came to think over the subject seriously, we
both agreed that it did not seem exactly fair to put three, no, four
such charming little maids to bed--for of course Lorene would share your
fate, too--when there were to be such festive doings downstairs,
although neither one of us believes in late hours for children. I
presume we are very old-fashioned in some things--"

"No, you aren't," chorused the loyal girls.

"No? True patriots! And yet didn't you think grandma and I were just the
least teenty bit hard on you to make you go to bed at the regulation
hours tonight when it is Christmas?"

"W-e-ll, we would like awfully much to stay up and see if Gail and Faith
do as good entertaining their comp'ny as we did," confessed Peace with
unusual hesitation.

"Supposing I should tell you that we have decided to let you stay up an
hour or two longer?"

"Oh, grandpa, what a darling you are!"

"No, you must thank Faith. She begged so hard that we have had to give
in to satisfy her."

"Faith?" Peace was so completely dumbfounded that they had to laugh at
her.

"Yes, dear, Faith. She says you are so dreadfully anxious to see what a
grown-up Christmas party is like that she is afraid you will die of
curiosity if you can't have that wish fulfilled."

"Grandpa, you are just joking," Cherry reproved.

"I am thoroughly in earnest, I assure you. To be sure, Faith used
somewhat different words, but she sympathized so heartily with you that
we decided to let you enjoy part of the evening's program. In fact, the
only reason we planned _two_ parties in the first place was because the
old house wouldn't hold at one time all we wanted to invite; and we
thought it would be a great deal easier to entertain our guests if we
had the big folks at one party and the little people at another. Do you
understand now?"

"Yes, and I'll bet you've been figuring on letting us go all the while
we were stewing about it," cried Peace, the irrepressible.

"Maybe you are right," he chuckled.

She bounced off the floor with a squeal of delight, clutched Allee with
one hand and Lorene with the other, and rushed out of the room, calling
back over her shoulder, "Now, I'm _surblimely_ happy! You better go
dress, Cherry! Dinner will soon be ready and there won't be much time
after that before the party begins."

They had been happy before, but the granting of this one dear wish
transported them to such heights of bliss that they seemed to be walking