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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 9 (December 2, 1935)

II

II.

Very much later that evening Santa Claus was giving his final instructions for the great day which would presently begin. Entrenched behind a desk in the office of a city warehouse, he now appeared as a forceful business man coping with the last minutes of a Christmas rush.

At his side was seated a blonde secretary, and in response to his commands a constant stream of clerks and messengers hurried in and out of the office. At last, at five minutes to twelve, he stretched himself and the page 30
(W. W. Stewart Collection.) In readiness for the day's run—“K” locomotives at the Auckland Locomotive Shed, North Island, New Zealand

(W. W. Stewart Collection.) In readiness for the day's run—“K” locomotives at the Auckland Locomotive Shed, North Island, New Zealand

blonde secretary yawned unaffectedly.

“The success of Christmas Day is assured for another year,” said Santa Claus thankfully, “except for one thing.” He rose and crossed the room to a clothes closet, which, on being opened revealed a number of disguises, among them the shabby clothes he had worn at Cabbage Tree Flat.

He felt in the waistcoat pocket and frowned, he felt in the coat, the trousers, in all the pockets of the old suit, and his frown deepened to a look of dismay as he realised that his precious envelope had gone!

He returned hurriedly to the desk—time was getting short—a messenger must be dispatched before midnight if the people on Cabbage Tree Flat were not to be disappointed. He must make a new list from memory.

“Let me see”—he said, tapping his teeth with a gold pencil, “there were only three items. ‘Three days rain, removal of noxious weeds, and a young man.’ The names were,” he frowned in perplexity as the ridiculous similarity of the names was suddenly borne upon him.

“Green, Bean, Dean, Keene,” he muttered. “Absurd!” He hastily wrote a new list and summoning a messenger, dispatched him just as the clocks began to toll the hour of midnight.

“I'm almost sure,” he said to his secretary, “that I got them in the right order.”