en Kitty was informed that this was Santa Claus's Partner's party, and
that she was to be the hostess, she was at first a little shy, partly,
perhaps, on account of the strangeness of being in such a big, fine
house, and partly on account of the solemn presence of James, until the
latter had relieved her in ways of which that austere person seemed to
have the secret where children were concerned. Finally she was induced
to take the children over the house, and the laughter which soon came
floating back from distant rooms showed that the ice was broken.

Only two rooms, the library and the dining-room, were closed, and they
were not closed very long.

Just as it grew dark Kitty was told to marshal her eager forces and
James with sparkling eyes rolled back the folding doors.

The children had never seen anything before in all their lives like
that which greeted their eyes. The library was a bower of evergreen and
radiance. In the centre was a great tree of crystal and stars which
reflected the light of a myriad twinkling candles. It had undoubtedly
come from fairy-land, if the place was not fairy-land itself, on the
border of which they stood amazed.

Kitty was asked by Mr. Livingstone to lead the other children in, and as
she approached the tree she found facing her a large envelope addressed
to,

_Santa Claus's Partner, Miss Kitty Clark._

This she was told to open and in it was a letter from Santa Claus
himself.

It stated that the night before, as the writer was engaged in looking
after presents for some poor children, he saw a little girl in a shop
engaged in the same work, and when he reached a certain hospital he
found that she had been there, too, before him, and now as he had to go
to another part of the world to keep ahead of the sun, he hoped that she
would still act for him and look after his business here. The letter was
signed,

_Your partner, Santa Claus._

The postscript suggested that a few of the articles he had left on the
tree for her were marked with names, but that others were unmarked, so
that her friends might choose what they preferred, and he had left his
pack at the foot of the tree as a grab-bag.

This letter broke the spell and next moment every one was shouting and
rollicking as though they lived there.

In all the throng there was no one so delighted as Mr. Clark.
Livingstone had had no idea how clever he was. He was the soul of the
entertainment. It was he who discover