"She has been like that all day, playing as happily as you please," Rose responded. "I suppose she got it all out of her system in last night's scene."
Eli drummed abstractedly on the arm of his chair: "I don't feel quite right about it, even so," he said.
"Maybe you will think me inconsistent," she confessed, flushing, "but Hannah was so indifferent about the presents sent her for Chanuca, I only showed her two. I've saved the others to give her Christmas Day, so she will have something of her own to show when the other children bring theirs over."
Eli didn't seem any too pleased. "Poor little mite," he murmured.
"His-st! Missis Joseph!"
It was Bridget, the Hallorans' old family servant, calling softly from the hall.
"I'll be after takin' the prisints ye've stored away for us. I'll lave 'em on the back porch 'n' carry 'em over when the childer are all asleep. Nellie's in bed like a little angel, bless 'er heart, but them divilish b'ys do be a-snoopin' into ivery crack 'n' corner!"
Mrs. Joseph unlocked a closet under the stairs, and loaded Bridget's arm's with heavy and bulky parcels.
"Shure, an' 'tis a sad Chris'mus we'll be havin', savin' the childer. Mr. Timmy, him that's old Missis Halloran's youngest, but old enough to know better, he ups an' runs away to-day an' marries a Protestant gir-rl. An' if ye'll open y'r windy the bit av a crack, ye'll hear the poor old lady this minit, wailin' like a banshee."