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he night." A knock at the door. "Come, Maggie." XIII JIM AND SUSY, MRS. FOUNTAIN, FOUNTAIN _Jim and Susy_, pushing in: "We can't sleep, mother. May we have a pillow fight to keep us amused till we're drowsy?" _Mrs. Fountain_, desolately: "Yes, go and have your pillow fight. It doesn't matter now. We're sending the presents all back, anyway." She begins frantically wrapping some of the things up. _Susy_: "Oh, father, are you sending them back?" _Jim_: "She's just making believe. Isn't she, father?" _Fountain_: "Well, I'm not so sure of that. If she doesn't do it, I will." _Mrs. Fountain_, desisting: "Will you go right back to bed?" _Jim and Susy_: "Yes, we will." _Mrs. Fountain_: "And to sleep, instantly?" _Jim and Susy_, in succession: "We won't keep awake a minute longer." _Mrs. Fountain_: "Very well, then, we'll see. Now be off with you." As they put their heads together and go out laughing: "And remember, if you come here another single time, back go every one of the presents." _Fountain_: "As soon as ever Santa Claus can find a moment for it." _Jim_, derisively: "Oh, yes, Santa Claus!" _Susy_: "I guess if you wait for Santa Claus to take them back!" XIV MRS. FOUNTAIN, FOUNTAIN _Mrs. Fountain_: "Tiresome little wretches. Of course we can't expect them to keep up the self-deception." _Fountain_: "They'll grow to another. When they're men and women they'll pretend that Christmas is delightful, and go round giving people the presents that they've worn their lives out in buying and getting together. And they'll work themselves up into the notion that they are really enjoying it, when they know at the bottom of their souls that they loathe the whole job." _Mrs. Fountain_: "There you are with your pessimism again! And I had just begun to feel cheerful about it!" _Fountain_: "Since when? Since I proposed sending this rubbish back to the givers with our curse?" _Mrs. Fountain_: "No, I was thinking what fun it would be if we could get up a sort of Christmas game, and do it just among relations and intimate friends." _Fountain_: "Ah, I wish you luck of it. Then the thing would begin to have some reality, and just as in proportion as people had the worst feelings in giving the presents, their best feeling would be hurt in getting them back." _Mrs. Fountain_: "Then wh
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