one
to see you."

When he turned round, Jem recognized him at once.

"Eh! Eh!" he said. "What! What! Who's this, Tootsicums?"

Baby's manner became very acid indeed.

"I shouldn't have thought you would have said that, Mr. Claus," she
remarked. "I can't help myself down below, but I generally have my
rights respected up here. I should like to know what sane godfather or
godmother would give one the name of 'Tootsicums' in one's baptism. They
are bad enough, I must say; but I never heard of any of them calling a
person 'Tootsicums.'"

"Come, come!" said S.C., chuckling comfortably and rubbing his hands.
"Don't be too dignified,--it's a bad thing. And don't be too fond of
flourishing your rights in people's faces,--that's the worst of all,
Miss Midget. Folks who make such a fuss about their rights turn them into
wrongs sometimes."

Then he turned suddenly to Jem.

"You are the little girl from down below," he said.

"Yes, sir," answered Jem. "I'm Jem, and this is my friend Flora,--out of
the blue book."

"I'm happy to make her acquaintance," said S.C., "and I'm happy to
make yours. You are a nice child, though a trifle peppery. I'm very
glad to see you."

"I'm very glad indeed to see you, sir," said Jem. "I wasn't quite sure--"

But there she stopped, feeling that it would be scarcely polite to tell
him that she had begun of late years to lose faith in him.

But S.C. only chuckled more comfortably than ever and rubbed his
hands again.

[Illustration: "Eh! Eh!" he said. "What! What! Who's this, Tootsicums?"]

"Ho, ho!" he said. "You know who I am, then?"

Jem hesitated a moment, wondering whether it would not be taking a
liberty to mention his name without putting "Mr." before it: then she
remembered what Baby had called him.

"Baby called you 'Mr. Claus,' sir," she replied; "and I have seen
pictures of you."

"To be sure," said S.C. "S. Claus, Esquire, of Chimneyland. How do
you like me?"

"Very much," answered Jem; "very much, indeed, sir."

"Glad of it! Glad of it! But what was it you were going to say you were
not quite sure of?"

Jem blushed a little.

"I was not quite sure that--that you were true, sir. At least I have not
been quite sure since I have been older."

S.C. rubbed the bald part of his head and gave a little sigh.

"I hope I have not hurt your feelings, sir," faltered Jem, who was a very
kind hearted little soul.

"Well, no," said S.C. "Not exactly. And it is not your fau