odox turkey and roast beef, plum-pudding and mince-
pies, but when dessert was over there came a moment of thrilling
excitement, as the servants placed one heaped trayful of presents on the
table before Dr Trevor, and another at the bottom before his wife. The
long-looked-for moment had come at last!

Well, it was a pleasant sight to see the twinkle in the doctor's tired
eyes as he looked round the table at his five children, and exchanged a
smile of comradeship with his pretty wife. His long delicate hand, the
true doctor's hand, lifted the topmost parcel from the tray, and held it
aloft while he read aloud the laborious inscription--"`To Miles, hopping
he will like it, from Pam.' Here you are, Miles!" and down the table it
went, from one eager pair of hands to another, while Pam blushed a vivid
red, and wriggled bashfully on her chair.

There were a great many wrappings, and the dimensions of the parcel
diminished so rapidly as to excuse serious fears that it contained
nothing more substantial than a joke, but such an idea was an insult to
Pam's generosity. She had bestowed much thought on the choice of this
special present, and could not in the least understand the roar of
laughter which rose from every side as the last paper fell away to
disclose a magnificent sixpenny tooth-brush in all its creamy splendour.

Miles' face was a study as he gazed upon it, and turned it speculatively
to and fro.

"Anything personal meant, Pam?" he inquired, and, "Yes, please, Miles!"
replied innocent Pam, and blushed again to the verge of tears at the
second shout of merriment.

"It's a very useful present, dear," Mrs Trevor said consolingly, and
hastened to give the conversation a turn by doling out another parcel
from her own tray.

"`Betty, with love from Jill.'"

It was a very small parcel, and Betty looked at it with suspicion,
remembering the sticking-plaster and watered eau de Cologne, but things
turned out better than she expected, the enclosure being quite a pretty
hat-pin, of a colour to match her best hat.

"Just what I wanted!" was both the true and the gracious manner of
acknowledging this trophy, as also the book from Jack, and the gloves
from Miles, which presently fell to her share. Then it was the doctor's
turn, his wife having retired behind the screen to bring forth an
enormous parcel, which could only be laid on a chair by his side, since
it was far too big to place on the table itself.

"For me? W