hristmas feast.

"That's the prettiest cake I ever saw if I do say so," she cried,
patting the round cherry which adorned the centre of the gaily frosted
cake. Then, lest she grow cheerful, she drew a long sigh from the depths
of her bosom. "But, cake or no cake, I never thought I'd live to feed
Mill persons, coming to our table like the best people. Things plain
common. It ain't like the old days--it ain't."

"The old days are old days, Hannah Budge," rebuked Harkness, who had
come into the kitchen. "Mebbe our little lydy's ways aren't our ways but
it isn't so bad hearing the young voices and you'll admit, Mrs. Budge,
that that's a fine cake and there'd be no cake if Missy wasn't here,
now, won't you?"

"I haven't time for your philosophizing, Timothy Harkness. With things
at sixes and sevens I have enough to do!" But Mrs. Budge's tone had
softened. She _had_ not made a Christmas cake (at sixteen Hannah Budge
had taken the prize at the County Agricultural Exhibit for the finest
decorated cake, and she had never forgotten it) since Master Christopher
the Third had left them. And she _had_ enjoyed hearing young voices and
eager steps in the old house and had caught herself that very morning,
as she helped Chloe stuff the turkey, singing:

"Oh, com-m-me let 'tus a-dor-r-re Him."

Chloe's last delectable dish for the dinner eaten, Harkness drew back
the folding doors to reveal the Christmas tree in the conservatory. And
Robin, waiting for Mrs. Lynch's "oh" of admiration, gave vent herself to
a delighted cry of surprise for, at the foot of the tree, so still as to
seem a graven image, sat little Susy, cross-legged, staring in wrapt
contentment at the bright ornaments.

"Susy, you _darling_, where in the world did you drop from?" Robin
rushed to her and knelt at her side.

Without moving her eyes so much as a fraction of an inch, Susy indicated
the side door of the conservatory as her means of entrance. In one hand
she clutched a soiled ragged picture book, on its uppermost page the
colorful illustration of "The Night before Christmas." Susy had not
forgotten the magic of that side door which had opened for her upon a
feast beyond her wildest imaginings; if there were a place on earth
where that Christmas tree of her picture could come really true it must
be at the "big girl's." Alone she had bravely climbed the hill to the
Manor to find out.

Not a word could Robin's questioning drag from her.

"You shall stay he