He spoke not a word. Went straight to his work.

Before leaving he gave 50 bucks to two clerks.Not to mention a number of lucky shoppers Monday at Cottonwood Mall.

Zan Stephens, 23, and Tiffany Nielson, 21, were working the mall's customer-service booth when they spied a man dressed in a Santa suit walking south down the mall.

"I'm going, 'Omigosh, that's not our regular Santa. What's this guy doing?'" Stephens said.

They soon found out.

Santa winked at them.

The girls said, "Hi."

He walked over and gave them candy canes.

"I've been really good . . . whatcha gonna bring me for Christmas this year?" Nielson said.

"A lump of coal," Stephens said, joking.

Santa reached into a stocking and pulled out an envelope.

"Hey, wait. I've been really good, too," Stephens said. "What do I get?"

The girls decided they'd share the envelope. It contained a card.

Written on the outside: "Merry Christmas, Utah."

Written inside: "Yes, Utah, there really is a Santa Claus."

Taped inside was a $50 bill.

"We about dropped dead on the floor," Stephens said.

"I was just totally amazed," Nielson said. "I'm thinking, 'This can't be happening.'"

They thanked Santa and watched him walk the length of the mall and back.

"I could see lots of kids crowding around him for candy," Nielson said."I don't know how many envelopes he handed out. I'd say maybe 15 or 20."

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Stephens said, "I was beginning to wonder what was going to happen because the regular Santa was about ready to show up. But he left just before the regular one came."

"It made me so curious, as to who might be behind the costume," Nielson said.

Sticking around to take credit? Everyone knows that's not Santa's bag.

"He never talked," Nielson said. "All he did was give a sly look and go, 'Ho-ho-ho.' "

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