ou. He
lives too far away for Christmas at home, and I am at the mercies of a
boarding house. So, Mrs. Murphy has agreed to be a mother to all of us
this Christmas and cheer us up."

"Shure, and I'd like to be the mother of such a foine family," said Mrs.
Murphy. "Me old man wouldn't mind the responsibility, either, I'm
thinkin'."

They all laughed and Molly found herself shaking hands with Professor
Green and Dodo and Lawrence Upton; kissing Miss Green again; rapturously
admiring the exquisite little tree and rushing from one holly decoration
to another, to the joy of Otoyo, who had arranged the greens with her
own hands.

Surely such a happy Christmas party had never taken place before at old
brown Queen's. Mrs. Murphy herself waited on the table and joined in the
conversation whenever she chose, and once Mr. Murphy, baggage master at
Wellington station, popped his head in at the door and smiling broadly,
remarked:

"Shure, 'tis a happy party ye're after makin' the night; brothers and
sisters; swatehearts and frinds--all gathered togither around the same
board. It'll be a merry evenin' for ye, young ladies and gintlemin, and
it's wishin' ye well I am with all me heart."

"Thank you, Mr. Murphy," said the Professor, "and we be wishin' the same
to you and many Christmasses to follow."

"Which one of us is your swateheart, Miss Sen?" asked Lawrence Upton
mischievously.

"I like better the 'meat-sweet' than the sweet-heart," answered Miss Sen
demurely. There was no doubt, however, that she knew the meaning of the
word "sweetheart."

How they all laughed at this and teased Lawrence.

"Just be _bonbon_ and you'll be a 'meat-sweet' Larry," said the
Professor, who appeared this evening to have laid aside all official
dignity and become as youthful as his brother Dodo.

After dinner the table was cleared, the fire built up, and the company
gathered around the hearth. They roasted chestnuts and told ghost
stories. Otoyo in the quaintest English told a blood-curdling Japanese
story which interested Professor Green so deeply that he took out a
little book and jotted down notes, and questioned her regarding names
and places.

Molly knew a true story of a haunted house in Kentucky, fallen into
ruins because no one had dared live in it for years.

Then Mrs. Murphy brought in the lamps and Professor Green drew up at the
table and read aloud Dickens's "Christmas Carol." Molly's mother had
read to her children the immo