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Looking for Santa Claus. One.
On Christmas Eve, towards nightfall, Johnny

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Graham and his sister Minnie were curled
upon the floor near the kitchen stove,

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looking over the pictures in an old
magazine. Little Minnie was explaining the pictures

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to her brother. The Kansas wind
was howling about the house and driving the

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snow high against the window panes.
Without all was darkness, save for the

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few lights to the west, where
lay the village of Saint Mars. At

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a table beside the children, Missus
Gramm was washing the dishes. Halloa,

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cried Johnnie, jumping to his feet. I hear some one a coming,

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and he rushed eagerly to the door. The sound of feet shuffling through the

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snow was followed by an impatient knock. Johnny threw open the door and found

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himself facing a man with a telegram
in his hand. It's for your father

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and immediate, and with these words, the messenger disappeared into the darkness.

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I hope it is not bad news, said Missus Graham. May I run

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to the stable and bring it to
Papa, cries Johnny, Yes, dear,

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and may I go to Mamma,
asked Minnie forthwith of the mother's nod,

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but too good, tripping through the
snow, and soon reached the stable,

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a stout structure distant a stone throws
from the house. There are four

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horses in it, one of them
which Winnie, is the finest horse in

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the West. Mister Graham is a
lover of horses, Papa. Here's a

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telegram, cries Johnny, and it's
marked immediate, adds Minnie. Mister Graham,

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who had been fondly stroking his favorite
racer, hurried from the stall into

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here, open the enclosure. His
face changed as he read these words.

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Topeka, Kansas. Your sister is
dying and calls for you not an hour,

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despair, John Talbot, Is it
something bad? Papa asked Minnie,

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catching her father's right hand, while
Johnny, saying nothing but looking no less

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sympathetic, takes the other. Yes, your auntie is very sick, and

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I've just about three quarters of an
hour to get ready and take the train.

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Come, little ones, we must
tell mother at once. Surely it

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never rains, but it pours,
exclaimed missus Graham on hearing the news.

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Yesterday, poor John was called away
to the side of his dying mother in

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Kansas City. John was their man
of all work, a steady, faithful

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young fellow who, after his love
for each and every one of the Grahams,

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was devoted heart and soul to the
horses. I don't like to leave

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you alone on any night, my
dear, said mister Graham, but especially

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on Christmas night. But you must
go to Annie's side. And besides,

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I'm not afraid. Everything is secure. We've lived here now for over two

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years and nothing has gone wrong.
And Papa, if you go, do

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you think Santa Claus will come?
Asked Johnny anxiously. Why. Of course,

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I sent him word that I put
the Christmas tree in the hay loft

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so that he won't make the mistake
of coming to our house. Tomorrow,

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when you and Minnie wake up,
you may run it over to the stable

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and you'll find out that Santa Claus
can get through the stoutest door in Kansas,

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even though it has the strongest kind
of a lock. And Papa said,

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Minnie, what time to Santa Claus
come? Oh? About twelve o'clock.

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Half an hour later, mister Graham
was kissing them all. Farewell.

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Papa, May I keep the key
of the stable, asked Johnny, here

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it is. Don't lose it,
my little man, and may we go

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over and see which Winnie? Just
one more time? To night? Papa

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chimed in Minnie, of course,
Well goodbye, dear and God bless you

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two. Johnny had been sleeping for
some hours in his little cot when Minnie

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tiptoed into the room. Johnny,
she whispered at his ear. The child

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turned uneasily. Johnny, she whispered
again. What's the matter? Is it

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Christmas? Oh Johnny, she continued, as the boy sat up in bed.

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It's just eleven o'clock. I want
to go to sleep. Go away,

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said the brother, lying down again. But wouldn't you like to see

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Santa Claus? What? Cried the
lad, leaping out of his bed.

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You know, Papa said he would
come about midnight. I haven't been able

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to sleep for thinking of it.
Let us go over to the stable and

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keep perfectly quiet, and maybe we
shall see him. We doesn't go,

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said Johnny, Yes we may go, answered Minnie. Don't you remember that

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I asked Papa to go over and
see which Minnie tonight? That's so.

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A few minutes later, two little
forms glided over the snow unlocked the door

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and slipped into the stable. Shall
we leave the door up and for Santa

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Claus, asked Johnny. I think
not, Minnie answered, it might hurt

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his feelings. Johnny locked the door. Oh it's dark in here, I'm

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afraid, sh cried Minnie. I
have matches, dear, and we can

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light the candles if we wish.
But then Santa Claus might see that you

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and I were watching for him,
and then maybe he would be displeased.

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Come let us get in, which
Whinnie stall and climb into the manger.

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She'll be company for us, which
Whinnie gave a little neigh of joy when

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she felt the hands of her two
dearest little friends cressing her. Then there

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was an unbroken silence. One minute
passed, though Johnny thought it an hour,

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when a stealthy step was her without
He's coming, cried Minnie, breathing

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quickly. The steps ceased at the
door. Then there came a low whistle

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at the sound, which Winnie gave
another neigh of joy. Why even our

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horses, guy, the Santa Claus
is coming, whispered Johnny. Sh Hissmacy.

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For a minute or two, there
was a fumbling at the lock.

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I think I'll go and help Sannie, whispered Johnny. Maybe he's not used

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to that kind of a lock.
He was about to leap from the manger

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to carry out his purpose. When
the lock turned, the door opened,

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and in the light afforded by a
lantern in his hand, they saw a

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man standing in the doorway. He
was wrapped in a heavy coat, encrusted

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by snow, and so far resembled
the pictures of Santa Claus. He wore

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a beard, too, but it
was black. There was no pack upon

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his shoulders, no smile on his
face, and one hand was a lantern

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and the other a pistol. He
was frowning, too, and did not

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look at all jolly. Johnny's heart
sank. In fact, he began to

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doubt whether it was Santa Claus.
The man stood still for one moment and

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then whistled as before, which Whinnie
answered by a low, joyful neigh.

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Ah, there she is, mothered
the man under his breath. Johnny could

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stand it no longer. Hello,
Ah, Santy class, he cried in

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nervous tones. The man gave a
start, and then raising his pistolit full

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cock, threw the glare of the
lantern full upon which Whinnie and the two

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little ones. It was a pretty
picture. The mayor, standing with her

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superb head turned eagerly toward the newcomer, Minnie clasping her on one side and

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Johnny on the other. Both of
them look fearlessly at the man with a

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cock pistol. Aren't you Santa Claus, cried Minnie. The stranger lowered his

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pistol in advance. Yes, my
little ones, he said, I am

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Santa Claus. I knew it,
cried Johnny, even which Winnie knows it.

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See how glad she is to see
you. Why she looks at you

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just as same as she looks at
Papa. Oh, I'm awful glad to

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see you, Santie. But where
is your pack? It's outside? Do

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you little ones expect any presents?
Of course we do, answered Minnie.

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This little boy's Johnny, and I
am Minnie. Papa told us you were

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coming tonight, so he's still over
to see you. Come in, well,

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little ones, said Santa Claus in
the ryther stern voice. It's against

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my rolls to allow anyone to see
me at work. Now, if you

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want to get a lot of the
very nicest presents, you must make me

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a promise. All right, any
Claus, cried Johnny. You must go

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right back to the house and go
to sleep, and not say another word

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till sunrise tomorrow. Nor do you
promise cross my heart, cried the boy.

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And so shall I promise? Cared
at Minnie. But first, dear

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Santa Claus, I want you to
do me a favor. Papa told us

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that you came in place of the
Infant Jesus. Is that so, yes,

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said Santa Claus, coughing uneasily and
putting away his pistol as though he

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were ashamed of it. Well,
we know how much you must love the

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little infant, and I thought that
you would like to take a look at

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the crib which Papa fixed up for
us. There are twenty candles, and

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the little infant is just lovely.
Come on, Santa Claus, here's my

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hand. Santa Claus shivered as a
child put her confiding hand in his.

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He was in a great hurry,
but a little child led him, led

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him to the other side of the
stable into a vacant stall. Striking a

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match, Minnie lated a number colored
candles, revealing a beautiful wax figure of

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the child Jesus lying with folded arms
upon a small square platform, hardly more

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than an inch in thickness. Auntie
Chain was over in Paris, explained Minnie,

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and she brought this for us.
Isn't it sweet? It is?

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Said the man, upon whose brow
a faint moisture had broken out. Now,

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Santa Claus, I know you want
to kneel down and pray, Johnny,

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and I always do. Santa Claus
knelt. He bowed his head and

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did not see what Minnie was doing. Suddenly he gave a start, and

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looking up, saw Minnie sinking to
her knees, while from the little platform

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which supported the figure came a sweet, tinkling Christmas melody. It was the

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atoms Noel, and he shivered again, and the moisture upon his forehead gathered

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into beads as he listened to the
sweetly sad strings, look, whispered Minnie.

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Suddenly the wax and infant opened its
sweet blue eyes. All the tiny,

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sweet waxen arms uncrossed themselves and were
extended, as though they wouldn't fold

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the whole world in their warm,
loving embrace. Isn't it beautiful? Whispered

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Johnny in a tone that was a
prayer. Then the arm slowly folded again,

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and the sweet blue eyes were again
curtained by the lovely lids. Jesus

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was asleep. After moments paused.
The tinkle of the a dusty for dailies

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made the silence. Lovely. Let
us sing for Santa Claus, whispered Johnny.

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At the word. Both broke into
the glad notes of the Christmas hymn

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and sang with the sweetness of fresh
and touching voices, with a grand manner

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of a living faith. Before they
had ended, Santa Claus threw his pistol

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before the shine as an offering.
He was done with it. Would you

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like to kiss? The infant,
asked Minnie, I dare not, He

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answered hoarsely. There was a faint
sound in the distance, as of a

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horse galloping at full speed. God
bless you, you darlings, God bless

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you, and forgive me. With
the last words, he was rushing through

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the door, where he disappeared as
though he had not been while nearer,

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louder, clearer came the tramping of
the horse. The children hurried through the

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door and looked in vain for a
sight of Santa Claus. Even as they

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were standing their eyes into the darkness
there dashed up a horseman upon a flaming

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charger. Why it's Papa, cried
Minnie. Merry Christmas, Papa, and

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we've seen Santa Claus. Ain't he
ran away when he heard you coming?

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Is which Whinnie? All right?
Cried mister Graham, jumping from his horse.

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Sure, answered Johnny, and supplemented
by Minnie, he proceeded to tell

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their night's adventures. Mister Graham listened
with his features under a forced restraint.

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It's too bad, Papa, that
you frightened Santi away. He didn't bring

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our Christmas presents yet, said Minnie, when Johnny had concluded his account.

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Yes, he did come up,
my little ones and sea and they went

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up and saw it was the finest
Christmas tree in Kansas, and every gift

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that Minnie and Johnnie could desire was
there. Now, my little darlings,

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let us go down to the crib
and thank the little infant. And they

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went down and, kneeling thanked the
little infant, Minnie and Johnnie for their

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beautiful Christmas gifts and their father for
the safety of which Winnie from the clutches

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of her former groom, who had
forged two telegrams who had entered the stair

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boy as a horse thief, had
remained in Santa Claus and left it touched

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and softened and repented through the sweet
visions of innocence and love which the infant

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Jesus had there vouchsafed him, and
of looking for Santa Claus. By Francis

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J. Finn S Ja