t
done, in the circles in which we move."

"It is you who are almost very nearly dancing, Miss Dear," Sheila
said, "I was only walking on my toetips."

"Oh! don't you feel good, Sheila?" Nancy cried.

"Don't you, Miss Dear?"

"I feel almost too good," Nancy said, "as if in another minute the top
of the world might come off."

"The top of the world is screwed on very tight, I think," said Sheila.
"I used to think when I was a little girl that it was made out of blue
plush, but now I know better than that."

"It might be," Nancy argued, "blue plush and bridal veils. There's a
great deal of filmy white about it, to-day."

"It's a long way off from Fifth Avenue," Sheila sighed, "too far. I am
not going to think about it any more. I am going to think hard about
what to give my father. Michael said to get a smoking set, but I don't
know what a smoking set is. Hitty said some hand knit woolen
stockings, but I am afraid he would be scratched by them. Gaspard said
a big bottle of _Cointreau_, but I do not know what that is either."

"Couldn't we give him a beautiful brocaded dressing-gown and a Swiss
watch, thin as a wafer, and some handkerchiefs cobwebby fine, and a
dozen bottles of _Cointreau_, and--then get the other things as we
think of them?"

"Are we rich enough to do _that_?" Sheila asked, her eyes sparkling
with excitement.

"Rich enough to buy anything we want, Sheila," Nancy cried. "I had no
idea it was going to be such a heavenly feeling. When you say your
prayers to-night, Sheila, I hope you will ask God to bless somebody
you've never heard of before. _Elijah Peebles Martin_, do you think
you could remember that long name, Sheila?"

"Yes, Miss Dear,--do you remember him in your prayers every night?"

"Well, I haven't," Nancy said, "but I intend to from now on. Do you
think Collier--father--would like to have a new pipe?"

"I don't know," Shelia said; "wouldn't Uncle Dick like to have one?"

"I don't know whether Uncle Dick is going to want a Christmas present
from me or not, Sheila." Nancy answered seriously. "There may
be--reasons why he won't come to see us for a while when he knows
them."

"Oh, dear," Sheila said, "but I can buy him a Christmas present
myself, can't I? I don't want it to be Christmas if I can't."

"Of course, dear. What shall we buy Aunt Caroline and Uncle Billy?"

"Some pink and blue housekeeping dishes, I think."

"I'm going to have trouble buying Caroline _anything_," Na