r she saw three airily attired figures
flying up the third-story stairs.

Hurrying into her dressing-gown, she followed. She found them in the
star chamber with the window wide open, shouting themselves hoarse at
Ikey, who had been awakened by the telephone bell.

"You crazy children, you will take cold! Put the window down at once."

"Oh, Auntie, it was such fun! Ikey was so surprised!" they cried.

"I should imagine so," severely.

"You needn't pretend to look cross, Aunt Zelie, for you just can't,"
laughed Carl.

"Now for our stockings!" cried Bess, and there was a rush for the
nursery.

Such laughing, such squeals of delight, such cries of admiration, as
were to be heard there for the next half hour!

Carie in her long night-gown pranced wildly around a wonderful white
bear, which moved its head and growled in a most natural manner when
Carl wound it up. Helen hugged in one arm the beautiful doll Cousin
Helen had dressed for her, while she dived into the toe of her
stocking. Bess and Louise sat on their new sled and turned the pages
of a story-book. Carie brought matters to a climax by backing into her
bath-tub, which Aunt Sukey had just brought in and placed by the fire.
She was rescued, dripping and somewhat aggrieved, amid great laughter.
Such an every-day matter as breakfast was hardly worth thinking of,
there was so much else in prospect. All the uncles and aunts and
cousins were coming to dinner, and after that the tree! There was
enough to keep them in a gale of excitement.

Bess and Louise had a plan of their own which no one else knew about,
and after breakfast they stole off together.

Going into her little study not long after, Aunt Zelie found them
there. Bess stood on a chair holding a vase which she had just filled
with white roses; Louise stood beside her with some others in her
hand.

"Oh, Auntie!" they both exclaimed, "we didn't want you to come till it
was all done."

"Shall I go away?" she asked, smiling.

"We'll tell you about it now, shan't we, Bess?" said Louise. "You
know," she continued, as her sister nodded approval, "we thought
perhaps Uncle Carl would be glad if we remembered him on Christmas,
and we couldn't think of anything but flowers."

Bess had placed the vase on a bracket beneath her uncle's portrait,
and now came down from the chair, adding anxiously, "You like it,
don't you, Aunt Zelie?"

"The vase wouldn't hold them all, so you must wear the rest," and
Louise