kel contributed to the party had been saved only a
few hours, but Dorothea was only five, and the old yellow _praline_
woman knew about her income, and came trudging all the way up the stairs
each week on "pay-day."

Even after the invitations were sent it seemed to Dolly that the
"party-day" would never come, for there were to be "three sleeps" before
it should arrive.

It was Ethel's idea to send the cards early, so as to forestall any home
preparation among the guests.

But all things come to him who waits--even Christmas. And so at last the
great day arrived.

Nearly all the invited had accepted, and everything was very exciting;
but the situation was not without its difficulties.

Even though she was out every day, it had been so hard to keep every
tell-tale preparation out of Mrs. Frey's sight. But when she had found a
pan of crullers on the top pantry shelf, or heard the muffled
"gobble-gobble" of the turkey shut up in the old flour-barrel, or smelt
invisible bananas and apples, she had been truly none the wiser, but had
only said, "Bless their generous hearts! They are getting up a fine
dinner to send to somebody."

Indeed, Mrs. Frey never got an inkling of the whole truth until she
tripped up the stairs a half-hour before dinner on Christmas day to
find the feast all spread.

The old mahogany table, extended to its full length, stood gorgeous in
decorations of palmetto, moss, and flowers out upon the deep back porch,
which was converted into a very pretty chamber by the hanging curtain of
gray.

If she had any misgivings about it, she betrayed them by no single word
or look, but there were bright red spots upon her usually pale cheeks as
she passed, smiling, into her room to dash into the dinner dress Ethel
had laid out for her.

To have her poverty-stricken home invaded by a host of strangers was
striking a blow at the most sensitive weakness of this proud woman. And
yet the loving motive which was so plain through it all, showing the
very spirit in her dear children for which she had prayed, was too
sacred a thing to be chilled by even a half-shade of disapproval.

"And who are coming, dear?" she asked of Meg, as soon as she could trust
her voice.

"All the roomers, Momsy, excepting the little hunchback lady and Madame
Coraline."

"Madame Coraline!" Mrs. Frey could not help exclaiming.

"Yes, Momsy. She accepted, and she _even came_, but she went back just
now. She was dressed terribly fine-