"I don't want you to tell anybody I had a hand in this, Reverend. Just tellin' you because I care about what _you_ think, and because I want you to know the straight goods. It's goin' to be done, and so you can stop worryin'. That's got me more than once--see you lookin' so anxious. And then there's Jack. I hate to have him know over there in France what happened Saturday night. I'm sending him the paper and along with it a copy of the agreement. That's all. I'm not going to have _his_ town disgraced again. So long, Reverend, and get some sleep. You need it." There were tears in Dick's eyes as he wrung Mulligan's hand. "You better believe I'll sleep," he said. "Now, we'll have our festival, and I'm counting on your being there. The General and his staff are coming, and we'll have a surprise which couldn't have been sprung if it hadn't been for what you've done. You've saved Sabinsport more than once, Mulligan, but you never did it so good a turn as to-day." "Nothing in that, Reverend. Thank the Katcham woman. I had to beat her to it." Dick went back to his pipe. He was too happy to sleep. He remembered a remark of Katie's, made months ago, and he repeated it aloud, "The Lord sure is a wonder!" * * * * * For several years now Sabinsport had had a Christmas tree on the square at five P. M. of Christmas eve, with carols and prayers and the free distribution to all the children of large and enticing stockings filled with candies. At six, almost every house in town had lighted candles in its windows. This year they were to have their Christmas tree as usual, but, in deference to Mr. Hoover, the candies and candles were to be saved. At nine o'clock on Christmas night, there was to be a community celebration, the details of which nobody seemed to know, but the program had been hinted at in every quarter of the town in such a mysterious way that the anticipation was high. Dick and Nancy had been responsible for drawing everybody in. The mines and mills, as well as High Town, had representatives. Every quarter knew that somebody from its ranks was to do something, though what that something was was an entire secret. Sabinsport had a wonderful place for a great community celebration--the Opera House. When Mulligan and Cowder planned the Opera House they had been in their most optimistic mood. They wanted it big--big enough for conventions and expositions--"a stage on which you could have a circus," was Jake's idea. The result was a great, gaudy barn with a stage which would have done for a hippodrome. Financially, the size of the thing had defeated its purpose, but for a great town celebration it was magnificent. It was none too big for the affair in which Dick was interested.