Lilian said to her, there entered her father, with
Mr. Murchison and the countess. “Oh, Lucia,
look!” cried Betty, leaning around a group of
costumed players to speak to Lucia, who was
in the group, as she added her youthful con-
tralto to the choir.

Lucia smiled and nodded. “I knew they were
coming,” she said.

Perhaps it was due to the inspiration or
presence of Countess Coletti, but the second
performance, according to Mrs. Lee, surpassed
the first. Restless little junior high pupils
appreciated the privilege of this assembly and
were still at all the proper places. No wrongly
timed giggles of laughter disturbed the play,
which went through, without seeming hurried,
in a shorter time. It was one of the things that
one hated to have over, according to Betty,
though she was glad that she did not have to
pose as long as did the “angel.”

“What are you going to do tonight after the
carols, Betty?” asked the countess, who had
come back to see Lucia a moment after the play.

“Just go home,” replied Betty, simply. “It's
Christmas Eve, you know.”

“Indeed I do know, Betty,” returned the
countess gravely. “It is going to be a little hard
for Lucia tonight. It was last year. I thought

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