was as easy as
counting. She slipped into the telephone closet and closed the door.

There was no trouble with Hannah that night. She went to bed early, and
didn't care to have any stories told--she could go to sleep by herself.

"Quite a change of heart, eh?" Eli commented to Rose, as they sat by the
living-room fire after telling their little girl good night.

"She has been like that all day, playing as happily as you please," Rose
responded. "I suppose she got it all out of her system in last night's
scene."

Eli drummed abstractedly on the arm of his chair: "I don't feel quite
right about it, even so," he said.

"Maybe you will think me inconsistent," she confessed, flushing, "but
Hannah was so indifferent about the presents sent her for Chanuca, I
only showed her two. I've saved the others to give her Christmas Day, so
she will have something of her own to show when the other children bring
theirs over."

Eli didn't seem any too pleased. "Poor little mite," he murmured.

* * * * *

"His-st! Missis Joseph!"

It was Bridget, the Hallorans' old family servant, calling softly from
the hall.

"I'll be after takin' the prisints ye've stored away for us. I'll lave
'em on the back porch 'n' carry 'em over when the childer are all
asleep. Nellie's in bed like a little angel, bless 'er heart, but them
divilish b'ys do be a-snoopin' into ivery crack 'n' corner!"

Mrs. Joseph unlocked a closet under the stairs, and loaded Bridget's
arm's with heavy and bulky parcels.

"Shure, an' 'tis a sad Chris'mus we'll be havin', savin' the childer.
Mr. Timmy, him that's old Missis Halloran's youngest, but old enough to
know better, he ups an' runs away to-day an' marries a Protestant
gir-rl. An' if ye'll open y'r windy the bit av a crack, ye'll hear the
poor old lady this minit, wailin' like a banshee."

"But Mr. Timothy is such a nice young man, he must have married a lovely
girl, Bridget," said Rose.

"Shure, an' that may be, but she is a Protestant, Missis Joseph. She
runs away fr'm her folks, an' he runs away fr'm his, an' they get
married by a justice o' peace. An' no peace will come o' such doin',
Lord 've mercy on their souls!"

"Oh, poor Grandma Halloran!"

"Poor lovers," said Eli, when Bridget had gone. "I'll wager they had the
very deuce of a time with both sides."

No sooner had they settled themselves again than the door knocker
sounded. Eli admitted Mr. Jackson, t