n't you know it?"

"Forgotten. But mother'd hear us."

"No, she wouldn't. Don't you know how she trusts everything about the
house to Marietta since she got that fall--"

"Mother get a fall?"

"Why, _yes_!" Guy stared at his brother with some impatience. "Don't
you remember she fell down the back stairs a year ago last October,
and hurt her knee?"

"Certainly, Oliver," his wife interposed. "I wrote for you to tell her
how sorry we were. But I supposed she had entirely recovered."

"She's a little bit lame, and always will be," said Guy, a touch of
reproach in his tone. "Her knee stiffens up in the night, and she
doesn't get up and go prowling about at the least noise, the way she
used to. Marietta won't let her. So if we make a whisper of noise
Marietta'll tell her it's the cat or something. Good Lord! yes--it can
be worked all right. The only thing that worries me is the fear that I
can't get you all to take hold of the scheme. On my word, Ol,"--he
turned quite away from his sister-in-law's critical gaze and faced his
brother with something like indignation in his frank young
eyes--"don't we owe the old home anything but a present tied up in
tissue paper once a year?"

Marian began to speak. She thought Guy was exceeding his rights in
talking as if they had been at fault. It was not often that elderly
people had so many children within call--loyal children who would do
anything within reason. But certainly a man owed something to his own
family. And at Christmas! Why not carry out this plan at some other--

Her husband abruptly interrupted her. He took his pipe quite out of
his mouth and spoke decidedly.

"Guy, I believe you're right. I'll be sorry to desert my own kids, of
course, but I rather think they can stand it for once. If the others
fall into line, you may count on me."

Guy got away, feeling that the worst of his troubles was over. In his
younger sister, Nan, he hoped to find an ardent ally and he was not
disappointed. Carolyn--Mrs. Charles Wetmore--also fell in heartily
with the plan. Ralph, from somewhere in the far West, wrote that he
would get home or break a leg. Edson thought the idea rather a foolish
one, but was persuaded by Jessica, his wife--whom Guy privately
declared a trump--that he must go by all means. And so they all fell
into line, and there remained for Guy only the working out of the
details.

* * * * *

"Mis' Fernald"--Marietta Cooley strove w