Read Online The Miracle on 34th Street by A. L. Singer - Free Book Online
Authors: A. L. Singer
Ads: Link
city, Bryan arrived at his office late that evening. He noticed a lightblue envelope on his desk, marked To Bryan—Urgent .
On the inside was a note:
Meet Me At St. Patrick's After Midnight Mass.
Dorey
That night, before going to bed, Susan gazed out her bedroom window. Snow fell steadily, muffling the street noise below. She looked into the grayish-white sky. She couldn't see much because of the snow.
Not that she expected to see anything. After all, Christmas Eve was a night just like any night.
She plopped her head on her pillow and tried to sleep.
Dorey arrived at the cathedral well past midnight. She was grateful an elderly neighbor had agreed to baby-sit.
What could Bryan have wanted? The service was over . The congregation was straggling onto Fifth Avenue, humming Christmas carols and chatting.
Dorey went inside. Her eyes were drawn upward. The walls seemed to rise into the heavens. As she walked up the aisle, her footsteps rang out in the empty cathedral.
She approached the altar. A priest appeared, smiling at her.
This had to be a mistake.
Footsteps clattered behind Dorey. She turned.
Bryan was standing in the front door. He looked just as bewildered as Dorey felt.
Suddenly the organ started playing a wedding march.
Dorey jumped back, startled.
Bryan wandered up the aisle toward her, looking all around—at the organist, the stained-glass windows, the empty pews. . . . His eyes met Dorey's.
The priest walked forward. He stood in front of the altar as Bryan approached.
"Is someone getting married?" Bryan asked.
"Not that I know of," Dorey replied. "Did you arrange this?"
"No. You did."
"I did?"
"You didn't?"
Dorey shook her head. "I didn't. Did you?"
"I didn't." Bryan looked at the priest. "Father?"
The priest held up his Bible. "You're ready?"
"For what?" Dorey asked.
"To get married?" The priest raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Dorey looked at Bryan.
Bryan looked at Dorey.
The priest handed Bryan a ring.
A wedding ring.
At that moment, both Dorey and Bryan knew who had set this up.
The one person in the world who knew them the best.
Bryan took Dorey's hand. She did not let go.
They turned to the priest and waited for him to begin.
December 25, 7:17 A.M.
Christmas Day
She didn't know what she expected to see under the tree.
All she knew was that she didn't get what she wanted.
Susan sat silently in front of her Christmas tree. Presents were piled underneath. That was nice. But they were exactly the same ones that had been there the night before. In the same arrangement.
Which made perfect sense. Kriss Kringle was a nice man, not a miracle worker. He'd have his job back next year, and that was what the whole thing was about, wasn't it?
She glanced at the glass Santa ornament on the tree. She narrowed her eyes. It seemed to be glowing .
The light jittered and jumped. It left the ornament and hovered on the wall.
Susan's eyes followed the light as it shot upward to the ceiling, then back down again, then across the wall, around her, behind her . . . and right back to its source.
A polished gold ring. On her mom's finger.
Susan looked up slowly. Her mom was dressed in a robe, sipping coffee, leaning against the living room archway.
Wearing a ring .
"Holy smokes." Susan muttered
"I have something to tell you," Dorey said gently.
Bryan walked in behind her.
Susan's grin was brighter than the Christmas tree. He was wearing a ring, too!
"What did you get for Christmas, Susan?" Bryan asked cheerfully.
Susan didn't answer. She ran toward her mother and threw her arms around her waist.
Her Christmas wish had come true.
There was a Santa Claus!
Hours later, Susan was in the back of a cab with her mom and her new stepfather. Outside, fresh snow blanketed snug suburban houses and weighed down tree branches.
"Susan, I know what you asked Mr. Kringle for," Dorey said, "but that's not why we're going to the house."
"We're going to the house they showed in the catalog,
On the inside was a note:
Meet Me At St. Patrick's After Midnight Mass.
Dorey
That night, before going to bed, Susan gazed out her bedroom window. Snow fell steadily, muffling the street noise below. She looked into the grayish-white sky. She couldn't see much because of the snow.
Not that she expected to see anything. After all, Christmas Eve was a night just like any night.
She plopped her head on her pillow and tried to sleep.
Dorey arrived at the cathedral well past midnight. She was grateful an elderly neighbor had agreed to baby-sit.
What could Bryan have wanted? The service was over . The congregation was straggling onto Fifth Avenue, humming Christmas carols and chatting.
Dorey went inside. Her eyes were drawn upward. The walls seemed to rise into the heavens. As she walked up the aisle, her footsteps rang out in the empty cathedral.
She approached the altar. A priest appeared, smiling at her.
This had to be a mistake.
Footsteps clattered behind Dorey. She turned.
Bryan was standing in the front door. He looked just as bewildered as Dorey felt.
Suddenly the organ started playing a wedding march.
Dorey jumped back, startled.
Bryan wandered up the aisle toward her, looking all around—at the organist, the stained-glass windows, the empty pews. . . . His eyes met Dorey's.
The priest walked forward. He stood in front of the altar as Bryan approached.
"Is someone getting married?" Bryan asked.
"Not that I know of," Dorey replied. "Did you arrange this?"
"No. You did."
"I did?"
"You didn't?"
Dorey shook her head. "I didn't. Did you?"
"I didn't." Bryan looked at the priest. "Father?"
The priest held up his Bible. "You're ready?"
"For what?" Dorey asked.
"To get married?" The priest raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Dorey looked at Bryan.
Bryan looked at Dorey.
The priest handed Bryan a ring.
A wedding ring.
At that moment, both Dorey and Bryan knew who had set this up.
The one person in the world who knew them the best.
Bryan took Dorey's hand. She did not let go.
They turned to the priest and waited for him to begin.
December 25, 7:17 A.M.
Christmas Day
She didn't know what she expected to see under the tree.
All she knew was that she didn't get what she wanted.
Susan sat silently in front of her Christmas tree. Presents were piled underneath. That was nice. But they were exactly the same ones that had been there the night before. In the same arrangement.
Which made perfect sense. Kriss Kringle was a nice man, not a miracle worker. He'd have his job back next year, and that was what the whole thing was about, wasn't it?
She glanced at the glass Santa ornament on the tree. She narrowed her eyes. It seemed to be glowing .
The light jittered and jumped. It left the ornament and hovered on the wall.
Susan's eyes followed the light as it shot upward to the ceiling, then back down again, then across the wall, around her, behind her . . . and right back to its source.
A polished gold ring. On her mom's finger.
Susan looked up slowly. Her mom was dressed in a robe, sipping coffee, leaning against the living room archway.
Wearing a ring .
"Holy smokes." Susan muttered
"I have something to tell you," Dorey said gently.
Bryan walked in behind her.
Susan's grin was brighter than the Christmas tree. He was wearing a ring, too!
"What did you get for Christmas, Susan?" Bryan asked cheerfully.
Susan didn't answer. She ran toward her mother and threw her arms around her waist.
Her Christmas wish had come true.
There was a Santa Claus!
Hours later, Susan was in the back of a cab with her mom and her new stepfather. Outside, fresh snow blanketed snug suburban houses and weighed down tree branches.
"Susan, I know what you asked Mr. Kringle for," Dorey said, "but that's not why we're going to the house."
"We're going to the house they showed in the catalog,
Similar Books
