The holidays tend to bring out the best in people, as Wareham Middle School teacher Elizabeth Geary found out Dec. 12, when she learned a mysterious someone paid her entire layaway at Walmart.

“I was so happy, and went outside and told a policeman I didn’t even know,” Geary said. “It was a big help. I have my son’s student loans I am paying, and I have huge dental bills I am paying, so it was a true blessing.”

Geary said she has no idea who paid the layaway, which was close to $100 worth of children’s toys. The only clue she received was a note that said, ‘In memory of Chris.’

“The girl who was at the register said there was a woman who came in last Wednesday, and paid a bunch of layaways,” Geary said. “We have a mystery person who has done this in memory of a dear loved one.”

A mystery indeed: Walmart front end assistant Brian said the mystery person was a man.

“He paid off a couple random customers’ layaways,” said Brian, who declined to give his last name. “His words were that he wanted to pay off a customer’s layaway that had a lot of toys, because he wanted to help out a lot of kids.”