“You didn’t try to catch anybody, did you?” she smiled.

“What ever put such a thing into your head?” he demanded fiercely.

She laughed.  “I have seen you a few times before to-night.”

He frowned—­then broke into a chuckle.

“Bless you!” he said fervently.

“Nelson Randolph!” she suddenly cried out, trying to break away from him, “The windows!  I forgot!”

“What’s the matter with them?” he twinkled.  “They’re all shut.”

“But the shades!  They’re up!—­Nelson!”

“What if they are?” he returned comfortably.

“Somebody may look in!”

He smilingly held her tight.  “If any wanderer is abroad in this cold, he ought to be rewarded with a picture of domestic bliss.”

“But if Mrs. Betts should be coming home late!—­”

“She’d probably be disappointed that it was only I, instead of some other woman’s husband.”

“Nelson, do let me go!...I think we might find easier seats,” she laughed, as she came back to him.

He turned her toward the little mantel clock.  It was two minutes of twelve.

“Almost Christmas morning!” she said softly.  “I wonder if they’ll call us up to-night.”

“Hardly.  We should have heard before.  Everything was complete at ten o’clock.”

“How surprised they were!” she mused smilingly.  “I’m so glad you did it for them.”

“I am glad you did it!” he amended.

She started to reply, but he lifted a detaining finger.  The city hall clock was striking the hour.

“My princess,”—­his lips touched her own,—­“I wish you the joyfulest Christmas—­”

“Ting! ting!  Ting! ti-i-ng!” broke in imperiously.

“Go,” he urged, loosing his clasp.

“Oh, Mis’ Randolph! is that you?” came in Miss Crilly’s clear voice.  “We all wish you a merry, merry Christmas, and we thank you more than we can ever tell if we live to be a hundred years old!  They piled into my room to wait till Christmas morning, for they would have me do the talking, though I can’t do it half so well as some of the rest of ’em!  Oh, you don’t know how surprised we were!  We stood talking in my door.  Mis’ Albright and Miss Mullaly and Miss Major and I, and I said, ‘Come in and sit down!’ So I struck a light, and happened to glance this way!  Well, I gave one scream, and looked round to make sure where I was; and Miss Mullaly she squealed out, ‘How came that here?’ Then I spun across the room lively!  And when I picked up your card with its dear little piece of mistletoe—­well, you could have knocked me down easy!  We heard little shouts and laughs all up and down, and Miss Major said, ’I wonder—­’ and ran right off to her room quick.  Then the others caught on, and they went!  I had to follow, of course, to see!  And when we found there was a ’phone in every room—­we just didn’t know what to do!  Why, if I wake up in the night I shall want to run over here to feel of it, just to make sure it is true!  To think of your doing it for us!”