e on in Chicago? It'll have to
go pretty soon if it gets there in time for Christmas. That's only a
week off. Mercy! What a lot of work we'll have to do before then,
getting ready for the parties. I do love parties! But I don't see what
you wanted to make two for. One would have been a plenty, and not near
so much work."

Mrs. Campbell laughed comfortably. "The house isn't large enough to
accommodate all we want to invite, so we had to make two parties.
Besides, the evening party is a sort of 'coming out' affair for my older
girls--"

"Coming out of what?"

"Oh, introducing them into college society--"

"And we littler girls ain't worth coming out for? Is that it?"

"Oh dear no! But _little_ girls don't come out into society. They have
to wait until they are grown up. Even Gail and Faith are too young for
the social whirl as the world understands that phrase. They must wait
until they are through with school and college life before they take up
social duties. But they have met so very few of our young people since
coming here to Martindale to live that we are giving this party to
introduce them to their own classmates really. Do you understand now?"

Peace did not, but she vaguely felt that she ought to, so she bobbed her
head slowly and fell to puzzling over the queer ways of the world.
Fortunately for the whole household, the last week of preparation for
the holiday season was a very busy one, so Peace had little time to
think of all these perplexing questions; and when Christmas Day dawned
at length, everyone thought she had forgotten her grievance over not
being invited to attend the evening party for the older sisters. But
Peace remembered, and in the gray of the early dawn before anyone else
was awake in the great house, the door of the flag room burst open with
a jerk and a joyous voice shrieked through the gloom:

"What have you got in your stockings, girls? Mine is stuffed so full it
fell off the nail, and one chair and half the dresser is loaded with the
left-over packages. And Allee's got as many as I have. There's a doll
for each of us--they beat yours all hollow, Cherry. Now we've got a
Goddess of Liberty all our own and you can have yours as soon as ever
you want it. And I've got seven books. Guess Santa must have mixed me up
with you again, Cherry. There are three puzzles and five games and a lot
of handkerchiefs and ribbons, two sashes, and oh, the loveliest white
dress for winter wear, all trimm