umstances and holiday
surroundings hardly seemed to justify.

"I wonder if the party will go off without a hitch," thought Anne, as
they joined the grand march into the dining room.

When the beautiful, illuminated tree had been disburdened of all its
presents and the guests were well advanced on their supper, Mrs. Gray
approached Anne, carrying an oblong box, neatly done up in white tissue
paper tied with red ribbons. Pinned to the ribbon with a piece of holly
was a Christmas card on which was printed in fancy lettering "A
Christmas Thought."

"Why, what is this, Mrs. Gray?" demanded Anne, rather excited, while
many of the boys and girls gathered around her and some stood on chairs
in order to see what the mysterious box contained.

"I know no more than you, dear," replied the old lady. "A man left it at
the door a moment ago, and one of the servants gave it to me. Why don't
you open it and see?"

Anne hesitated. Something told her not to open the box, but how could
she help it with dozens of her friends waiting eagerly to see what was
in it?

"Hurry up, Anne, aren't you curious to see what it is?" some one called.

"It looks like flowers," said another.

"Or candy," observed a third.

And still Anne's fingers lingered on the bow of red ribbon. Was there
anyone in the world who could be sending her a box that night? Certainly
not her mother nor her sister, nor any of her friends who had exchanged
presents in the morning. Mrs. Gray evidently had not sent it and there
was no one else in her small list of friends who would have taken the
trouble.

"Anne, you funny child, don't you see we are all waiting impatiently?"
said Grace at last.

Anne slipped off the ribbons and opened the package. In the box was some
object, carefully done up in more tissue paper.

"It looks like a mummy," exclaimed Hippy.

Untying the wrappers, Anne held up to the curious view of the others a
large doll.

At first she hardly comprehended what it was and held it out at arms'
length looking at it wonderingly. It was dressed as a man in a black
suit with a long Prince Albert coat, very crudely made on close
inspection, but still cut and fitted to give the right effect. The face
had been cleverly changed with paint and putty, and pinned on the head
was a black felt hat, constructed out of the crown of an old one
evidently, in which had been sewn some lank black hair.

A card was tied around the doll's neck, and some one looking o