on clouds, and went about in such a state of rapture that it was
ludicrous as well as delightful to behold their antics.

Evening came, the guests arrived, music sounded, carols were sung, and
Peace, entranced, moved about through the gay, light-hearted throng like
one in a dream. To be sure, it was just as the President had
prophesied--little attention was paid to the children of the party, but
it was glorious fun just to watch the changing scenes and be a part of
them, instead of lying tucked away in bed upstairs listening with
ever-increasing curiosity and longing to the sounds of merrymaking
below.

With a happy sigh of content at the realization of her great ambition,
Peace dropped down upon a pile of cushions by one of the long French
windows, leaned her forehead against the cool pane and looked out into
the night, where by the flickering light of the street-lamps she could
see the white snowflakes drifting slowly, lazily downward.

"My, but hasn't this been a happy Christmas!" she said aloud, though no
one was near enough to hear her words. "Who'd ever have thought last
Christmas that we'd be here tonight? Do you s'pose the angels know we
don't live in Parker any more? We might set a lamp in the window so's
they'd see it and be sure. Gail says mother always did that when papa
was out after night, so he could find his way home all right. I'll tell
Allee and when we go to bed we'll just remind the angels that we don't
need so much looking after now that we're living here. I'll never forget
how s'prised Hec Abbott was when he found out that we'd all been 'dopted
together. I wonder what Hec is doing about now? He can't brag any more
about the good times they have at his house. We are just--what in the
world is that coming up the steps?"

Mechanically she rose to her feet, her nose still pressed flat against
the window-pane as she studied the huge, misshapen figure already on the
wide veranda. The footman who had ushered in the guests of the evening
was at that moment occupied in fastening up a strand of evergreen which
had fallen close above a gas-jet; the President was at the furthest
corner of the great parlor engaged in an animated discussion with a
pale-faced professor of Greek; and Mrs. Campbell was nowhere in sight.
With a wildly beating heart, Peace seized the door-knob, and not waiting
for the queer stranger outside to ring the bell, she flung wide the door
and confronted him.

"Why, it's Santa Claus!" t