Melina, herself, was cross, and worked as though she had a personal grudge against every dish and piece of furniture she touched.  The twins and Molly were actually scared into silence, and forbore to make their usual demands on her time and patience.  Charlotte, who understood, kept them and herself as much out of the way as possible, and helped all she could so that Melina might take an early train.

As soon as breakfast was over, Charlotte went to Mrs. Hamilton’s and found Ruth just getting ready for her trip to Boston.

“Why, Charlotte, you’re surely not ready so early as this,” she said in surprise as her friend walked into her room.

“Why, no; the fact is I can’t go to-day.  Melina wants to go, and mother is still too sick to be left alone with the children.  I came over early because I thought you might want to ask some one else.”

“Oh, dear!  Can’t Melina wait till to-morrow?  I’m dreadfully disappointed.”  Ruth looked so reproachful that Charlotte found it harder than she had anticipated.

“You see,” she explained, “Melina wants to send something off to her nephew in Maine, and if she doesn’t start it to-day it won’t get there for Christmas.”

“Bother Melina’s nephew!  I’d set my heart on having you with me to-day, and you know why.”

Charlotte did know why, and much to her own sorrow.  “I’m sorry it’s happened so,” she began, but Ruth interrupted her.

“It isn’t really necessary for me to go to-day.  Why can’t we both go to-morrow?  We don’t mind if the stores are crowded.”

Poor Charlotte looked positively unhappy.  In all the labyrinth of thought through which she had wandered this exceedingly simple solution of the matter hadn’t occurred to her.

“Why, I might,” she stammered feeling her way.  “No, I can’t,” she went on decidedly.  “The truth is, Ruth, I’m not going to buy any Christmas presents this year, after all.”

“Oh,” said Ruth coldly.  “Then, of course, you won’t want to go in town.”

“No, I think I’d better not.  I’m sorry,—­I can’t explain.”

“You don’t need to explain.  You have a perfect right to do as you please, of course.”  Ruth’s tone was so freezingly polite that Charlotte almost shivered.

“I must run back home,” she said at last with an attempt at cheerfulness.  “Would you like to have me ask Betty or Dolly to go with you?”

“No, thank you,” and Ruth busied herself in the tying of a bow with such complete absorption that Charlotte felt that the best and only thing she could do was to go.  She was so absorbed in her own disagreeable thoughts that she plodded along through the snow with her head down, and almost ran over Joe, who was patiently standing in the middle of the walk hoping for just that result.

“Why don’t you warn a fellow when you are coming down upon him like a ship under full sail, Charlotte?” he asked with pretended indignation.