Show I EKES EKE'S By 8 DANIEL F LINDSAY KALLY ALLY ONEIL O'NEIL walked walkiS slowly up the front steps tep Her Hr mother watched her from behind the cur eur- curtain tain Being five Ave years ear old end and having havinga a I problem had her near tears teara She reached up on tip toes taco toe and opened the door Kally Kelly honey hone Come Come In here a I minute Rally KaU pushed the hood of ot her ber mow snow suit back and Ind went Into the living Uvin room What w Wha Q you want want Mommie She shook her hu blonde curls curia tree free Ire Oh nothing much her mother smiled I Z 1 Just want to know why my m little girl looks so 0 sad Well Well she are slipped Upped her ber coat cost off Its It that girl down the street treet Yea Yes dear what about her Kelly Kally could stand longer lonier She bunt Into tears teara Ind running over overlaId overlaid laid ber her head heed on her mothers mother's lap she sobbed lobbed that That girl says there isn't any an Santa Claus Well now her mother leaned down and gentry gently bit the tip of 01 ber her ear ever believe a tale like that thaU You dont don't believe her Of Or 01 course courle not oat not she smiled down Into the worried blue eyes eel We know bow theres there's heres here's ere a Santa Claus Clau but abut the she said Daddy was him ph Oh Oh pooh Sit down there on the thedoOr thedoor floor door doOr and Ill I'll help you get let your snow pants pans off oft We could Ilk ask Daddy Kally Kafy sug Bested Yet Yes Ye we wt could she sh had hid an in Dett t can watt walt until tomorrow night and see ee for ourselves We We can she Ibe sat lit up liP In hi surprise Sure You go a to bed Jut just like Ilka always alwa then when he ha comet comes m rU wake you OU up LIw t 1 re Santa Banta was waa wa Just tat coming out oaL She got ot up from the floor all aU ex ex- excited cited died You mean we can peek That just jut what well we'll do George she turned to her ber bus hus hu band that evening after Kally had bad been put to bed our daughter has hll quit Quite a problem Women always alwa have problems problem he smiled over his hi newspaper What la II it this time lime She knows known about Santa Sant That too bad bd he pursed purled his hi lips Up but what can we do Get someone to put her toys to un on der the tree while she watches Sure he h laid the paper down down why couldn't I do It She heard that you are art Santa Sant Be He H She chuckled Isn't the only woman In the family thinks think that How about bout Bob Perkins Perkin she he Ignored his attempt at humor hem Hes Ue the right build Okay Oka he agreed Ill IU arrange arran it In the morning Kally KaU her mother shook her ber gently Santa Is downstairs Tie Ha is II she Ibe sat lat up rubbing her eyes HE 1ST IS ISI 11 I Okay Oka she are slipped out of bed and Into her ber slippers Uppers In the early mom mom- lag ing light lIht she looked like a tiny blond elf lL If Put on your our robe SHE got ot it and took her mothers mother's mother hand They crept down the stairs held her back while wl 1 she ahe made mad sure lure Santa wasn't smoking a adlar cigar He was wel placing gifts girt around the tree She motioned her to look Kally Kafy peeked around the comer corner with b eyes Then her bead head darted back Wheres daddy she asked In a I stage te whisper They footsteps on the stein stairs Daddy Dadd crept down Kally peeked peeked around the corner corner again Santa was I just coming out with an army bar racks bag over his shoulder Th The three of them ran and hid behind I the staircase As Am soon loon as II the front door slammed Kally Wit was up the steps like a shot Hey He Sweetheart Daddy Dadd called I after her he left the toys to in the living room He H stopped topped as es h he heard his hi wife's wile laughter the matter with her ber hi he b glared lared at ber her suspiciously Dont she ahe sh like the bike trUte rm Im afraid dear that you'll IU nev never er understand the UI feminine mind What do you OU mean mea wheres where's the she sh going To get et her coat cot Her coat why a going oIn down th the Street U tc tell teU the little girl that she's shea all an wet wel Because she has just seen Santa in la laher her ber front mom room 0 |