aylight was actually beginning to wane before they
made a move.

"Now," said Aunt Emma, with a sigh, as she rose, "who is going to help me
with the dishes?"

Bella looked at Tom, and Tom at Bella. "Well," said the latter, at last,
"I want to help you, but--but Tom and I have a big secret that we want
to--to arrange, and we want to be here by ourselves,--except father, of
course,--for a bit."

"Is it a nice secret? a real one?" asked Charlie, "a s'prise?"

"Yes, a very nice one."

"We'll help Aunt Emma; come along, Margy."

"I wish I knew what it was," said Margery, still lingering and looking
anxiously at Bella. "Shall I know by an' by?"

"Yes, yes," said Bella impatiently; "if you run away you will.
If you don't, you see, we shan't be able to attend to it----"

"Oh!" gasped Margery, and the next moment she had disappeared, and was in
the scullery.

Then, for nearly an hour Tom and Bella found so much to do, they scarcely
knew what to do first. Their father had to be told all about the secrets,
all the treasures had to be brought down from upstairs, the candles fixed
in the candlesticks, and the presents arranged on the tree or around it.
They never could have been ready in time, had not their father helped
them; and, as it was, darkness had fallen before they had done, and they
had to light the lamp. At last everything was really fixed and ready, all
but the lighting of the Christmas candles.

"Now," said Bella, "we will put out the lamp, and stir up the fire to make
it blaze, for there mustn't be any other light but that and the candles.
Tom, you go out, and see if Aunt Emma and the others are ready. If they
are, they must wait till we call, and then we will light the candles at
once."

"They are ready," said Tom, returning in a moment; "and you had better
hurry, for they won't wait much longer."

One after another the yellow flames gleamed out against the green
branches. "You can call them now, Tom," Bella gasped, breathless with
excitement and haste.

Tom, only too ready, put his head round the door. "Ahoy there!" he began,
at the top of his voice, and almost as if in answer came a knocking at the
door.

"That's Aunt Maggie and Mrs. Twining," whispered Bella; "that's nice, now
they'll be able to see the tree too!"

Tom ran out and opened the front door quickly, for it was not the weather
in which to keep people waiting, and so it happened that the little group
from the door and the little