cheeks were like apples, and her whole face was glowing
from the frosty air. It was just her head that Livingstone saw first, as
she poked it in and peeped around. Then, as Mr. Clark sat with his back
to the door and she saw that no one else was present, the visitor
inserted her whole body and, closing the door softly, with her eyes
dancing and her little mouth puckered up in a mischievous way, she came
on tiptoe across the floor, stealing towards Clark until she was within
a few feet of him, when with a sudden little rush she threw her arms
about his head and clapped her hands quickly over his eyes:

"Guess who it is?" she cried.

Livingstone could hear them through the open door.

"Blue Beard," hazarded Mr. Clark.

"No--o!"

"Queen Victoria?"

"No--o--o!"

"Mary, Queen of Scots?--I know it's a queen."

"No. Now you are not guessing--It isn't any queen, at all."

"Yes, I am--Oh! I know--Santa Claus."

"No; but somebody 'at knows about him."

"Mr. L--m--m--"

Livingstone was not sure that he caught the name.

"No!!" in a very emphatic voice and with a sudden stiffening and a
vehement shake of the head.

Livingstone knew now whose name it was.

"Now, if you guess right this time, you'll get a reward."

"What reward?"

"Why,--Santa Claus will bring you a whole lot of nice--"

"I don't believe that;--he will be too busy with some other folks I
know, who--"

"No, he won't--I know he's going to bring you--Oh!" She suddenly took
one hand from Clark's eyes and clapped it over her mouth--but next
second replaced it.--"And besides, I'll give you a whole lot of kisses."

"Oh! yes, I know--the Princess with the Golden Locks, Santa Claus's
Partner--the sweetest little kitten in the world, and her name is--Kitty
Clark."

"Umhm--m!" And on a sudden, the arms were transferred from about the
forehead to the neck and the little girl, with her sunny head canted to
one side, was making good her promise of reward. Livingstone could hear
the kisses.

The next second they moved out of the line of reflection in
Livingstone's mirror. But he could still catch fragments of what they
said. Clark spoke too low to be heard; but now and then, Livingstone
could catch the little girl's words. Indeed, he could not help hearing
her.

"Oh! papa!" she exclaimed in a tone of disappointment, replying to
something her father had told her.

"But papa you _must_ come--You _promised_!"

Again her father talked to her low and s