£ 84 * 
THE SNOW 
brow. And well might It sleep under such a soft, 
white coverlet. No' Insects could annoy It now ; no 
weeds would overcrowd the flowers. I do not be- 
lieve that Joseph had forgotten the garden. In 
his sensible way, he was content to let It sleep. 
“On Christmas,” Queenle shouted, “I am going 
to have a new doll and a new butterfly net, and 
enough candy to make me sick for a week!” 
Joseph asked her how she knew. 
“Oh,” she answered, “Auntie finds out what I 
wish, and then tells Santa Claus.” 
There was a mischievous twinkle In Queenle’s 
eyes. It was one of the moments when no one 
could tell whether she was serious or not. 
Before the sun went down, we all had a drive 
with our own horse In Aunt Amanda’s old sleigh. 
Two days more would bring us Christmas eve and 
the party at Nestly Heights. The same time would 
bring Mr. Percy back again, and almost tooi soon 
I thought our first Christmas at the Six Spruces 
would slip over our heads. Mrs. Keith has de- 
clared that so far we have done nothing to disgrace 
our great-aunt. 
While our garden sleeps, Joseph and I are thank- 
ful that here In Nestly we found so faithful a 
helper as Timothy Pennell and such good neigh- 
bours as Miss Wiseman and Mr. Hayden of Nestly 
Heights. We do not believe that there Is another 
little , girl so whimsical and so^ wise as Queenle 
Perth, nor another who has tamed a butterfly ; but. 
