Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies

Author:Valentine Davies
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

11

EARLY the next morning Doris found herself facing the combined wrath of Messrs. Sawyer and Shellhammer. Sawyer had given a lurid account of Kris’ behavior the night before. He had left no doubt but that Kringle was a dangerously deranged man. He accused him of profanity and violence. Doris attempted to refute Sawyer’s exaggerations. Kris’ appearance at the lecture was unfortunate, but he had not really done anything violent.

Shellhammer was disturbed. Sawyer had convinced him that Kringle was extremely dangerous—after all the publicity and build-up he could easily turn out to be a terrific boomerang to Macy’s. Just let Gimbel find out that Macy’s Santa was a nut—good grief! They did not dare to imagine the possibilities! Kringle was dynamite, and Mrs. Walker was responsible. She had hired him; she had known about his delusion.

Mr. Sawyer was only thankful that he had been the victim instead of one of the innocent little children Kris had dangled on his knee. “The problem,” said Sawyer, “is what to do about this—this poor, deluded maniac.”

“We’ve got to do something at once!” said Shellhammer.

“I don’t believe it,” Mrs. Walker was saying. “He’s just a kind old man. I’m sure that he won’t ever . . .”

“Oh, but he will Mrs. Walker!” Mr. Sawyer assured her. “He’s evidently suffered some sudden change. He’s entered into a violent phase.”

“But Dr. Pierce assured us that could never happen in this type of case. Kris’ delusion is only for good.”

“Dr. Pierce is not a psychiatrist,” said Sawyer tartly.

“Neither are you,” snapped Doris.

“Well, the very least that should be done,” said Sawyer, “is to have Mr. Kringle thoroughly examined by competent psychiatrists, at once.”

This seemed very sound to Mr. Shellhammer. Doris objected; Kris had passed dozens of such examinations with flying colors, she pointed out.

“But there’s no harm in it,” Shellhammer argued.

“If they agree with Dr. Pierce that he’s harmless, he can come right back.”

“And if they don’t, you’ve certainly done the right thing,” added Sawyer.

Doris was quite shaken. She knew that Kris had not been violent. She disliked Sawyer intensely and she was sure that he was exaggerating the situation. But under the circumstance, Mr. Shellhammer was right, she knew. Anyway, Kris would obviously pass any sanity test with flying colors and he would be back on the job that afternoon. Doris acquiesced with a nod.

Mr. Sawyer was eager and obliging. He would be glad to arrange for the examination right away, he said. His one aim was to get Kringle away from the store as quickly as possible. There was no time to lose. He knew the quickest and easiest way to do it, too. But there was no need to mention that to Mrs. Walker.

“The only problem now,” said Sawyer, “is how to get him out of the store without creating another—er—situation. In his present condition, he would most certainly react with violence.”

“Mrs. Walker, you’ll have to explain it to him,” said Shellhammer. “After all, you’re his friend. He trusts you.”

But Doris flatly refused. She agreed that it must be done, but she simply couldn’t do it.

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