By half-past two o'clock the tall balsam tree, heavy with its weight of decorations and strange Christmas fruit, was pronounced finished, and the party of jubilant young people reluctantly separated to assemble after dinner for one of their old-time frolics.
The evening train brought Arnold Evans, and Miriam found herself whisked down Chapel Hill toward Grace's home by David and Arnold despite her protests that neither she nor Arnold really belonged.

"You and Arnold are the honorary members," David reminded her, "and are, therefore, eligible to all our revels." When, at eight o'clock, the little group of guests, which included Mrs.
Gray, had gathered in the Harlowe's cozy living room and to Mr.Harlowe had fallen the honor of playing Santa Claus, something peculiar happened.

Nearly all the gifts fell to Hippy, who rose with every repetition of his name, bowed profoundly, grinned significantly in his best Chessy-cat manner and, swooping down upon the gifts, gathered them unto himself.

As he was about to take smiling possession of a large, flat package an indignant, "Let me see that package, Mr.Harlowe," from Nora O'Malley caused all eyes to be focused upon it.
"Just as I suspected," sputtered Nora, glaring at the offending Hippy, whose grin appeared to grow wider with every second.

Taking the package from Mr.Harlowe, she triumphantly held up a holly-wreathed card that had been deftly concealed beneath a fold of tissue paper, and read, "To Grace, with love from Nora." "Discovered!" exclaimed Hippy in hollow tones, making a dive for the package and failing to secure it.
Nora held it above her head.