his
father said TO her, and ring~my God
don't faint" She was shaking from
head to foot, and was as white as
chalk.
Get out OF her arms, Willie; quick,
get ont of her arms"