red Christmas from
its boughs--something was wrong with Abner Sawyer--up and waiting by the
window, his face twisted into a faint and sickly smile of apology.

For now that he was in the very heart of his "proving" he did not know
what on earth to do. Dignity?... It was hopelessly out of the question.
With a monument to his midnight guilt blazing there in the corner--with
Christmas wreaths hung in the windows to confound the Middletons--he
must face the music. Feeling very foolish, he cleared his throat and
essayed to speak, paralyzed into silence again by the unexpected
evolution of a hoarse croak so horribly un-first-citizen that it
frightened him.

[Illustration]

Jimsy broke the staring silence.

"Uncle Ab," he quivered, "ye never--ye never went an' done all that fur
me!"

"I--I don't know," said Abner Sawyer, swallowing very hard. "I--I think
I did."

"When," faltered Aunt Judith from the doorway, "did you--do it?"

"It must have been after midnight. I came in very quietly. The ride was
long--I went to Matsville. You must have been in bed asleep--"

Jimsy embarked upon a handspring of celebration.

"Two trees!" he shouted, caution quite forgotten in his wild excitement,
"two suits of clothes--two everything! Oh, my gosh, Specks ain't in it.
I'm the Christmas kid!" and then in a panic he was on his feet again,
his face hot and red. "Aunt Judith," he exclaimed, almost crying, "I'm
awfully sorry--"

Aunt Judith's tremulous laugh seemed tears and silver.

"Never mind, dear. It's all right now. Abner," she swallowed bravely,
"one of--one of Jimsy's Christmas trees is in the sewing-room. I--I'd
like you to see it."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

VI

THE TRIUMPH

Specks reviewed the Christmas tree in the sitting-room after breakfast
and looked upset. It was bigger than his own.

"Got one downstairs, too," crowed Jimsy. "Uncle Ab," he added, "he sort
o' wanted it to be awful Christmasy through the whole house, an'--an'
Jiminy Crickets, Specks, it is!"

"Uncle Ab--who's Uncle Ab?"

"Uncle Ab Sawyer." Jimsy bristled. "What ye got to say about it?"

"Nuthin'."

"Did _you_ get _two_ trees, Specks?"

"Naw. Hain't many folks did, I guess. 'Tain't nuthin' to crow about,
anyway."

"Huh! Thought ye said the Middletons was more Christmasy'n us."

"I didn't."

"Ye did."

"I didn't."

"Ye did, too, and I walloped ye fur it. I'll wallop ye again if ye say
ye didn't."

"Jimsy!" Aunt Ju