"I made up my mind Christmas, and Christmas doin's, was all foolishness," pursued 'Liphalet. "I just got a grouch on the whole business. I said I wouldn't play Santa Claus for the young'uns no more, or have anything to do with such didoes. "But I got to confess, brothers and sisters, that I just _had_ to go to town same's usual and buy a bag full of toys an' sech and a new Santa Claus suit. They're hid away in my garret! "An'--an' here you folks have gone to work and bought me this beautiful music box----By Hannah! I don't desarve it!" cried the ex-steward vigorously. "An' I don't desarve to be Santa Claus this year nor to give out the presents as I used to. I--I ain't been in the Christmas sperit----" "Christmas spirit your granny!" burst out Doctor Ambrose again, amidst a general use of pocket handkerchiefs by the feminine part of the audience. "You let me put you through a course of sprouts, and I'll make you the most spirited Santa Claus that ever came down a cardboard chimney!" CHAPTER XXX "CHRISTMAS GIFT" Eliphalet Truitt stumbled out of the Shell Road store a little later with fingers tingling from the pressure of many friendly hands and with tear-blinded eyes. Perhaps this latter fact was what caused him to all but run into a much smaller craft on the wind-swept road. The clouds were broken overhead and the moon, peering through, shed sufficient light for the startled ex-steward to identify his vis-à-vis. "Sue? By Hannah! I reckoned you'd be 'twixt your blankets," he declared. "Oh, 'Liphalet!" she cried. "Pearly and I have been giving the last touches to the Christmas tree. And Pearly----Why! where is she?" Miss Sue had not seen her companion dart ahead to join Helmford, who had likewise come down the store steps. "Pearly's going to live with me, 'Liphalet--for a while at least. Cap'n Jonah will stay with Cap'n Abe here at the store. But Pearly will need somebody to help with her sewing--you know----" She halted with a blush that 'Liphalet did not see. Then, eagerly: "I suppose Cap'n Abe presented the music box to you, 'Liphalet? I did not mean to miss that. But I had to rouse out Washy Gallup and start him over to old Suz Montevedo's for the night. The Ladies' Aid will find watchers for poor Suz, turn about, until he is better." "By Hannah!" breathed the ex-steward looking hungrily into her face. "You knowed about that music box the folks was getting me all the time, didn't you, Susan?" "Oh, yes. And I thought you would surely suspect something that day in front of the post-office when you saw it in Perry Baker's wagon." Her laugh, so low and mellow, thrilled him. Somehow he caught both of her fluttering hands and she let them lie in his grasp. "Susan!" he said. "Yes, 'Liphalet," and her sweet eyes were suddenly raised boldly to his own. "If you didn't have all that money----" "What money do you mean, 'Liphalet?" she asked, puzzled.