“May I take some of the little chaps out sleigh-riding to-morrow morning?” asked Ben, a heartful of sympathy shining in his boyish face.
“Yes, Ben; and you don’t know how those little lads look forward to their drives with you. We shall have to call you the Charioteer of the Convalescent Home,” said Miss Hartwell.
Then, as the door closed behind them, Mr. Danforth speedily bundled the Club into the sleigh for the homeward drive.
When they turned into Berkeley Avenue, Elsa thought she caught a sight, far ahead, of her grandmother’s gray horse; but she decided it could not have been, because her grandmother almost never went driving in the morning, and she surely would not be away from home when there was so much to see about in regard to the Christmas-tree. Even Elsa herself did not know what all the surprises were to be, although she knew that many wonderful things were going to happen that Christmas afternoon.
That afternoon, the surprises came so fast and so astonishingly that the heads of the Christmas Makers’ Club and of all concerned fairly whirled with excitement.
To begin with, Ben and Alice thought it strange indeed that Mrs. Danforth’s gray horse and handsome double-seated sleigh were sent to take their mother and them to the Christmas party.
“Why couldn’t we go with Jerry just as well?” Ben asked loyally. “I could cover him all up with his blanket and hitch him in front of Elsa’s grandmother’s house.”
But Mrs. Holt only smiled for answer. The children had found their mother very bright-eyed, on their return, and she had been more than usually tender with them, but had told them nothing as yet.
“Do you think Elsa’s grandmother will let us drive home, or will we have to walk?” Alice asked gravely.
“I think she will have us drive home,” said Mrs. Holt, turning aside to hide the happy tears that would spring into her eyes. She had dressed Alice in her prettiest white dress,—a soft muslin with dainty lace-trimmed ruffles,—and Ben wore for the first time a new dark blue blouse suit; for Mrs. Holt was anxious to have her children look their best that afternoon.