ook up the song,

"Angels ascending and descending,
Chanted the wond'rous refrain,
'Glory to God in the Highest,
Peace and good will toward men.'"

The long, fur-lined opera cloaks streamed out behind them like misty
clouds in the unearthly glow of the sulphur light, and it seemed as if
they were really a part of the beautiful tableau, which brought forth
such thunderous applause from the delighted audience that it had to be
repeated. This Peace and Allee did not know, however, for with
chattering teeth and trembling limbs, they had fled to the refuge of
their room, pausing only long enough to drop their borrowed finery where
they had found it; and they were crawling underneath the covers once
more when Peace hissed sharply in her sister's ear, "What about the
horses?"

"What's the matter with them?" murmured Allee, too confused and sleepy
to know what her companion was saying.

"We were going out to hear them talk at midnight."

"So we were! Well, I guess they'll have to talk all to themselves again
tonight."

"What? Ain't you going out with me to listen?"

"We'd freeze in our nightgowns and we dahsent take those pussy-cat coats
to the barn," protested the younger sister, aroused by Peace's surprised
exclamation.

"We'll dress."

"Oh, Peace, and then have the fun of taking our clothes off again?"

"We'll put on our stockings and overshoes and bundle up in grandma's
shawls. How'll that do? But first, we better light that candle I told
you about to let the angels know where we are tonight. There--I guess
they'll see it, even if it isn't as big as a lamp. Come on, I heard the
clock strike a long time ago."

If Allee had not been so sleepy she might have remembered one other time
just a year before when Peace had heard the clock strike; but being too
near the land of Nod to realize anything but that Peace was calling her,
she stumbled out of bed once more and allowed herself to be bundled up
in wraps of all sorts until she was as shapeless as a mummy. In this
fashion they slipped down the back stairs and out to the barn without
betraying their presence, though the steps creaked under their weight,
and every door they opened squeaked so alarmingly that Peace held her
breath more than once for fear someone had heard.

Once inside the dark barn, they had to feel their way about, for not a
ray of light penetrated the blackness of the stormy night, and the grim
silence of the place filled th