"O Max!" cried Lulu, her eyes flashing, "how can you talk so? You know
papa would never have thought of such a thing."

"I don't believe he would, but Ann told me once she knew Mrs. Scrimp would
be glad enough to take him if he'd give her the chance. What would you
have done if he had?"

"I don't know, and it isn't worth while to consider," replied Lulu, with a
grown-up air she occasionally assumed, much to Max's amusement. "But my
writing's done, and I'm going to bed, for I'm tired and sleepy. So
good-night."

"Good-night," returned Max. "I sha'n't be in a hurry to get to bed, for it
won't be worth while to get up early to catch other folks, as all the
things have been given to-night. I almost wish they had let us wait till
to-morrow morning."

Perhaps the remark was intended to throw Lulu off her guard; at all events
he was at her door with a "Merry Christmas," before any one else was
stirring but the servants.

Lulu was awake, too, sitting up in bed and trying, in the dim light of the
early dawn, to undo a small paper parcel she had found on her pillow.

Max had opened the door and given his greeting in a subdued tone that
there might be no danger of disturbing any sleeper in the vicinity.

"Oh!" cried Lulu, in a voice of suppressed eagerness, "the same to you!
Come in and see what Santa Claus has brought me."

Max stepped in, closed the door, and tiptoeing to a window, raised the
blind and drew back the curtain.

"O Max, Max; just see!" cried Lulu, as he turned toward her again.

She had succeeded in her efforts, and was now holding up her hand in a way
to display to advantage a very pretty gold ring.

"Yes; oh, I'm glad, Lu! And there's something else, isn't there?"

"Money! a good deal, isn't it, Max?" she asked, holding out a crisp new
bank-note.

"Five dollars," he answered, taking it to the light. "And I have just the
same; found it on my pillow, from papa; and s'pose yours is, too. A gold
pencil from Mamma Vi was there also."

"Yes; from papa," she said, examining the writing on the back of the
envelope from which she had taken the note, "and the ring's from Mamma Vi.
She always finds out just what I want. I'd rather have had a ring than
almost anything else."

"There, we have waked her and Gracie, I'm afraid," said Max, in a tone of
self-reproach, as the voices of the two were heard coming from the next
room.

"Merry Christmas, Max and Lulu," both called out in cheery tones, and the
gree