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Show DaJJysEvening Fairy TaKjJt Bonner S$ M HEARING SLEIGH-BELLS j It was Christmas Eve and the children chil-dren and the grownups and the big black cat and the little white dog had all gone to bed. i It was a beautiful Christmas Eve with snow on- the ground and the air crisp and cold, cjulet and without any wind. . Tinniiy had gone to bed at a slight- t ly later hour than had his younger sister Kitty. But Timmy was asleep now. And yet he was not so sure that he was quite sound asleep. He knew he was too sleepy to get up, though he had really meant to lie awake and hear all that was going on. He had wanted to hear Santa's arrival ' and the sleigh-bells and -the reindeer. Of course he Irad promised he would not, even if he were awake, go down and see Santa. He knew Santa did not have the time to stop, and talk and that he liked to be quite alone when he was fixing the Christmas presents and getting get-ting ready everything that he had for everyone. But he had made up his mind he would have a beautiful time listening to the sounds of the sleigh-bells and of the reindeer and of Santa. For he knew he could hear the slight sounds Santa made as he moved around in the living room fixing the presents. Yes, he had planned to have a glorious glori-ous time listening. And so had his younger sister Kitty. ' They had both spoken about it. "I'm going to listen for Santa Christinas Eve," Timmy had said so many times. "I'm going to listen for lain, too," Kitty had said Just as often. And then when Christmas Eve came In the Morning. Timmy was even more decided than ever. He would certainly lie awake until after Santa had gone. And so was Kilty more decided than ever. She would certainly lie awake until after Santa had gone. But now that he had gone to bed he really could not even tell whether he was awake or not. That seemed a bit absurd, but It was quite true. He felt so sleepy and yet he seemed to hear sounds. Did he really hear sounds or not? Oh, yes. he was quite sure of it now He was very, very sleepy. He could hear, though. He wa.-simply wa.-simply too sleepy to think very mud: about anything, but he could hear the distant sound of sleigh-bells. Now they came nearer, and nearer Now he heard them quite distinctly hut they were soft and musical and sweet, and though they were clear they were not very loud. Well, of course Salvia would not want too loud ones. He wanted th world to sleep while he worked and to have i awaken to the Joy and fur, of !he work he had done. And then Timmy heard sounds as though from the ''irjr.ey down in tlit I living room. ! Yes. he distinctly did hear sounds. j ()h. it was so nice to he so deliriously j ! sleepy and yet to he awake just a ; j little. j (lore he heard a slightly louder ' noise as though the park were beint ' put down on the floor. He hoped ' there would be lots of presents. ; Then he heard the sleigh-hells onrt ; j niore. II nw beautifully they dii: ! sound. They could he heard, faintly 1 (iiile a dist a nee away. i I He heard them disappearing, thet ' they disappeared. It was quiet, llf didn't know what moment it whs thai he fell so soundly asleep, fur he di! full soundly asleep. It was actually a start when his sister Jumped inn: his room in rhe morning and on to hi bed. -Oh. Timmy. I heard Santa's sle.gli hells laM night." "And I did. t" '" Timmy said. |