“I didn’t believe!  I didn’t believe!”

Over and over the words came tremblingly.  “I prayed and prayed, but I didn’t believe!  He let it happen, and I didn’t believe!”

For some moments there were queer movements of twitching hands and twisting feet by the side of the cot, but after a while a tear-stained, awed, and shy-illumined face looked up from the arms in which it had been hidden and ten slender fingers intertwined around the knees of a hunched-up little body, which on the floor drew itself closer to the fire.

It was a wonderful world, this world in which she lived.  Carmencita’s eyes were looking toward the window, through which she could see the shining stars.  Wonderful things happened in it, and quite beyond explaining were these things, and there was no use trying to understand.  Two days ago she was just a little girl who lived in a place she hated and was too young to go to work, and who had a blind father and no rich friends or relations, and there was nothing nice that could happen just so.

“But things don’t happen just so.  They happen—­don’t anybody know how, I guess.”  Carmencita nodded at the stars.  “I’ve prayed a good many times before and nothing happened, and I don’t know why all this beautifulness should have come to me, and Mrs. Beckwith, who is good as gold, though a poor manager with babies, shouldn’t ever have any luck.  I don’t understand, but I’m awful thankful.  I wish I could let God know, and the Christ-child know, how thankful I am.  Maybe the way they’d like me to tell is by doing something nice for somebody else.  I know.  I’ll ask Miss Parker to supper Christmas night.  She’s an awful poky person and needs new teeth, but she says she’s so sick of mending pants, she wishes some days she was dead.  And I’ll ask the Damanarkist.  He hasn’t anywhere to go, and he hates rich people so it’s ruined his stomach.  Hate is an awful ruiner.”

For some moments longer Carmencita sat in huddled silence, then presently she spoke again.

“I didn’t intend to give Miss Cattie Burns anything.  I’ve tried to like Miss Cattie and I can’t.  But it was very good in her to send us a quarter of a cord of wood for a Christmas present.  She can’t help being practical.  I’ll take her that red geranium to-morrow.  I raised it from a slip, and I hate to see it go, but it’s all I’ve got to give.  It will have to go.

“And to-morrow.  I mean to-day—­this is Christmas day!  Oh, a happy Christmas, everybody!” Carmencita’s arms swung out, then circled swiftly back to her heart.  “For everybody in all the world I’d make it happy if I could!  And I’m going to a wedding to-day—­a wedding!  I don’t wonder you’re thrilly, Carmencita Bell!”

For a half-moment breath came quiveringly from the parted lips, then again at the window and the stars beyond the little head nodded.