with all the show-cases
moved back against the wall, and its trimmings of cedar and holly. In
the centre of the room on a table was the secret which had so excited
Emma and Frances. A dozen or more cards were arranged around a central
one, upon which was printed, "A Christmas Dinner"; on each of the other
cards was a picture representing some part of the dinner. Miss Sherwin
presided over this, and Frances presented each guest, as he or she
arrived, with a pencil and a blank card on which the names of the
various dishes were to be written as they were guessed. The one
guessing the largest number was to have a prize, and everybody was to
try except Mrs. Morrison and Miss Sherwin, who had prepared the
pictures, and of course knew what they meant.

This served to break the ice, and Miss Moore's girls, and Mark's
friends, and the Spectacle Man's shy student, all became sociable
directly, as they moved about the table.

To the delight of Frances, Mrs. Gray came. She was quite apologetic over
it, saying it seemed ridiculous for her to be going anywhere, but she
didn't know when she had seen a Christmas tree, and so at the last
minute she had decided to come.

"We take it as a great compliment," Mrs. Morrison said, helping her with
her wraps and leading her to Mr. Clark's arm-chair.

She was a sweet-looking old lady in her white cap and embroidered
kerchief, and Miss Sherwin said her presence gave just the grandmotherly
touch their party needed. Miss Moore decorated her with a sprig of
holly, and every one tried to make her have a good time. The guests were
all brought to her corner and introduced, and then, while the rest were
busy trying to guess the menu, Mr. Clark came and sat beside her and
talked of old times, and the changes that had come to the city since
they were young.

It may have been an odd sort of party, but it was a success; and the shy
young man proved himself more clever than any one else, for he guessed
all the dishes. Some of them were very easy, the first, for instance,
which was simply some points cut out of blue paper and pasted on a card.

"I know what they are," said Mark, "but three wouldn't be enough for
me."

Every one knew the map without a name must be _Turkey_, but the small
strips of different shades of green did not at first suggest _olives_; a
cat on the back of a chair puzzled some, but meant _catsup_ at once to
others. An infant in a high chair yelling for dear life, was of course
_