LONGSHOREMAN."

"We can pick out the tallest boy to represent Commander Courtney and
some of the others to be officers."

"You're giving all the work to the boys; what can the girls do?"

"Don't let's have any of them play orphan. That would come too near
home. They won't follow the story too far. They'll be contented to
distribute the gifts to each other."

"Here's where the girls can come in. The officers can bring the good
ship into port, and the sailors can make a handsome showing along the
side as she comes up to the pier, and the longshoremen can stagger
ashore laden with big bundles. On the shore there can be groups of girls
who will undo the large bundles and take out the small ones that they
contain. Other groups of girls can go about giving out the presents."

"I'll bet they'll have such a good time playing the game they won't
notice whether the presents are ten centers or fifties," shouted Roger.
"I believe we've got the right notion."

"We must do everything up nicely so they'll have fun opening the
parcels," insisted Helen.

"Here's where James begins pasting again. Where's my pastepot, Dorothy?"
inquired James who had done wonders in making boxes to contain the gifts
that went in the real Ship.

"Here are all your arrangements in the corner, and I'll make you some
paste right off," said Dorothy, pointing out the corner of the attic
where a table held cardboard and flowered paper and scissors.

Unless there was some especial reason for a meeting elsewhere the Club
always met in Dorothy's attic, where the afternoon sun streamed in
cheerfully through the low windows. There the members could leave their
unfinished work and it would not be disturbed, and the place had proved
to be so great a comfort during the autumn months, that Mrs. Smith had
had a radiator put in so that it was warm and snug for winter use.
Electric lights had made it possible for them to work there occasionally
during the evening and it was as cheerful an apartment as one would care
to see, even though its furniture was made largely of boxes converted
into useful articles by Dorothy's inventive genius.

"Some time during Christmas week we ought to cheer up the old couple by
the bridge," urged Roger.

"The same people we chopped wood for?" asked Tom.

"The Atwoods--yes. It gets on my nerves to see them sitting there so
dully, every day when I pass by on my way to school."

"We certainly won't forget them. We can do something t