Part 20 (1/2)

”You kids were all right, but I didn't care for all that singing. I wish they'd have something lively like fencing. Carol said he saw a man over at Mattoon, the time he went with his father, who was a wonder. Wish I could learn.”

”I don't believe Father would let you, but I'll help tease if you want me to.”

”Frank knows how a little--he showed me.”

”Frank and Marian are coming over for breakfast in the morning, so we can have our presents all together. Say, let's hang our stockings up.”

”Pshaw, we're too old for that--we never get anything in them but candy or oranges--and I don't think Mother wants us to any more.”

”I don't care--it's fun. Come on!”

Jane got one of Ernest's socks and her own longest stocking. They were busy fastening them to the ends of the marble mantel when Alice came in.

Alice had not returned with the others, d.i.c.k Harding having undertaken to see her safely home.

”Oh, children,” she exclaimed, distressed, ”I've lost one of my brown gloves. I wish you'd look for it for me first thing in the morning--it must be near the gate somewhere. And it's time for you to go to bed now.

I guess your mother didn't hear you come in or she would have called you.”

”Bet I beat you up in the morning,” teased Ernest as they started upstairs.

”Bet you don't. Say, Ernest, please wake me up when you do. I'm awful tired and maybe I won't wake up early. I want to help fix the presents.”

”All right, Sis, I will.” Ernest gave her a little pat. He was very fond of this only sister but didn't care to show it in public.

But Ernest proved as sound a sleeper as Jane in the morning. Alice had breakfast almost ready and the family table bulged with numerous brown and white paper packages--this was before the epidemic of tissue paper and baby ribbon--when Dr. Morton's cheery ”Merry Christmas, Sleepy-heads!” routed them out.

A chorus of ”Merry Christmases” responded. Ernest's was vigorous and Chicken Little's sleepy, but Frank and Marian, just coming in the side door, called l.u.s.tily, and Mrs. Morton chimed in with one for each individual member of the family.

Chicken Little flew down the stairs in her nightgown to have a peep at the fascinating table. She entirely forgot her stocking, which was perhaps just as well, for when she did investigate it after breakfast, she found only a piece of kindling neatly wrapped inside.

”I told you Mother thought we were too old!” reminded Ernest.

But the table was all that could be desired. Chicken Little began cautiously feeling the packages at her place till her mother discovered her and sent her upstairs to dress.

”Oh, Ernest, there was one funny little flat box just like the one Katy's bracelet came in. You don't s'pose--do you?” And she gave one ecstatic jump in antic.i.p.ation of the glorious possibility.

Chicken Little's hair went back with a sweep under the round rubber comb, tangles and all. She really couldn't take time to comb it--and her plaid dress had every other b.u.t.ton carefully unfastened. Brother Frank remarked that the front elevation was more attractive than the rear, and Marian rushed her off upstairs to make her tidy.

Chicken Little's own contributions to the pile of gifts were made triumphantly after she had driven every other member of the family out of the dining room. She tucked her packages clear down at the bottom of each pile with the exception of Ernest's present. It crowned the heap because she couldn't wait to have him open it. Her father had given her the money for a pocket microscope which Ernest had been coveting for months.

Mrs. Morton made Alice set a place for herself and share their family festival. Dr. Morton could scarcely finish saying grace before there was a general falling to at the parcels. For some reason Dr. Morton had a prejudice against Christmas trees, and it was always the family custom to have the gifts at the breakfast table.

Chicken Little waited just long enough to see Ernest's face light up over the microscope before she pounced joyously upon her biggest parcel which certainly looked like a doll.

The rest of the family suspended operations to watch her as she lifted the lid of the box, her face aglow with antic.i.p.ation. She gave one long satisfied look at the contents in perfect silence then voiced her delight in a series of little shrieks.

”Oh Mother!--it is! Oh, the darling!--and it can talk! I didn't know it could talk! And see those red shoes--and isn't that the dearest dress?

Oh--Mother!” Chicken Little jumped up from her chair to fling herself on her mother's neck in a grateful hug.

But there were more joys. One _was_ a gold bracelet--from Frank and Marian. Alice had made a nightgown and a fascinating coat for Miss Dolly, and Ernest had bought a marvelous trunk for the young lady.