"Oh, I wasn't so hot," laughed Mary Louise modestly. "I'll tell you who was the star of the afternoon--little Rosemary Dotts. She was so funny. She forgot all of her piece except the second line--'I'm going to have plum pudding!' Well, she said that once, and then she stared around at the audience and repeated it. And still she couldn't think of any more, so she said it again, and rubbed her fat little tummy as she repeated it. Well, she kept that up until I thought we'd just pass out laughing at her. Honestly, the tears were rolling down my cheeks. Her teacher had to come up to the platform and take her away." "That must have been funny," agreed Mrs. Gay. "Well, I guess you're thankful that it's all over. How do you like this weather for your vacation?" Mary Louise's brown eyes sparkled with pleasure. "It's keen!" she exclaimed. She executed a little dance step in her joy. "Two whole weeks with nothing to do but coast and skate and dance!" "And eat and sleep once in a while." "Oh yes, of course. Especially eat. What would Christmas be without eating?" "What are you going to do now?" inquired her mother. "Go coasting. Max and Norman are bringing the bobsled over in ten minutes, and Jane and I are supposed to be ready." "You better hurry, then. Get something to eat first. And--I forgot to tell you--your father wants to see you at half-past five this afternoon. Be sure to be home in time. He said he wanted to 'consult' you." "About somebody's Christmas present? I thought all our Christmas shopping was finished last week." "It was. This hasn't anything to do with presents, but it concerns your Christmas vacation, I believe," replied Mrs. Gay. "Oh, that sounds exciting!" exclaimed Mary Louise. Mr. Gay was a detective on the police force, and, knowing his daughter's keen interest in the solution of crimes, he sometimes discussed his cases with her. Already she had shown marked ability in the same line herself by unraveling two baffling mysteries the preceding summer. She ran out into the kitchen and poured out a glass of milk for herself and cut a piece of chocolate cake. This brisk weather certainly made her feel hungry, and the refreshments tasted good. Then she dashed upstairs to change into her "snow suit," a long-trousered costume that happened to be popular with the older girls at the moment. When she was all ready she opened her side window and whistled to her chum, Jane Patterson, who lived across the snow-covered lawn in the house next door. "Yo, Jane!" she called. Immediately a corresponding window flew up, and a youthful face appeared at the enclosure. "Ready!" was the reply. "The boys there yet?" "I think I hear them," returned Mary Louise. "Come on over." The windows were slammed down simultaneously, and the two girls dashed downstairs to their porches. Before they had finished putting on their goloshes, the boys were at the Gays' house.