"Well," replied Aunt Tulip, "I didn't mind settin' up an' gittin' the boy's things kinder decent. But, Miss Betty, the boy has got to have a Chris'mus stockin'." "Of course," cried Betty. "You can put some apples and oranges and nuts in it." "An' Cesar an' me kin give him a quarter apiece to'des a new pair of shoes. His shoes ain' nothin' 'tall." Betty dived into her dressing-table drawer and took out of her little purse a dollar bill. "And this is from Grandfather, for the shoes, too. He would never forgive us if something wasn't put into the boy's stocking from him. Now, what can I think of to give him?" "He ain' got no collar nor cravat," said Aunt Tulip. "He would look right nice to-morrer if he jes' had a collar and cravat." Betty was well off in collars, and produced four. Then, unfastening the scarlet ribbon from around her waist, she seized her needle and thimble, and in five minutes had sewed the ribbon into a large and very presentable cravat, and proceeded to fringe out the ends. Aunt Tulip watched her with delighted eyes. "Lord!" she said, "that chile will be tickled to death when he gits his Chris'mus stockin'. An' you know, Miss Betty, I been thinkin' that boy could be mighty useful at Holly Lodge, pickin' up chips and carryin' the wood upstairs and huntin' up the turkeys." "I think so, too," replied Betty, rolling up the cravat and the collars. "If he is any good, he could save you and Uncle Cesar a great many steps." Presently, Betty was in her little white bed for a short nap, because she could not think of not being up and dressed on Christmas morning, although she had danced twenty-five miles between eight o'clock in the evening and five in the morning. Aunt Tulip, too, took what she called her "cat nap," and at eight o'clock on Christmas morning everything was awake and stirring at Holly Lodge. CHAPTER VII FORTESCUE AND ROSES AND BIRDSEYE