m until after dinner. He felt
that he needed all the fortification he could obtain. He hoped that
his wife would not mention them, and yet he was conscious of a vague
disappointment when, as time passed, she did not mention them.

Dinner over, further delay was impossible; and very slowly he picked up
the letters. He singled out Aunt Harriet's first. Dimly he felt that
this might be a sort of preparation for the wrath to follow.

_Dear Niece and Nephew_ [he read--and he sat suddenly erect]. How ever
in the world did you guess that it was beads that I wanted more than
anything else in the world? And these are such handsome ones! Ever
since beads and chains have been worn so much I have longed for one all
my own; but I have tried to crush the feeling and hide it, for I feared
it might be silly--and me so old and faded, and out-of-date! But I
know now that it is n't, and that I need n't be ashamed of it any more,
for, of course, you and Jasper would never give me anything silly! And
thank you ever and ever so much!

With a slightly dazed expression Jasper Hawkins laid down Aunt
Harriet's letter when he had finished it, and picked up the one from
Uncle Harold. As he did so he glanced at his wife; but she was sewing
and did not appear to be noticing him.

Well, well, children, you have done it this time! [read Jasper, with
fearful eyes]. The little beasts came on Christmas morning, and never
have I [Jasper turned the page and relaxed suddenly] stopped laughing
since, I believe! How in the world did you happen to think of a
present so original, so cute, and so everlastingly entertaining? The
whole house, and I might say the whole town, is in a fever over them,
and there is already a constant stream of children past my window--you
see, I 've got the little devils where they can best be seen and
appreciated!

There was more, much more, and all in the same strain; and again, as
Jasper laid the letter down he glanced at his wife, only to find a
demure, downcast gaze.

But one letter now remained, and in spite of what had gone before,
Jasper picked up this with dread. Surely, nothing--nothing could
reconcile Jimmy and those awful skates! He winced as he opened the
letter and saw that Jimmy's mother had written--poor Jimmy's mother!
how her heart must have ached!--and then he stared in unbelieving
wonder at the words, and read them over and over, lest he had in some
way misconstrued their meaning.