artment stores, and was
taken upstairs by Ephraim, there to be concealed.

On the night before Christmas, following the time-honored custom,
stockings of every size and color were strung up around the big
fire-place in the living-room. Those of the Judge, Jim and Len not
being large enough, garments of a satisfactory size were generously
tendered by Dorothy and Molly. Going late to bed, hoping that old
Santa Claus would be good to each of them, the young folks awoke in
the morning to find their stockings fairly bulging with good things.

There was a cane and a pocketbook from the Judge to Jim, and wearing
apparel running from neckties to shirts from Aunt Betty and the
girls. Len came in for a similar lot of presents, his gift from the
Judge being a shining five-dollar gold piece, which he declared
should go in the savings bank as a foundation of his fortune.

Dorothy and Molly were well remembered, the gifts being both pretty
and useful, and running principally to toilet articles and lingerie,
while Aunt Betty found great difficulty in lifting her stocking from
its peg over the fire-place, so heavy was it.

Early Christmas morning came a belated 'phone message from Herr
Deichenberg, accepting on the part of him and Frau Deichenberg, the
kind invitation extended by Aunt Betty to gather around the festive
Christmas board. It had been necessary to postpone two lessons, the
music master said, which accounted for the delay in letting them
know.

At ten o'clock Gerald and Aurora arrived. There had been a slight
protest on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Blank at the children being away
from home for Christmas dinner, but a compromise had been effected by
which they were to eat with their parents on New Year's Day.

With the arrival of Herr and Frau Deichenberg nothing then remained
but to serve the dinner. Metty and Ephraim were both pressed into
service, and with Chloe and Dinah working like Trojans in the
kitchen, the meal was served on scheduled time, and to the entire
satisfaction of everyone concerned.

Tale and jest passed around the table, as the members of the
Christmas party made merry.

"Christmas comes but once a year," some one has said, and with this
in their minds, trouble was given its _conge_ for the time being, and
mirth and gayety reigned supreme.

Herr Deichenberg was asked to tell of the old German customs at
Christmas time, which he did in an interesting way. He told of the
toymakers of Nuremberg and