“Guess I’ll have to,” grinned Tom.
They found their mother in the kitchen busy with the evening meal.
“Mother, we’ve got a Christmas surprise for you,” said Helen. “Come in the living room.”
Mrs. Blair looked up quickly.
“That’s thoughtful of you,” she said, “but I hope you didn’t spend too much money.”
Wiping her hands on her apron, she preceded them into the living room.
“Where is it?” she asked.
“Over there on the library table,” replied Helen, pointing to an envelope tied with a band of red ribbon with a sprig of holly on top.
Mrs. Blair picked up the envelope, untied the ribbon and looked inside. She pulled out two objects. One was a long, green strip of paper with many perforations and much printing. The other was a small black book similar to a check book.
She held the long slip with hands that trembled as she read it.