ind of a Christmas did you have?"

"We didn't have any."

"No Christmas!" said Amy, quite overcome. "Oh, well, I suppose you are
going to have a good time on New Year's instead."

Bertie shook his head.

"No'm, I guess not. We never have it different from other times."

Amy was silent from sheer amazement. Edith understood better, and she
changed the subject.

"Have you any brothers or sisters, Bertie?"

"No'm," returned Bertie cheerfully. "I guess there's enough of us
without that. I must be going now. I'm very much obliged to you."

Edith slipped from the room as he spoke, and met him again at the
door. She held out a pair of warm-looking mittens.

"These are for William John," she said simply, "so that you can have
your own. They are a pair of mine which are too big for me. I know
Papa will say it is all right. Goodbye, Bertie."

"Goodbye--and thank you," stammered Bertie, as the door closed. Then
he hastened home to William John.

That evening Doctor Forbes noticed a peculiarly thoughtful look on
Edith's face as she sat gazing into the glowing coal fire after
dinner. He laid his hand on her dark curls inquiringly.

"What are you musing over?"

"There was a little boy here today," began Edith.

"Oh, such a dear little boy," broke in Amy eagerly from the corner,
where she was playing with her kitten. "His name was Bertie Ross. He
brought up the parcels, and we asked him in to get warm. He had no
mittens, and his hands were almost frozen. And, oh, Papa, just
think!--he said he never had any Christmas or New Year at all."

"Poor little fellow!" said the doctor. "I've heard of him; a pretty
hard time he has of it, I think."

"He was so pretty, Papa. And Edie gave him her blue mittens for
William John."

"The plot deepens. Who is William John?"

"Oh, a cousin or something, didn't he say Edie? Anyway, he is sick,
and he wanted to go coasting, and Bertie gave him his mittens. And I
suppose he never had any Christmas either."

"There are plenty who haven't," said the doctor, taking up his paper
with a sigh. "Well, girlies, you seem interested in this little fellow
so, if you like, you may invite him and his cousin to take dinner with
you on New Year's night."

"Oh, Papa!" said Edith, her eyes shining like stars.

The doctor laughed. "Write him a nice little note of invitation--you
are the lady of the house, you know--and I'll see that he gets it
tomorrow."

And this was how it came to pass that B