The workers were all quite ready to do justice to the lunch spread out for them by Aunt Bettie. Uncle Dick came in during the meal, exclaiming, “O, do save me a sandwich, Alsie, for I’m almost starved!”

“Where’s the holly? Did you get any mistletoe? Are there any wreaths? Is there plenty of cedar?” were the questions poured out upon him before he had opportunity to sit down.

“Yes, to all the questions, and I’ll begin work just as soon as I rest a bit and eat a bite,” laughingly answered Uncle Dick. “Does that satisfy all parties?”

Uncle Dick was a great favorite with the children in the family he loved them and seemed to find genuine pleasure in playing, talking, and romping with the “small fry,” so it was not surprising that they should take almost complete possession of him whenever he came.

“Your father’s improvement continues,” said Mrs. Gordon with a happy smile, in reply to her son’s question as to how the invalid was feeling. “He seems so bright and well to-day and sat in the invalid chair this morning for more than an hour. I think he is surely gaining strength at last.”

“He’s looking forward toward to-morrow with lots of pleasure, too,” said Alsie. “Yesterday, when I was in his room, he asked what I expected to find in my stocking, and playfully suggested that he and I would have to be careful not to get our stockings mixed. Do you know, Uncle Dick, I had hardly given a moment’s thought to what I was going to get, for I have been so busy ”

Alsie caught herself just in time to keep from disclosing the secret to the busy little grandmother, who, a few moments later, hurried out of the dining room to resume once more her position in the sick-chamber.

“Look out the window, Alsie!” exclaimed Emily at this point, “it looks like our hopes for a white Christmas are going to be realized.”

Sure enough, the snow was falling fast and the ground already began to look white.

“If it just keeps up, Auntee, won’t we have a beautiful Christmas?” exclaimed Alsie enthusiastically. Alice had been looking out, too, and the shadow of doubt pulled at her heart-strings.

Could it be the last Christmas O, surely such a terrible sorrow was not in store for them all! What would the merry season be without him?

These were the thoughts that flashed through her mind, but at the sound of the clear little voice beside her, she dismissed them and answered cheerily, “I think we are going to have a beautiful Christmas in every way but it’s time to be about our work now. Ask Uncle Dick if he left the cedar out on the porch.”

The cedar was brought in likewise the holly and mistletoe and oh, how pretty the red berries looked, and how pretty the garlands of evergreen looked when tied up with the crimson ribbons!

“How do you like these?” called Uncle Dick as he smoothed out a great roll of posters. “I picked them up around the office, and thought they would help in the decorations.”

Alsie and Emily were filled with delight at sight of the great colored newspaper sheets, covered with all manner of pictures of the dear old saint. There he was just ready to climb down the chimney another poster pictured him on his annual journey driving his reindeer over the snowy ground. And so on it seemed as if every stage of the Christmas trip had been photographed in colors.

“I will pin this life-sized portrait of Santa Claus over the fireplace here,” said Uncle Dick, “and you two girlies may get busy at once making garlands of evergreen to drape about him, and also over these others, for they must all have a touch of green; isn’t that so, Alice?”

“By all means,” answered his sister, with a laugh. “It’s really a very clever idea, Dick, to bring all these posters out, for they give a festive touch to our decorations.”

After two hours of hard work, in which hammer, nails, and stepladder played a considerable part, the library was almost transformed in appearance. Every window and picture was festooned with Christmas green, and the merry face of Santa Claus was visible from the bookcases, the desk, and many other nooks about the room.

“What about the pie, Auntee? Aren’t we ready for it now?” questioned Alsie and Emily with impatience, as a general survey of the room was taken.

“This is just the time where we will have to be very careful,” was the reply. “Alsie, suppose you and Emily offer to walk out with grandmother when she goes to meet Aunt Martha and little James, on the five o’clock train, and as soon as you get her safely out of the house Uncle Dick can bring the pie and other things into the library, where we can all have a hand in fixing it up later. Of course I shall carry the key to the library the rest of the evening, for after keeping the secret this long, I am determined that mother shall have as much of the surprise and pleasure as father.”

Seeing a look of disappointment on the two little faces at the idea of being banished just at the most interesting stage of the fun, Alice continued reassuringly, “It is almost train time now, chicks, and you know I can’t go with grandmother to-day, so practice the Golden Rule and run along. After your return from the station, you may come again to the library for, as you know, grandmother will want to have a good hour’s conversation with Aunt Martha before tea-time.”

No further urging was necessary. The two girls skipped away cheerfully, and a few minutes later were out in the snowstorm with the little grandmother between them, all three being well bundled up in coats and overshoes.

In less than an hour they had returned, the greetings were over, grandmother had taken Aunt Martha off to her room for the predicted chat, and the two little girls were taking their cousin James to the library. He had been told about the pie and was curious to know what it really looked like, for James was not gifted with a vivid imagination.

He soon found out, however. Aunt Alice had covered over the entire top of the old mahogany library table with soft cotton, and hanging from the edges was a deep border of the lovely Christmas paper which is used so much in these latter days for decorations. Around the edges were laid sprays of the rarer and more delicate evergreen sent from the South by the loving daughter. In the center rose the pie, and over all was sprinkled the glistening powder, which gave the whole an appearance of real snow. It was, in truth, a wonderful creation, and the children gazed at the lovely vision in speechless delight.

“The big box, containing the comfort, is behind the piano, James, and there are lots of other things, too big to go in the pie, stowed away in the various corners of the room, but the cards are all in the pie, and each tells just where to find a package. Some lovely flowers and plants have been sent in this afternoon, but we’ll wait until morning to bring them into the library. There is the couch close beside the fireplace, and if dear father is just able to be brought in to-morrow I think he will fully enjoy the Christmas we have had so much pleasure in preparing for him. Suppose we go out now, for it is tea-time, and, besides, almost everything has been done.”

So saying, Alice turned to the door. The little party hastened out, and its members were soon engaged in a romp with Uncle Dick in the sitting room.