llsport shops
with Neil and selected presents which he thought would please them both.

On the day before Christmas, Major-General Durant, who had been
attending a conference in Washington, came home. Teeny-bits had expected
to stand in awe before this high official of the United States Army; he
was therefore somewhat surprised to find him a genial, easy-to-talk-to
man who took obvious delight in getting back to the freedom and
informality of his home. He was full of stories and keenly interested in
Ridgley School affairs. He himself was the most prominent alumnus of
Ridgley and had many an incident to tell Neil and Teeny-bits about the
days when he himself had played on the football team.

Christmas passed all too quickly. The Durants celebrated it in the good,
old-fashioned manner with a big tree in the living room where a roaring
fire of logs sent myriads of sparks leaping up the chimney. There were
gifts from all the family to Teeny-bits and not the least appreciated of
the presents that came to the visitor was a pair of fur-lined gloves
from Ma and Pa Holbrook, just such a pair as they would select,--warm
and substantial.

Sylvia Durant seemed to have a way of understanding what a person was
thinking about. "Isn't that a good present!" she said. "They're so warm
and comfortable feeling. They'll be just what you'll need for the winter
sports up at the Norris place."

There was not so great a difference after all, Teeny-bits said to
himself, between this Christmas and other Christmases; though the
surroundings were different, the same genial, kindly spirit brooded over
this luxurious home in Dellsport as always brooded at Christmas time
over the humble home in Hamilton. He could shut his eyes and imagine
that Ma and Pa Holbrook were in the room taking it all in and looking
about them with beaming faces.

And then it was all over. On the morning after Christmas Major-General
Durant went back to Washington and Mrs. Durant and Sylvia went with him
to spend the rest of the holidays in the Capitol City.

Neil and Teeny-bits, having seen them off, prepared to start northward
to the Norris place in the Whiteface Mountains. Teeny-bits felt none too
glad to leave the Durant home; those six days had been filled to
overflowing with happiness.

"You're coming again," Sylvia had said, and when Teeny-bits had replied,
"I hope so," she had added, "Why, of course you are. Every one wants you
to."

It was a four-hour run by