Mrs. Hollister couldn’t speak.  They stood under the mistletoe.  She just raised herself up and gave Mr. Casey two hearty smacks, at which there arose a shout.

“I shan’t try to thank you,” she said, “for I can not.”

Then another surprise came in shape of a wonderful diamond la valliere or pendant, and poor Mrs. Hollister was most embarrassed.

“Mr. Casey,” she said, “you are going to get me in wrong.  People may criticise me.”

Then Tom’s present came—­a lovely grey silk evening wrap trimmed with chinchilla, and verily Mrs. Hollister was nearly off her head.

Grandmother received a long silk coat lined with fur and trimmed with a large lynx collar and cuffs—­from Mr. Casey also.

“Don’t think that I bought out a furrier,” he said, “but I know people always need them.”

Ethel received a lovely pendant from Mr. Casey and one from Tom, while Nora presented her with a beautiful diamond ring.

Everyone was happy this Christmas eve and strange to say Mr. Casey took Aunt Susan right under the mistletoe and kissed her, which made Grandmother laugh immoderately.

During one of the moments when people were rather quiet, Harvey Bigelow took Nora by the hand and walked up to Mr. Casey who was standing under the mistletoe; in fact, he had stood nowhere else during the evening.

“Mr. Casey,” he said, “I ask of you the most valuable gift that a father can give.  I ask the hand of this dear girl,” and he kissed Nora gently.

Mr. Casey, who had imbibed somewhat plentifully of punch, and who was quite warm, looked at the two for a moment.

“An’ is it this that ye two have been up to?” he said.  “Nora, me child, do ye wish it to be?”

“Yes, Papa,” faltered the girl, “I love Harvey.”

“An’ suppose I withhold my consent—­what then?”

“Then I shall still love him, but I shall never marry without it.”

“Hear that now.  Nora, my good girl,” and taking her hand he placed it in
Harvey’s, “I give her to ye.  All I ask is that ye shall make her happy. 
Let her niver regret this day—­that’s all,” and he wiped his eyes.

Nora flung her arms around him while Harvey wrung his hand.

“You’ll never have cause to regret, nor shall she,” he said.  “I’ll love and cherish her until death parts us, and I’ll work for her so that she’ll be proud of me.”

Ethel kissed them both; in fact, so did everyone.  Aunt Susan and Tom were delighted.

“I always liked him,” she said.  “Anyone who looks me square in the eye, Mr. Casey, I’ll bank on every time.”

It was long after midnight when the Xmas party broke up.  The young man who had always played at Mrs. Hollister’s teas for the sum of three dollars played the Virginia Reel, and everyone danced,—­even Grandmother.  Mr. Casey took so many funny fancy steps that it was hard to get him through with the figures, after which Nora and Ethel showed the elderly people how to dance the turkey trot, which of course was shocking.  When the young musician left he was richer by fifty dollars—­gifts of Mr. Casey, Tom Harper, and Mrs. Hollister, for she told of how lovely his mother was and how she had been her bridesmaid.