ntment
against his new employer.

"It's best to forgive and forget," he said. "It pays in the long
run."

The old mistress caught her breath. "Then it is just as I thought!"
she said, drawing herself up to her full height. "I'll not ask you
to tell what took place. It's best for me not to know. But one
thing is certain, Lars Gunnarson shall never get his hands on my
father's stick!"

She had already turned to go, then suddenly faced about. "Here,
Jan," she said, holding out the things. "You may have the stick and
cap, for I want them to be in good, honest hands. I daren't take
them home again lest I be forced to turn them over to Lars; so you
keep them as a memento of the old master, who always thought well
of you."

Then she walked away, erect and proud, and there Jan stood holding
the cap and stick. He hardly knew how it had come about. He had
never expected to be so honoured. Were these heirlooms now to be
his? Then in a moment, he found an explanation: Glory Goldie was
back of it all. The old mistress knew that he was soon to be
elevated to a station so exalted that nothing would be too good for
him. Indeed, had the stick been of silver and the cap of gold they
would have been even more suitable for the father of Glory Goldie.

CLOTHED IN SATIN

No letter had come from Glory Goldie to either her father or
mother. But it mattered very little now that Jan knew she was
silent simply because she wished her parents to be all the more
surprised and happy when the time came for her to proclaim the good
tidings.

But, in any case, it was a good thing for him that he had peeped
into her cards. Otherwise he might easily have been made a fool of
by persons who thought they knew more about Glory's doings than he
did. For instance, there was Katrina's experience at church the
first Sunday in Advent. Katrina had been to service, and upon her
return Jan had noticed that she was both alarmed and depressed.

She had seen a couple of youths who were just back from Stockholm
standing on the church knoll talking with a group of young boys and
girls. Thinking they might be able to give her some news of Glory
Goldie, she had gone up to them to make inquiries.

The youths were evidently telling of some of their escapades, for
all the men, at least, laughed uproariously. Katrina thought their
behaviour very unseemly, considering they were on church ground.
The men must have realized this themselves, for when she came up
th