cause of so long a delay but she offered no excuse.

"Let's all look at our stockings first," said Ethel Brown, and every
hand dived in and brought out candy, nuts, raisins, an apple, an orange,
dates and figs and candy animals.

There were gifts among the goodies, or instructions where to find them.
Roger discovered a pocket book that had been his desire for a long time,
and a card that advised him to look under the desk in the library and
see what was waiting for him. He dashed off in a high state of curiosity
and came back whooping, with a typewriter in his arms.

"Aren't Grandfather and Grandmother the best ever!" he exclaimed
rapturously, and he paid no further attention to his other gifts or to
those of the rest of the family while he hunted out a small table and
arranged the machine for immediate action.

Helen's chief presents were a ring with a small pearl, from her
grandmother and a set of Stevenson from her grandfather. The Ethels had
each a tennis racquet and each a desk of a size suitable for their
bedroom.

"They'll go one on each side of the window," exclaimed Ethel Brown,
while Ethel Blue at once began to store away in hers the supply of
stationery that came with it.

Katharine's gifts were quite as numerous as the Mortons', for her mother
had forwarded to Mrs. Morton's care all those of suitable size that came
to Buffalo for her. She opened one after another: books, hair ribbons, a
pair of silk stockings for dancing school, a tiny silver watch on a long
chain. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson had added to her store a racquet like the
Ethels'.

More numerous than those of any of the others were Dicky's presents, and
they were varied, indeed. A velocipede was his grandfather's offering
and was received with shouts of delight. Blocks of a new sort occupied
him when his mother stopped his travels on three wheels. A train of cars
made its way under Katharine's feet and nearly threw her down, to her
intense disgust, and a pair of roller skates brought Dicky himself in
her way so often that she spoke to him more sharply than he had ever
been spoken to in his life. He drew away and stared at her solemnly.

"You're a cross girl," he announced after a disconcerting pause, and
Katharine flushed deeply at the accusation, realizing that it was not
polite to rebuke your hostess's brother and regretting her hasty speech.

"Are you good for a long walk?" Roger asked Katharine after breakfast.

Katharine said she was.