for her sturdy little soul had met her first dis-
illusionment at school, at the hands of some
other little girls, before whom she would not
have shown any deep disappointment over
finding Santa a myth. She thought it all over
and accepted it; for she could recall a number
of facts that seemed to bear out the truth!

And happy they all were that night. No
tragedy met them at the Murchison home,
whither all except Betty drove after dinner and
a reasonable interval. Betty met Lucia and the
other girls, who were taking part in the carols,
at the big 'Y' building.

Lovely, lovely Christmas Eve! So thought
Betty as they started in the machines for the
different points at which they were to sing
“especially,” though the voices rang out all
along the way in the beautiful Christmas music.
It was still snowing by fits and starts, though
not enough to cover the ground as yet. The
lights of the city, the soft flakes of snow, and
a bright sky above, helped make the Christmas
atmosphere; for there were only drifting clouds
as yet and behind them, beyond them, or through
them shone the starlight.

They stopped at one place where there was
a sanitarium in the poorer part of the city.
Windows came up a little to make the words and

[[151]]

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