, and each began to make preparations
for the festival.

The girls made gifts which they carefully kept secret from the ones for
whom they were intended, and many trips were made to the village for
materials.

The boys also had many mysterious errands, and Mr. and Mrs. Warner, who
entered heartily into the spirit of the fun, were frequently consulted
under strict bonds of confidence.

Fourth of July came and proved to be a warm, though not a sultry summer
day.

Invitations had been sent out, and a large party of young people were
expected in the evening; and during the day those who were staying at
Pine Branches found plenty to do by way of preparation.

A large Christmas tree had been cut down, and was brought into the
library. As soon as it was set up, the work of decoration began, and it
was hung with strings of popcorn, and tinsel filigree which Mrs. Warner
had saved from previous Christmas trees. Dozens of candles too, were put
on the branches, to be lighted at night.

The boys brought in great boughs of evergreen, and cut them up, while the
girls made ropes and wreaths and stars, with which to adorn the room.

Mr. Phelps had sent to New York for a large boxful of artificial holly,
and this added greatly to the Christmas effect.

Patty was in her element helping with these arrangements, for she dearly
loved to make believe, and the idea of a Christmas party in midsummer
appealed very strongly to her sense of humour.

Her energy and enthusiasm were untiring, and her original ideas called
forth the hearty applause of the others. She was consulted about
everything, and her decisions were always accepted.

Mr. Phelps too, proved a clever and willing worker. He was an athletic
young man, and he seemed to be capable of doing half a dozen different
things at once. He cut greens, and hung wreaths, and ran up and down
stepladders, and even managed to fasten a large gilt star to the very top
branch of the Christmas tree.

After the decorations were all completed, everybody brought their gifts
neatly tied up and labelled, and either hung them on the tree or piled
them up around the platform on which it stood.

"Well, you children have done wonders," said Mrs. Warner, looking in at
the library door. "You have transformed this room until I hardly can
recognise it, and it looks for all the world exactly like Christmas. It
is hard to believe that it is really Fourth of July."

"It seems too bad not to have any of