118 GWENDOLINVE.

“chick-a-my, craney-crowed” up-stairs till the nursery was
reached.

“Now, all go to bed, and go to sleep as soon as you can,”
said Aunt Mary, “for Santa Claus may come early, and if any
of you are awake he might not stop.”

“Not at all?” exclaimed Gwendoline, in dismay.

“Oh, yes,” interposed Theo, “he would come back; but
the nicest toys might be gone by that time.”

So Gwendoline cuddled down in her bed, only once sitting
up and saying in a loud whisper to Theo, who was nearly
asleep in her little bed on the other side of the room, “ Feo,
has he come yet ?”

“No,” replied Theo, sleepily. And Gwendoline settled
back again among her pillows.

Soon they were all sound asleep, though Allen, as his father
stopped by his door, roused up and looked at his empty stock-
ing, saying, “ He ain’t come yet ;” but he was soon asleep again.
After a while the whole house was wrapped in slumber except
Lilypaws, who was on the alert for mice in the kitchen, and
whose great round eyes were the only ones open. She may
have heard Santa Claus, but no one else did, and cats, fortu-
nately, can keep a secret. However, Santa Claus had come
and gone when two rosy lips began to whisper in their sleep,
and soon two blue eyes opened and looked around the room.
Gwendoline was wide awake. She sat up in bed; how quiet it
was! The moon was shining broadly in through the window,