gazed intently at the
mark on its under side, as he held it just above the level of his eyes.

"Be careful, Roger, you'll spill your ice cream," admonished his father.

"No, I won't, sir," he said, as he replaced his plate. "But I never saw
Spode with this decoration before. Let me look at yours, Patty."

He took up Patty's plate of ice cream, and lifting it quite high studied
the stamp on that.

Suddenly he moved it, until the dish of mistletoe ice cream was directly
over Patty's head.

"Fairly caught!" he cried; "under the mistletoe!" And before Patty caught
the jest, Roger had kissed her pretty pink cheek, and then calmly
restored her plate of ice cream to its place in front of her.

"You villain!" she cried, glaring at him, and pretending to be greatly
offended, but smiling in spite of herself at his clever ruse.

"Good for you, my boy!" cried Mr. Farrington, clapping his hands. "I wish
I had thought of that myself. But it's a game that won't work twice."

"Indeed it won't!" said Patty, "I'll take care of that!" and she began to
eat her mistletoe ice cream in proof of her words.

"It never can happen again," said Kenneth, in sad tones, as he watched
the "mistletoe" disappear. "But I'll not give up all hope. It's still
Christmas Eve, and there are other mistletoes and other manners."

"And other girls," said Patty, glancing mischievously at Elise.

"Yes, there are four of us," said Louise, so innocently that they all
laughed.

"All right, Louise," said Kenneth, "you find a nice, big spray of
mistletoe, after dinner, and wear it in that big topknot bow of yours,
and I'll promise to kiss you on both cheeks."

But Louise was too shy to respond to this repartee, and she dropped her
eyes in confusion.

"Now," said Mrs. Farrington, as she rose from the table, "we'll have our
Christmas Waits sing carols, and then we'll have our tree."

The children understood this, and Hester and Bobby at once ran out of the
room. A few moments later they returned, dressed in trailing white robes,
like surplices, and before they reached the drawing-room, their childish
voices could be heard singing old-fashioned carols.

They had been well trained, and sang very prettily, and as they appeared
in the doorway, Patty could scarcely believe that these demure little
white-robed figures were the two merry children.

After two or three carols by the "Waits," the whole party joined in a
Christmas chorus, and Patty's clear sopran