. Do you think you and Miss
Sen together can manage things?"

"We can, surely," said Mrs. Murphy. "She's as neat and quick a little
body as I've seen this side the Atlantic."

"My sister gets here at noon. Good day," and the Professor was off,
around the house, and across the campus, before Mrs. Murphy could take
breath to continue her conversation.

In the meantime, Molly was hastening through the pine woods to a grove
where she had once seen some holly bushes. In the pocket of her sweater
were a pair of scissors and a penknife.

"We must have a little holiday decoration, Otoyo and I," she said to
herself. "And it's lots nicer to gather it than buy it at the grocery
store. I suppose my box from home will reach here to-night. I'll ask Mr.
and Mrs. Murphy up to-morrow and give a party. There'll be turkey in it,
of course, and plum cake and blackberry cordial--it won't be such a bad
Christmas. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are dears--I must do up their presents
this afternoon. I hope Otoyo will like the little book. She'll be
interested to know that Professor Green wrote it."

As she hurried along, breathing in the frosty air, like Pilgrim she
spied a figure a great way off coming toward her.

"Another left-over," she thought and went on her way, her steps keeping
time to a poem she was repeating out loud:

"'St. Agnes' Eve--ah, bitter chill it was!
The owl for all his feathers was a-cold;
The hare limp'd trembling through the frozen grass
And silent was the flock in woolly fold----'"

Molly had just repeated the last line over, too absorbed to notice the
advancing figure through the pine trees, except sub-consciously to see
that it was a girl.

"Ah, here's the holly," she exclaimed.

"'Numb were the beadsman's fingers----'"

She knelt on the frozen ground and began cutting off branches with the
penknife.

"I suppose you are rather surprised to see me, aren't you?"

Molly looked up. It was Judith Blount.

"Why, where did you come from, Judith?" she asked. "Didn't you go up to
New York Friday, after all?"

"I was supposed to, but I didn't. I am staying down in the village at
the Inn. I may go this afternoon. I haven't decided yet. To tell the
truth, I am not very anxious to see my family. Papa--isn't at home and
Richard and mamma are rather gloomy company. I think I'd rather spend
Christmas almost anywhere than with them, this year."

"But your mother, Judith," exclaimed Molly, shocked