ome from, dear? Has someone joined with you to give a present to
mother?"

Before now it had happened that a friend of the family had consulted the
children as to their mother's wishes in the matter of Christmas
presents, and it seemed the most likely solution of the mystery that
this had occurred once again, Pam contributing in the same proportion as
she had done to her father's rug. But no! Pam proudly denied the
insinuation, and repeated--

"It's my very own present I bought it myself."

"But, my sweetheart--" began Mrs Trevor anxiously, and then checked
herself at the thought of another possible explanation. "Did someone
give you some money, dear, that I knew nothing about?"

"Oh no! I haven't had any money, only General Digby's to-day."

"Then how-- I am very pleased and delighted to have the palm, but I
can't enjoy it properly until I know a little more about how it came
into your possession. It is such a very big present for a little girl.
How did you get all the money, dear?"

Pam smiled with an air of innocent pride.

"It wasn't--all--money!" she said, smiling.

"Not all money? What do you mean? If it was not all money, what was
the rest?"

"Clothes!"

"Clothes!" cried Mrs Trevor vaguely.

"Clothes!" echoed her husband.

"Clothes!" shrieked Betty in a shrill treble.

"Cl-othes!" repeated the boys curiously. Only Jill's face lit up with
comprehension, mingled with a spice of resentment.

"I know--I know! _Old_ clothes, she means! She has been selling old
clothes--our old clothes, if you please--to `All a-growing all a-
blowing' in exchange for the palm! He likes them better than money. I
heard him say so one day when Pam was seeing me off at the door. That's
where dad's old coat has gone to, that's where your blouse is, Betty,
not to mention some of the boys' ties, and gloves, and my umbrella. Oh,
you wretched child! The hours I've spent searching for it! That's
where everything has gone that we have been searching for for the last
month. She has been gathering them together for the palm!"

Mrs Trevor's face was a study of complex emotion as she looked at her
baby, but Pam's triumphant satisfaction did not waver for a moment. She
nodded her head, and cried cheerfully--

"Oh, lots more things than that! He wanted so much, because palms is
most expensive of all before Christmas, and I bought it when you were
all out, and cook hid it, and we sprayed its leaves to make them br