ything of that--"

"Wait and see," said Thaddeus.

"But, Teddy!" Bessie remonstrated. "Those are the amounts of their
wages. You will spoil them, and if I--"

"As I said before, wait, Bess, wait!" said Thaddeus, calmly.
"You'll understand the whole scheme to-morrow, after breakfast."

And she did, and when she did she almost wished for a moment that
she didn't, for after breakfast Thaddeus summoned the three
offenders into his presence, and the effect was not altogether free
from painful features to the forgiving Bess.

"Bridget," Thaddeus said, "do you remember what Mrs. Perkins gave
you last Christmas?"

"I do not!" replied Bridget, rather uncompromisingly; for it was a
matter of history that she thought Mrs. Perkins on the last
Christmas festival had shown signs of parsimony in giving her a
calico gown instead of one of silk.

"Well, you won't forget next year what you got this," said Thaddeus,
dryly. "Here is an envelope containing $18, the amount of your
wages until January 1st. Mary, what did you get last Christmas?"

"A box of candy, sir."

"Nothing else?"

"I believe there was a dress of some kind. I gave it to my cousin."

"Good. I am glad you were so generous. Here is an envelope for
you. It has $16 in it, your wages up to January 1st."

Bessie stood in the doorway, a mute witness to what seemed to her an
incomprehensible scene.

"John, what did you get?"

"Five dollars an' a day off."

"And a two-dollar bill for Dennis, eh?"

"Dennis got that."

"True. Well, John, here's $40 for you--that pays you until January
1st. Now, it strikes me that, considering the behavior of you three
people, I am very generous to pay you your wages a week in advance,
but I am not going to stop there. I have studied you all very
carefully, and I've tried to discover what it is you are fondest of.
Cook and Mary do not seem to care much for dresses, though I believe
there are dresses and gloves under the tree for them, which fact
they will doubtless forget by next Christmas Day. The five dollars
and a day off John seems to remember, though from his manner of
recalling it I do not think his remembrance is a very pleasing one.
Now I've found out what it is you all like the best, and I'm going
to give it to you."

Here the trio endeavored to appear gracious, though they were
manifestly uneasy and a bit dissatisfied with what John would have
called "the luks of t'ings."

"Cook, from the 1st of Januar