“This must be the big surprise,” she said to Mother.
“The ring is a surprise to me,” said Mrs. Merrill, “for I didn’t know what was in that package. But it is not the surprise I mean.”
Dora again felt her stocking and discovered a tiny wad of tissue paper. She untwisted it and her eyes and mouth both opened.
“Mother!” she exclaimed after a second, “oh, Mother! Mother! is it really Arcturus, my Arcturus? Where did he come from? Oh, Mother, my bear, my own little silver bear!”
“You can never guess where we found him,” said Mrs. Merrill.
“Did somebody find him at the beach? Did Uncle Dan go over again?” asked Lucy, as excited as Dora.
“Arcturus came home from the beach when we did,” said Mrs. Merrill. “He has been in Westmore all the time, though not in our house.”
“Where was he?” Dora asked eagerly.
“He was found last week,” said Mrs. Merrill, “but I thought since it was so near Christmas he might as well come back in your stocking. You remember that I went to the church to help pack a missionary barrel?”