No answer.
"Mr. St. Nick has gone and mother wants you," came next.
"He's gone," whispered Jean. "He won't take us to-day, Jack. Let's get out." So out they crawled and joined the others on the veranda.
"Come here, you silly little girls," said their mother. "Don't you know that I would never part with one of my blessed children under any circumstances? You are little goosies to get such an idea into your heads. I am sure Mary Lee, at least, ought to have known better."
"They seemed so tremendously in earnest," said Mary Lee ruefully. "You would have thought it absolutely had to be if you had been there."
Mrs. Corner laughed. "I am afraid after all you haven't had a very happy day," she said.
"Oh, we did, we did," declared Mary Lee, "even if I was teased and Jack did get her hands hurt. They are perfectly dear lovely people and I want to go there whenever I can." The others echoed Mary Lee's opinion, even Jack, who concluded the matter by saying:
"I think we ought to try to get a granddaughter for Mr. St. Nick when he wants one so much," a remark which bore fruit in the future in a way no one expected.