“One week from tonight it will be Christmas eve,” she said softly, “How I wish we might find the poor father and restore him to his family. What happiness it would bring, for no other Christmas gift would be more welcome to the little mother and her three babies.” “Such things only happen in story books, not in real life, Megsy dear,” Virginia said, quietly. “And yet truth is stranger than fiction.” Margaret replied as she prepared the bed that she and Virginia were to occupy in the little house that they might be near the sick mother. And Margaret was right. Truth is stranger than fiction. CHAPTER XVI CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD Three days had passed and the little mother had responded to the loving care of the two girls. Nourishing food taken each hour had revived her and slowly she was regaining her strength. She was able to walk about the little house and care for her babies. Virginia assured her that she need worry about nothing; that she and her children would be well cared for as long as she wished to remain there. The frail woman took the girl’s hand and with tears in her eyes she said: “You are one of God’s angels sent to save my babies and now may He guide my husband back to me.” “He will! I know He will, Mrs. Mahoy,” Virginia said earnestly. Then hearing the telephone ringing in the big ranch house, she ran to answer it. Margaret had also heard the summons and the two girls met on the veranda. Together they raced to the living-room, but it was Virginia who first reached the phone. “Oh, Brother Malcolm,” she exclaimed, “Where have you been all these three days? I feared that you had been dragged over the border by Mexican bandits. Have you found all of the straying cattle?” Then after listening with shining eyes for a moment, Virginia exclaimed: “Oh, goodie. We’ll come at once. I have a very exciting something to tell you, but it will keep till we get there. Good-bye, Buddie.” “Guess what Malcolm wants us to do?” she then exclaimed as she looked beamingly up at Margaret. “Well, dear, I judge that he wants us to ride somewhere and meet him for some reason which seems pleasing to his sister.” Virginia laughed. “You ought to know what we are to do if you will put on your thinking cap. Do you remember what I said brother and I do every year just before Christmas?” Margaret looked blank and shook her head. “Why, we were talking about it only last week when you said you wished that you could see snow and—” “Oho! I know now. We are to meet Malcolm somewhere and go up into the mountains after a Christmas tree.” Then she added blithely: “Virginia, do you remember that on that very same day you wished that we might have a child to dance around the Christmas tree and now we have three children, and so it will be heaps more fun, won’t it?” As the girls chattered, they entered their bedrooms to exchange their house dresses for their khaki riding habits.