Show r r By DANIEL F. F LINDSAY ALLY ALLY ONEIL O'NEIL walked slowly up the front steps Her mother watched her from behind the cur cur- tain Being five years old and having havinga a problem had her hear near tears She reached up on tip toes and opened the door Kally honey Come in here a minute Kally pushed the hood of her snow suit back and went into the living room What do you want Mommie She shook her blonde curls free Oh nothing much her mother smiled I just want to know why my little girl looks so sad Well Vell Mommie she slipped her coat off its that girl down the street Yes dear what about her Kally could stand it no longer She burst into tears and running over overlaid overlaid overlaid laid her head on her mothers mother's lap That girl says she sobbed that there isn't any Santa Claus Glaus Well V ell now her mother leaned down and gently bit the tip of her ear ever believe a tale like that You dont don't believe her Of course not she smiled down into the worried blue eyes We know theres there's a Santa Claus Glaus but B she said Daddy was him Oh pooh Sit down there on the floor and Ill I'll help you get your snow pants off We Ve could ask Daddy Kally sug sug- Yes we could she had an in in- Better still we can wait until tomorrow night and see for ourselves We Ve can she sat up in surprise Sure You go to bed just like always then when he comes Ill I'll wake you up t L R 7 i 1 II I c f Santa was just coming out She got up from the floor all ex ex- cited You mean we can peek peck just what well we'll do George she turned to her husband husband husband hus hus- band that evening after Kally had been put to bed our daughter has quite a n problem Women always have problems he smiled over his newspaper What is it this time She uShe knows about Santa too bad he pursed his lips but what can we do Get someone to put her toys under under under un un- der the tree while she watches Sure he laid the paper down why couldn't I do it She heard that you are Santa He chuckled She isn't the only woman in the family who thinks tha that t. t How about Bob Perkins she ignored his attempt at humor Hes the right build Okay he agreed Ill arrange arrango it in the be morning Kally her mother shook her gently Santa is downstairs He is she sat up rubbing her eyes HE IS I Okay she slipped out of bed and into her slippers In the early morning morning morning morn morn- ing light she looked like a tiny blond elf Put on your robe S SHE CHE HE got it and took her mothers mother's s hand They crept down the stairs Mommie held her back while she made sure Santa wasn't smoking a cigar He vas was placing gifts around the tree She motioned her to look Kally peeked pecked around the corner with big eyes Then her head darted back Where V nere s she sut asked asKea in Ul a stage whisper They heard footsteps on the stairs Daddy crept down Kally peeked around the corner again Santa was just coming out with an army barracks barracks barracks bar bar- racks bag over his shoulder The three of them ran and hid behind the staircase As soon as the front door slammed Kally was up th the steps like a shot Hey Sweetheart Daddy called after her he left the toys in the living room He stopped as he heard his wife's laughter the matter with her he glared at her suspiciously she like the little tike Im afraid d dear ur that you'll never never never nev nev- er understand the feminine mind What do you mean wheres where's she going To 10 get her coat Her coat why going down the street to tell the little girl that she's all wet Because she has just dust seen Santa in I her front room II |