THE LIEUTENANT'S STORY CONCLUDED. 287 
at them. Mr. Broadstreet picked out the biggest one. 
" He seems to — ah — bow more vigorously than the 
rest," he said, gravely. 
The girl then proceeded to display various toys and 
gay-colored picture-books, Mr. Broadstreet assenting to 
the choice in every instance, until a large, compact bun- 
dle lay on the counter, plainly marked : — 
jUi^. ^f^ij.&an.f ^aricLiLctai^y ta Le. caLLed faf^/^ 
As the lawyer was leaving the store, he remembered 
something, and turned back. 
" I forgot," he said, I wanted to buy a tree " — 
Just round the corner," interrupted the brown-eyed 
girl, over her shoulder, without looking at him. She was 
already deep in the confidence of the next customer, who 
had told her the early history of two of her children, and 
was now proceeding to the third. Mr. Broadstreet but- 
toned up his coat collar, and stepped out once more into 
the storm. A few moments' walk brought him to a stand 
where the trees were for sale. And what a spicy, fra- 
grant, delicious, jolly place it was, to be sure ! The side- 
walk was flanked right and left with rows upon rows of 
spruce, pine, and fir trees, all gayly decked with tufts of 
snow ; every doorway, too, was full of these trees, as if 
they had huddled in there to get out of the storm. Here 
and there were great boxes, overflowing with evergreen 
and holly boughs, many of which the dealers had taken 
out and stuck into all sorts of crannies and corners of 
