nd now they
were to be handed over to the little owner, and hidden until the next day.

Bella soon found that it was not the hyacinths only that were causing
Joan's excitement. "I've got something for you, too," she said eagerly,
and she drew out from amongst her cushions and under her rug several
interesting-looking parcels.

"They are secrets, and you mustn't look inside them until you get home,"
she said firmly. "That one is for your father, and that is for your
aunt, and this is for you; that is for Tom, and that for Charlie, and this
one is for Margery. I can't help your seeing it is a dolly, for I can't
wrap it up any better, it is so big and bulgy."

Bella tried her hardest to thank the kind little invalid as warmly as she
felt, but her surprise and delight nearly robbed her altogether of speech.

"Oh, and they shall all go on father's tree!" she gasped delightedly, as
the idea suddenly came to her. Then, of course, Joan had to be told about
the little tree that their father had brought home with him, and she grew
almost as excited as Bella herself.

"Do put my parcels on it, and don't, please, tell them anything about them
until the tree is lighted up. Have you got candles for it?"

Bella shook her head. She had not thought about lighting up the tree.

"Will you, please, pass me that box on the table?" asked Joan, and when
Bella had done so, she opened it and took from it six little Christmas
candles. "I have lots," she said; "do, please, have these."

"I do think Christmas is the most lovely time of all the year!" said Bella
to Tom, as, with her parcels carefully hidden at the bottom of her big
basket, they drove on again, and Tom agreed.

Inside the shops and outside the Christmas spirit reigned that day.
Buyers and sellers all seemed possessed with it, and so busy was every one
that there was no dawdling over the making of purchases, and the children,
though they had an even larger supply than usual, had sold out their store
quite early.

"We could start for home at once," said Bella, as the clock struck one,
"but I would like to take home just one or two little things for the
Christmas tree, and some oranges and nuts--and oh, I wish we could get
some nice little present for father, and something for Aunt Emma.
Do you think we might, Tom?"

"Yes," said Tom, without hesitation; "we'll spend the holly money--my
share of it, I mean. You see, it won't be like wasting it; we will get
them somet