ther girls and the thought that old Laska had any real claim
on her, no longer worried her.

"This isn't very hard work, Jack," Olive replied gaily. "And there is
still a lot for us to do to be ready for to-night. Just think, this will
be the first real Christmas tree I have ever seen!"

"Well, we won't have so much work to do, Olive, if Jack eats all the
candy," Jean remarked severely. "And Jack, perhaps if you would help
Frieda and Olive, instead of talking so much, they wouldn't have such a
lot to do."

Jack flung a cotton snowball at Jean. "Bear with me, sweet coz," she
pleaded cheerfully. "I don't know just why, girls, but I feel so kind of
happy to-day, that I suppose I am silly. I believe all the clouds have
passed over our benighted heads and the Rainbow Arch of Promise is just
over the Lodge."

Jean pointed scornfully to the winter landscape outside the window.

"It looks rather like we might have a rainbow after the summer shower:
don't you think so, Olive?" she inquired. But she bent over and crowned
Jack with a wreath of silver tinsel and went on with her work, smiling
as though she had more faith in Jack's prediction than she cared to
confess.

"Ah, Jean," Jack went on, "don't you know there is a legend that
somewhere there is a wonderful land where all the rainbows that have
ever been or ever will be, drift to and fro, like beautiful colored
flowers? Perhaps one of these rainbows will find us to-night in spite of
the weather." Jack's face softened at her own pretty fancy.

All day the girls worked and whispered and laughed. Ruth and Jean and
Jack decorated the great Christmas tree. The gifts were piled up under
the tree, for nothing was to be allowed to mar the perfect whiteness of
its decorations. Only Ruth's presents were to be given just before
supper time. She insisted that this was absolutely necessary, or else
they would lose half their value.

When Jack came into her room at about five o'clock to get ready for the
evening, she saw what Ruth had meant. Lying on the foot of her bed was
the prettiest dress Jack had ever owned in her life. It was very simple,
of a soft white material like crepe, with a lovely band of silver
embroidery about the low, square neck and around the waist and skirt.
Jean was busy in the kitchen. But Jack saw that her dress was of
delicate, pink cashmere, the color Jean most loved.

Jack slipped into her costume very quickly and stole softly into the
great closed liv