ening preparation, so as to have a gay time all to themselves. To make
matters more thrillsome they turned out the light, and sat in the
flickering glow of the fire. Gowan, having the largest acquaintance with
the occult, not to speak of having possessed a great-grandmother endowed
with second sight, was universally acknowledged priestess of the
ceremonies.

"Shall we begin with apples or chestnuts?" she asked seriously.

As some said one thing and some another, she held a specimen of each
behind her back, and commanded Carmel to choose right hand or left. The
lot fell upon chestnuts, and these were placed neatly in pairs along the
bars of the grate.

"You name them after yourself and your sweetheart," explained Gowan. "If
he pops first, he'll ask you to marry him."

"And suppose the other pops first?" asked Carmel.

"Then you won't marry him!"

"Doesn't it mean that it may be Leap Year, and the girl will 'pop the
question'?" asked Dulcie, still giggling.

"No, it doesn't."

"Suppose they neither of them pop?" said Prissie.

"It's a sign that neither cares, but it's not very likely to
happen--they nearly always pop."

"I pricked mine with my penknife, though."

"The more goose you! Take them back and try two fresh ones."

It is rather a delicate and finger-scorching process to balance
chestnuts on the bars, and as a matter of fact Prissie's tumbled into
the fire, and could not be rescued. The party was obliged to watch them
burn. They helped her to place another in position, then sat round,
keeping careful eyes on their particular representatives. It was
forbidden to reveal names, so each kept the identity of her favored
swain locked in her breast. It seemed a long time before those chestnuts
were ready! Love's delays are notoriously hard to bear. Never were omens
watched so anxiously. Slap! Bang! Pop! at last came from Carmel's
particular corner, and fragments flew about indiscriminately on to
hearth and fire.

"It's 'him'!" cried Gowan ungrammatically. "He's done it most thoroughly
too! Carmel, you'll be married the first of any of us! You'll ask us to
the wedding, won't you?"

At that moment a chorus of pops came from the grate, causing much
rejoicing or dismay from the various owners of the chestnuts, according
to the fate meted out to them by the omens. On the whole Cupid was kind,
though Lilias and Gowan were left in the lurch.

"I don't care!" said Gowan sturdily. "I've another in my mind, and