The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-18
SARAH AND SANTA CLAUS
sv~ THEooos,A GARRISON.

SCibsc VI HufL ana DeWllOCr-
ment and absolute helplessness-but
Tor all that h sat very still upon her
own front steps, a red mittened hand
upon each knee, her little circle Of a
face staring from its enclosure OF red
worsted hood full upon the bearer of
awful tidings.
III v occurred to her to doubt
him. In the first place, the word of an
elder was infallible, and Emerson was
AZ at least-a good. six years older than
seH-Aga he wore spectacles-thc
nan mark OF wtsdom-and, moreover,
ne went to school-an awesome hin
TO contemplate.
The news that he was going back to
n very school to spend Christmas,
owing to the fact that his erudite par
Christmas eve, had led to Sarah's in
nocent question regarding the habits of
Santa Claus in respect to boarding
echools, and then the blow had fallen.
emerson had laughed long and loud.
Santa Claus? Why, haven they told
you yet there isn't any? How old are
you. anyhow? / thought that every
Kid was on to that"
isn't any?" Sarah gasped.
YOU mean that he is-dead?"
Her Mortified face appealed to EN-
erson's of humor as a struggling
kitten might. ooh, I guess he's dead
Al right" he said carelessly. Il would
Mt sit up to see him tomorrow night IL
! were you. Well, SO long, kid"
Sarah detained him with a trembling
appeal. Are you sure?"
Sure as you're sitting there,' he
said. and went on his a
His fathers house was only the door
beyond her own. When he reached 1t
steps. made 1t into n ball and tossed 1t
over to Sarah, not. be 1t said. from any
malicious spirit. but simply because she
was the only mark hat offered itself.
# fell squarely upon one of he red
Mtttens. but she gave 1t no attention
whatever. Her little brain was wres-
Ting with plOblems-wfth tragedy.
stunned as h was by the tremendous
TACT, her mind had no inclination to
reach out for details. Santa Claus was
Emerson, the scholar. the indubitable.
e said #. And for weeks. for months.
che had thought, talked and dreamed,
even prayed. Santa Claus. Her bed
time stories had been Of no one else
his workship. his elves. his reindeer, his
that eliminated at last at her very own
chimney. It Was only last night that
her mother had told her that Santa
Claus was, no doubt. staying awake
wondering whether Sarah would prefer
pink or blue bonnet on the new doll
might bring.
an They had discussed 1t a long time, |
0Arah and her mother, and her father,
too; that morning, at breakfast, he had
played a realistic game on h table
cloth. depicting Santa Claus approach
over snowy hillocks OF napkins with an
accompanying Jingle Of spoons until he |
safely at Sarah's own oatmeal
fish. which Tor the time being stood
TOR her stocking.
The truth burst upon her In a Hash.
eparalyxing truth. They didn't know!
Her parents sup to this very day had no
t0ea7cf the tragedy thn< hs4 be1allen
the world. They were SO happy. so
nappy: and Il remained for her to open
TO be no Christmas, that the day which
the crown and glory of the year
w to be like any other one Her
fAther would go to his Office and her
mother would take up her sewing. and
me. Sarah, instead Of h ecstatic wax
the soul bewildering Joy of new
blue eyed doll babies. picture books and
candles, there would be-'Oh!" Sarah
gave q little sob deep In her throat. He
~ never coming again. the dear, dear
6ne Christmas since she was born,
n how she had loved him! Oh, much
better now II realized than the gem
to whom she said her PRAYERS
every evening and whom she
confused in her mind with the Sunday
school superintendent. and who had al
black beerd and a highly superior dig
Mlty.
She realized presently that she was
very cold. The hands in the little redl
were almost numb. She had
thinking for hours and hours she
thought. n 1t seemed a strange thing
when b lifted her eyer not to md Il
quite dark, with the street lamps gilt
tering. Instead, here was the afternoon
light still; the children with whom she
festively half way down the block. as
they We're when Emerson had stopped
to speak with her. So they didn't know
either. How could h for a moment
pretend to be one Of them. and she
couldn't tell them-she couldn't.
Her soul shrank from the sight OF
suffering. She vas a sensitive little be-
given more to picture books and
fancies than most bus sports, and
her thoughts sometimes We're more
ponderous n her vocabulary could
express. Just now her soul ached for
comfort. for cuddling arms and "a. soft
breast wherein to sob out her woes.
but her mother was not at home. She
. helped Sarah don her hood and leg
sings and gone blithely on her way
shopping these days. and II she were
In her own room before the cosy ARE
what comfort could one who comes
with evil tidings hope to gain?
Hannah was In the kitchen, but Han
nah, too. for many day had held forth
on the prevailing subject in a way that
had almost convinced Sarah that she
had once been on intimate terms with
Santa Claus. perhaps even an inmate Of
his household. as she was now Of
EarahNs own. No. She couldn't listen
TO Hanna just now. knowing what she
knew.
Presently she dragged her sled
through the dooryard and stabbed st
costly In h back veranda. There was
. little grip at her throat az she re-
that only the Christmas be-
fore he had brought it to her. And he
was never. never coming again! She
said 1t over to herself as she climbed
the stairs to her W little room that
opened into her mothers. 1t was
warmer in her mothers room. but she
didn't want to be comfortable. she
wanted to Sit n think. just to think.
She sat for q long time In the little
chair by her own minute desk. At that
desk h had laboriously printed q
letter with her own hand the week be-
fore. n her mother "a addressed it
TO Santa Claus. Esq. North Pole, and
efterward. Just before bedtime. she and
her mother had laid 1t solemnly on the