"I fear I shall be tempted to break into the room before Christmas night and unearth the whole business.

But tell me this much.

Who is in the surprise ?" "All of us," declared Nora.

"But now we'll have to get somebody to take the place of----" She paused and blushed scarlet.
"Mr.Thomas Gray," announced the old butler at the door, with a peculiar expression on his countenance.
There was a dead silence.

Mrs.Gray sat as if turned to stone, while David half rose from his seat and Hippy seized a bread and butter knife to plunge into the heart of his enemy, if necessary.
"Aunt Rose," cried a voice outside, "aren't you glad to see me ?" A broad-shouldered, well-built young man walked into the room and kissed the old lady right in the mouth, before she could say a word.