ar what was being said on the other side
of the Christmas tree. She heard Malcolm say, in a surprised tone: "Maud
Minor! No, indeed, I didn't! Why, I scarcely mentioned you. Don't you
believe--"

A general laugh at one of the old Colonel's stories drowned the rest of
the sentence, and left Gay wondering which one of Maud's many tales was
not to be believed.

"I'll ask her after dinner," thought Gay. But it was a long time till
all the courses that followed the turkey gave way in slow succession to
plum pudding and the trifles on the Christmas tree. Then Gay had no
opportunity to ask her question, for Malcolm still stayed by Lloyd's
side when the company broke up into little groups in the hall and the
adjoining parlours.

"The children are growing up, Jack," said the old Judge, laying his hand
on Mr. Sherman's shoulder, as several couples passed on their way to the
music-room. "There's Rob, now, the young rascal, taller than his
father; and it seems only yesterday that he was riding pickaback on my
shoulders, and tooting his first Christmas trumpet in my ears. And young
MacIntyre there is nearly a full-fledged man. He'll soon be eighteen, he
tells me. Why, at his age--"

The Judge rambled off into a series of reminiscences which would have
been very entertaining to the younger man had his eyes not been
following Lloyd. He did not like to think that she was growing up. He
wanted to keep her a child. In his fond eyes she was always beautiful,
but he had never seen her look as well as she did to-night. The scarlet
dress and the holly berries gave her unusual colour. He fancied that
there was a deeper flush on her face when Malcolm leaned over her chair
to say something to her. Then he told himself that it was only fancy.
Looking up, Lloyd caught sight of her father in the doorway, and flashed
him a smile so open and reassuring that he turned away, thinking, "My
honest little Hildegarde! She asked for her yardstick, and I can surely
trust her to use it as she promised."

Presently Malcolm, hunting through his pockets for a programme he was
talking about, took out a bunch of letters. As he hastily turned them
over, several unmounted photographs fluttered out and fell at Lloyd's
feet. An amused smile dimpled her mouth as her hasty glance showed her
that they were all of the same girl,--evidently kodak shots he had taken
himself. Probably that was the girl and these were the letters that
Keith had teased him about at the