“Prissie just went away to have a good time, and she never meant to earn money, and she forgot all about them,” grumbled the naughty little girl.
Hattie came up and pummelled Rose for her bad words. Katie cried afresh, and altogether the scene was most dismal.
Now, however, it was over. The children were in the land of happy dreams. They were eating their Christmas dinner over again, and looking with ecstasy at their tiny, tiny Christmas gifts, and listening once more to Prissie, who had a low, sweet voice, and who was singing to them the old and beloved words—
“Peace and goodwill to men.”
The children were happy in their dreams, and Prissie was standing by Aunt Raby’s side.
“Why don’t you sit down, child? You have done nothing but fidget, fidget, for the last half-hour.”
“I want to go out, Aunt Raby.”
“To go out? Sakes! what for? And on such a night, too!”
“I want to see Mr Hayes.”
“Prissie, I think you have got a bee in your bonnet. You’ll be lost in this mist.”