ded; "it's still too awful to remember. If I
thought to-night was going to be anything like _that_ night I would go
straight home and go to bed."

"Don't you worry. It won't, Princess," Peter replied protectingly.

After luncheon the fun began. They all set to and trimmed the tree,
Phyllis, by common consent, was master of ceremonies, and they all
hurried to do her bidding.

"Jack, if you eat _all_ the popcorn strings I don't see what we shall
have left for the tree," she complained once.

"Sorry," Jack apologized, "but that's one failing I have; in fact, I
might add that it is the only one, without fear of boasting. Put me
near a string of popcorn and I just naturally find myself eating it,
and the funny thing is I don't like it unless it is strung." He spoke
with such gravity that the rest shouted with laughter.

"Very well," said Phyllis, "we will put you beyond temptation's way.
Go out and bring me back a whole lot of boughs. I want them for the
chancel."

"Do you mean it?"

"I do."

"Very well, but if I am frozen I hope you have the grace to be ashamed
of your heartlessness."

"Oh, I promise I'll be terribly ashamed," Phyllis called after him, as
he walked dejectedly from the room.

When the tree was finished, and the church had been decked with boughs
and holly, they all went home for a well-merited rest. The crown-event
of the day was still before them.

A party at the Enchanted Kingdom to which all the countryside had been
bidden.

And it was a party indeed!

Nothing could have been so totally different from Muriel's masquerade,
yet it rivaled it in fun. Phyllis and Janet wore dresses exactly
alike, and had the joy of playing their old tricks on a new company.

They danced and played games until twelve o'clock, and then Peter and
Jack took them home in the sleigh.

On Christmas Day they went again to Mrs. Todd's and found all their
gifts piled up under their little tree. Auntie Mogs had sent over even
the New York presents and the ones from Tom.

One little box for Phyllis was the greatest surprise of all. It
contained a very beautiful bracelet set with a single large sapphire,
and tied to it was a card which read--

"Merry Christmas to my girl, from Don"

"The darling," Phyllis said happily as she clasped it over her arm;
"what a wonderful gift!"

"Indeed it is, my dear," Auntie Mogs agreed, "but"--she added with a
smile, "I think you deserve it."

Jack looked at it g