NATCHEZ &045;&045; Sometimes when the Grinch steals Christmas, Santa, or someone a lot like him, brings it back.

Joey Wilson, a single mother, said that her heart sank when she discovered that two bicycles that Santa had delivered early for her two sons, Tanner, 13, and Payton, 9, had been stolen.

&uot;I came into the house and the look on my face let my daughter know that something was wrong,&uot; she said.

Wilson said that she had kept the bikes covered with a rug in a room off her garage and had gone to move them inside, beside her Christmas tree, on Christmas Eve.

That’s when she discovered that they were gone.

&uot;My daughter saw me crying and became upset. I told her what happened and she began to cry too. We couldn’t believe that someone would steal our Christmas presents,&uot; she said.

Wilson said that her daughter Allie, 14, offered to give the cell phone that she was getting for Christmas to one of her brothers so he wouldn’t be disappointed.

Her other son had a few odd gifts so that he would know that Santa had not forgotten him, either.

&uot;She didn’t know how much it meant to me to know she would give up her surprise for her brother like that,&uot; she said.

Wilson said that she decided that new bicycles on Christmas morning would be the perfect gift to replace the ones that were stolen from her garage about three months ago

Since she was now faced with her son’s bikes being stolen once more, she decided to leave a note taped to the television set near the Christmas tree to tell her son’s that Santa wanted them to pick out their own bikes for Christmas.

Wilson said that when her sons awoke to a few small gifts and the note on Christmas morning they were a little disappointed, but didn’t complain.

Making the most of a bad situation, she said that she made pancakes for her children and called the police, who came to her home and took down the description of the bikes, the amount that she had paid for them and her telephone number.

&uot;The officer told me, ‘If there is anyway I can find those bikes, I will call you. If there is anyway, Santa will come,’&uot; she said.

Wilson admits that the episode lessened her faith in humanity.

She said it grew again when she found an envelope in her mail box, while returning with her family from dinner at her aunt’s home later Christmas Day.

&uot;As I began to open the front door I realized that there was an envelope in my mailbox. I thought to myself, ‘Did I not check my mail yesterday?’&uot; Wilson said.

She said that she pulled out what seemed to be a telephone bill, but when she looked inside she found $195 in cash, wrapped in red tissue paper, almost the exact amount that the bicycles cost.

There was no note or explanation accompanying the money, said Wilson.

She said that she called the police department again to see if they knew anything about the money, but they said it was a mystery to them, as well.

Mary Margaret Alwood, who leaned that the bikes were missing early Christmas morning from a tearful telephone call from Wilson, arrived at her friend’s home about the same time that she found the money.

Alwood said, however, that she had nothing to do with it.

&uot;She though it was me and I came so that I could just see her face, but it wasn’t me,&uot; she said.

Alwood does suspect where the cash came from, however.

&uot;We both had tears in our eyes. I said, Joey, there must be a Santa Claus.&uot;

Wilson thinks her friend may be correct in her assumption.

&uot;I don’t have a clue who did it, but now I do really believe in Santa Claus,&uot; she said.