in,
and this was considered a great joke.

The next minute the door opened and they entered a great apartment,
filled with the softest light from a blazing fire, and Tommy was sure
it was his father's back before him at the fireplace; but when the man
turned it was Santa Claus, only he did not have on his whiskers, and
looked ever so much younger than in his pictures. At first he did not
even look at them, he was so busy receiving mail that came fluttering
down the chimney in a perfect snowstorm. As the letters came he
gathered them up and handed them to a lady who was seated on the
floor, saying, "Put that in," to which the lady always answered, "Just
the thing," in a voice so like his mother's that Tommy felt quite at
home. He was just wondering when "Sometime" would come, when Santa
Claus picked up a letter, which had been thrown on the floor, and
tossed it to the lady, saying, "Here's that letter from that little
boy, Tommy Trot. Put some of those things in so he can break them up.
He asked only for himself and much joy he will get out of them." Tommy
shrank back behind Johnny. He wanted to say that he had written
another letter to ask for things for others, but he had lost his
tongue. Just then, however, Santa Claus put up his hand and pulled out
another letter.

[Illustration: "Look, Look! The captain has lent that little boy his
'Seven Leaguers.'"]

"Now," he said, as he glanced at it, "this is more like it. He is
improving. I see he has asked for a lot of things for a friend of his
named Johnny. Johnny Stout--who is he? It seems to me I hardly
remember him or where he lives."

"Yes," said Johnny, stepping up. "That's me. He gave me a sled, too,
and he made it himself." Santa Claus turned and looked at him and his
expression turned to a smile; in fact, Tommy thought he really winked
at Johnny.

"Oh, I know that sled. It was a pretty good sled, too," he said.

This gave Tommy courage, and he stepped forward and said, "He lives in
a little bit of a house near our place--just that way--" He turned and
pointed. "I'll show it to you when you come."

"Good," said Santa Claus. "I'll show it to you and you show it to me.
We are apt to overlook those little houses. So you are Tommy Trot?" he
said. "Glad to see you," and he turned and held out his hand to Tommy.
"I sent my reindeer to fetch you and I am glad you made that sled, for
it is only a sled made for others that can get up here. You see,
everything here,