e front door to take up their journey
to the Emersons'.

At the Emersons' there was a renewal of greetings and "Thank yous" and
laughter, and a rehearsing of all the gifts that had been received. Mrs.
Smith had sent Mrs. Emerson an unusual pair of richly decorated wax
candles which she had found at an Italian candlemaker's in New York, and
Miss Merriam had sent her and Mrs. Morton each a tiny brass censer and a
supply of charcoal and Japanese incense to make fragrant the house.

"Mother gave us handkerchiefs all around," said Roger, "and Mary baked
us each a cake and the cook made candy enough for an army."

"You're dining at your Aunt Louise's, dear?"

"We're going right from here to carry some bundles for Mother and then
to church, and then to Aunt Louise's for an early dinner. After dinner
we are to call on the old ladies at the Home for a half hour and then we
go back to a tree for Dicky--just a little shiny one; we've had all our
presents. After supper the thing we're going to do is a secret."

"That sounds like a program that will keep you busy while it lasts.
They're not tiring you out, I hope?" Mr. Emerson asked Katharine, who
listened to Roger's list without displaying much enthusiasm.

"I'm enjoying it all very much," responded Katharine politely, but not
in a tone that carried conviction.

"How would it please you if the car took you back and helped you carry
those parcels for your mother?"

There was a general whoop of satisfaction.

"Your grandmother and I are going to church, but we won't mind starting
earlier than we usually do."

"Which means right now, I should say," said Roger, looking at his watch.

At the Mortons' the car added Mrs. Morton and Dicky to its occupants and
several large baskets containing Christmas dinners for people in whom
the Mortons had an interest. The young Mortons all had had a hand in
packing these baskets and in adding a touch of holly and red ribbon at
the top to give them a holiday appearance.

"This first one is for old Mrs. Jameson," Mrs. Morton explained to her
mother. "Everything in it is already cooked because she is almost blind
and cooking is harder for her than it is for most people. There is a
roast chicken and the vegetables are all done and put in covered bowls
packed around with excelsior so that their heat won't be lost."

"Like a fireless cooker."

"The Ethels and Dorothy made enough individual fruit cakes for all our
baskets, and we've put in ha