a
company of grateful assistants as her Father, her Mother, and the pretty
young Aunt or "Tante" as the Angel called her, all things seemed
possible.

A Christmas Tree it was decreed by her small ladyship her Tenement
should have, and Mrs. O'Malligan's first floor front, failing entirely
in height or breadth to accommodate it, Mr. Dilke came forward and
offered Miss Angelique the Armory in the name of the Fourth Regiment.

And such a Tree! How it towered to the oaken roof and lost itself among
the beams, and laden, festooned, and decorated, how proudly it spread
its great branches out to the balconies!

Mrs. O'Malligan, alone, of all the Tenement, was let into the secret,
and when it was finally disclosed, how the hearts of the favored
fluttered as the Angel delivered her invitations,--every lady, every
lady's husband, and every son and daughter of the Tenement being bidden
to come. Not to steal in at the back door, as if the Armory was ashamed
of its guests, but to walk proudly around the square and enter boldly in
at the front doors of the building. All of which tended to raise the
self-respect of the Tenement, whose spirits went up very high indeed.

And on that eventful Christmas Day, when the guests who were bidden had
arrived, it was discovered that the object most desired of each good
lady's heart, was to be found on, or around the base of that Tree.
Perhaps if Mrs. O'Malligan had explained the meanings of the many
mysterious conferences that had taken place lately in her first floor
front, the ladies might better have understood.

There was a pretty carpet, as well as lace curtains, long the desire of
little Mrs. Tomlins' ambition, the set of "chiny" dishes dear to another
good lady, a dress for this one, a bonnet, a nice rocking chair for
that,--with new hats, pipes and tobacco around for the men,--and in
addition for Mr. Tomlin, an entire suit of clothes and an overcoat, did
that wonderful Tree shed upon his proud shoulders.

Candy, nuts, and fruit were there in abundance, open to all, while the
children paused,--awed, under a deluge of toys such as their eyes had
never beheld the likeness of before.

Nor was this all,--for somewhere about that Tree, hung a document, which
being delivered, revealed to Miss Norma Bonkowski that she was now the
owner and proprietor of that same Costumer's establishment she had so
coveted,--while a most innocent and ordinary looking little book bearing
Mary Carew's name