There were cookies, too, and tiny fruit cakes.

The faces of the Club members were as joyous as the faces of the
children as they looked about them and saw evidences of the success of
their plan. If they needed confirmation it was given them by the matron.

"I've never seen them so happy," she said. "I can't thank you enough for
giving them this pleasure."

"It was lovely," approved Katharine. "I'm so glad you let me help."

It was still early when the merry party reached home, but Mrs. Morton
bundled them off to bed promptly.

"You've all made a sacrifice to Dicky's Christmas habits," she
explained. "He's been in bed for hours and he's preparing to get up long
before dawn, so we all might as well go to bed ourselves or we'll be
exhausted by this time tomorrow night."

"Hang your stocking on your outside door knob, Katharine," cried the
Ethels. "We have Santa Claus trained to look there for it in this
house."

CHAPTER VI

CHRISTMAS DAY

Mrs. Morton's prophecy was fulfilled. It was still black night when
Dicky roused from his bed and sent a "Merry Christmas" ringing through
the house. There was no response to his first cry, but, undaunted, he
uttered a second. To this there came a faint "Merry Christmas" from the
top story where the Ethels were snuggled under the roof, and another
from Helen's room beside his own. Katharine said nothing and not a word
came from Roger, though there was a sound of heavy, regular breathing
through his door.

"Let's put on our wrappers and go down stairs into Katharine's room,"
suggested Ethel Brown.

"It's lots too early. Let's wait a while," replied Ethel Blue, so they
lay still for another hour in spite of increasing sounds of ecstasy from
Dicky. After all they decided to follow the usual family custom and take
their stockings into the living room before breakfast instead of going
to Katharine's room. As they passed her door they knocked on it and
begged her to hurry so that they could all begin the opening at once.
She said that she was up and would soon join them, but it proved to be
fully three quarters of an hour before she appeared.

All the Mortons except Dicky had waited for her before opening their
bundles.

"We thought you would excuse Dicky for not waiting; it's rather hard on
a small boy to have such tantalizing parcels right before him and not
attack them," apologized Mrs. Morton.

Katharine looked somewhat embarrassed to find that she had been the