lved in her return or meant to face them
with the jauntiness which her troubled years had increased rather than
diminished.

Life with her, he mused, was not a permanent book of record, but a
flimsy memorandum, from which she tore the leaves when they displeased
her and crumpled them into the wastebasket of oblivion. It was a new
idea; but it had, he reflected, its merits. He went to the front door,
as was his habit, to survey the heavens before retiring. The winter
stars shone gloriously, and the night was still. The town clock boomed
twelve, ushering in Christmas. He walked a little way down the path as
he counted the strokes, glanced up at Lois's window, then across the
hedges to the homes of the other daughters of the house of Montgomery,
chuckled, said "Thunder!" so loudly that his own voice startled him, and
went hurriedly in and bolted the door.

CHAPTER XVI

MERRY CHRISTMAS

On every Christmas morning it was the custom of Amzi's sisters to repair
with their several families to his house, carrying their gifts and
bearing thence such presents as he might bestow. The Fosdicks and the
Watermans had children, and these were encouraged to display themselves
frequently at their uncle's. And Amzi was kind and generous in his
relations with all of them. Amzi Waterman and Amzi Fosdick, still in
short trousers, had been impressed at their respective homes with the
importance of ingratiating themselves with Uncle Amzi, and Amzi, fully
cognizant of this, was an ideal uncle to each impartially. Mrs. Fosdick
hoped that her little Susan would be as thoroughly established in Amzi's
regard as Phil; there was always Phil,--that unbridled, unbroken,
fearless young mustang of a Phil.

Amzi was down early giving the final revision to his list of presents.
Having found in years gone by that it was decidedly unsafe to buy gifts
for his sisters, as they were never satisfied with his selections and
poorly concealed their displeasure, he had latterly adopted the policy
of giving each of them one hundred dollars in gold.

Ten was the usual hour for the family gathering, and as the clock
struck, Amzi began wandering through the house restlessly. Occasionally
he grinned, and said "Thunder!" quietly to himself. In the night watches
he had pondered the advisability of warning Lois's sisters of her
return; but he saw nothing to be gained by this. Something of Lois's
serene indifference had communicated itself to him; and as an at