The children remembered perfectly. They had carried some shoes to the church to go in that barrel. “When we came to pack the things,” said Mrs. Merrill, “there was that straw hat of Olive’s, the one with the pink roses. The flowers were faded, but the hat was really too good for Olive to give away, and I told her so.” “While we were turning the hat about and looking at it,” Mrs. Merrill went on, “Dora’s silver bear dropped out of a fold of velvet. I can’t account for his getting into it, but that is where he was.” The children knew how he got there. Lucy remembered picking up Olive’s hat from the sand the very morning Arcturus ran away. All the time he was hiding in the velvet, so the sifting of the sand didn’t make him appear. “Arcturus has come home!” said Dora happily. “How nice that he came on Christmas morning. I felt dreadfully when he ran away, but if he hadn’t, probably I would never have had the Chinese kitten. I hope Arcturus won’t be jealous of Vega.” “Mother,” said Lucy, “it’s your turn now. You and Father open your presents.” “Not until I am dressed,” said Mrs. Merrill. “This sitting about in a kimono is chilly work.” “My feet _are_ cold,” Lucy admitted. “You and Dora run and get into your clothes,” said Mrs. Merrill. “Come, Father.” Dora made no motion to start. “My feet are cold, too,” she said. “Father, do you think if a person had only one foot, it could possibly be so cold as two?” “I’m sure I don’t know,” said Mr. Merrill. “I will ask Uncle Dan,” said Dora. “And I must tell him that Arcturus has come home. How surprised he will be! I can’t see how Uncle Dan can sleep on Christmas morning. I woke him once, but he must have gone to sleep again. Father, did you know that the star of Bethlehem was shining this morning?” “Over in the east?” asked Father Merrill. “Yes, Dora, I saw it.” THE END End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Kitten, by Edna A. Brown