ALL the shops in Lakeville wore a holiday air, for money was plentiful and trade was unusually brisk. The windows were gay with wreaths of holly and glittering strings of Christmas-tree ornaments. Clerks were busy and smiling. Customers, alert for bargains, crowded about the counters and parted cheerfully from their cash. Persons in the streets, laden with parcels of every shape, size and color, pushed eagerly through the doors or hurried along the busy thoroughfares. All wore an air of eager expectancy, for two weeks of December were gone and Christmas was fairly scrambling into sight.

The five girls had money to spend. Very little of it, to be sure, belonged to the Cottagers; but Henrietta had a great deal, and, as they all went together on their shopping expeditions, it didn't matter very much, as far as enjoyment went, who did the purchasing. Bettie said that it was quite as much fun to help Henrietta pick out a five-dollar scarf pin for Simmons, the butler, as it was to choose ten-cent paper weights for Bob and Dick. Besides, no one was obliged to go home empty-handed, because it took all five to carry Henrietta's purchases.

All five were making things besides. Sometimes they sewed at Jean's, sometimes at Henrietta's, occasionally at Marjory's and once in a while at Mabel's. They liked least of all to go to Marjory's because Aunty Jane, who was a wonderfully particular housekeeper, objected to their walking on her hardwood floors and seemed equally averse to having them step on the rugs. As they couldn't very well use the ceiling or feel entirely comfortable under the battery of Aunty Jane's disapproving glances, they liked to go where they were more warmly welcomed. Perhaps Henrietta's once-dreaded home was the most popular place, though in that fascinating abode they could not accomplish a great deal in the sewing line because Henrietta invariably produced such a bewildering array of unusual belongings to show them that their eyes kept busier than their fingers. In another way, however, they accomplished a great deal. Henrietta, who was really very clever with her needle, had started at one time or another a great many different articles. These, in their half-finished condition—the changeable girl was much better at beginning things than at completing them—she lavishly bestowed on her friends. Lovely flowered ribbons, dainty bits of silk and lace, curious scraps of Japanese and Chinese embroidery, embossed leather and rich brocades, all these found their way into the Cottagers' work-bags.

Out of these fascinating odds and ends they fashioned gifts for Mrs. Crane, Anne Halliday's mother, their out-of-town relatives, their parents and their school-teachers. They wanted, of course, to buy every toy that ever was made for Rosa Marie, little Anne Halliday, Peter Tucker and the Marcotte twins; but Mr. Black, meeting them in the toy-shop one day, implored them to leave just a few things in the shops for him to buy, particularly for Rosa Marie and little Peter Tucker, his namesake.

And now, Mabel was immensely pleased with Henrietta; for, one day, Rosa Marie, cured of her cold, had been dressed in her cunning little Indian costume for the new girl's benefit. Rosa Marie had looked so very much more attractive than when she had had a cold that Henrietta had been greatly taken with her. As the way to Mabel's affections was through approval of Rosa Marie, Henrietta quickly found it, so the threatened breach was healed.

"Oh, Mrs. Crane," Henrietta had cried, on beholding the little brown person in buckskin and feathers, "do let me telephone for James to bring the carriage so I can take Rosa Marie to our house and show her to my Grandmother. I'll take the very best of care of her. And all four of the girls can come with her, so she won't be afraid."

"Oh, do," pleaded the others.

"Well, it's mild out to-day," returned Mrs. Crane, glancing out the window, "and a little fresh air won't hurt her. I guess her coat will go on right over these fixings and I can tie a veil over her head. You'll find a telephone in the library, on Mr. Black's desk."

Half an hour later, the six youngsters, carefully tucked between splendid fur robes, were on their way to Mrs. Slater's.

"I have a perfectly heavenly plan," said Henrietta, her black eyes sparkling with impishness. "Want to hear it?"

"Of course we do," encouraged the Cottagers.

"You see," explained Henrietta, "a large box came from Father this morning. It hasn't been opened yet; but Greta and Simmons don't know that. I'm going to make them think that Rosa Marie is what came in that box—it's time I cheered them up a little, for Simmons has lost some money he had in the bank and Greta is homesick for the old country. Will you help?"

"Ye-es," promised Jean, doubtfully, "if you're not going to hurt anybody's feelings."

"Shan't even scratch one," assured Henrietta. "Now, when we reach the house, I'll slip around to the basement door with Rosa Marie—the cook will let us in—and you must ring the front-door bell because that will take Simmons out of the way while I get up the back stairs. Ask for Grandmother, and I'll come down and get you when I'm ready."

So the girls asked for Mrs. Slater—every one of them now liked the entertaining old lady very much indeed—and chatted with her merrily until Henrietta came running down the stairs.

"Grannie," asked the lively girl, pressing her warm red cheek against Mrs. Slater's much paler one, "would you like to be amused? Would you like to be a black conspirator and humble your most haughty servitor to the dust? Then you must ascend to my haunted den and not say a single word for at least five minutes. Come on, girls."

In Henrietta's oddly furnished room there were two large East Indian gods and one heathen goddess. Henrietta had managed to group these interesting, Oriental figures in one corner of the spacious chamber, with appropriate drapings behind them. Near them she had placed an empty packing case, oblong in shape and plastered with curious, foreign labels. It looked as if it were waiting to be carried away to the furnace room or some such place.

Darkening her bedroom and her dressing room, she placed her obliging grandmother and her four friends behind the heavy portiÈres.

"You can peek round the edges," said she, "but you mustn't be seen or heard or even suspected."

Then, fun-loving Henrietta brought Rosa Marie from another room, removed her wraps, concealed them from sight and placed the stolid child in a sitting posture on a large tabouret near one of the richly colored statues. Next she rang for Greta, and ran downstairs in person to ask Simmons to come at once to remove the heavy packing case.

Simmons obeyed immediately and just as the pair reached Henrietta's door, Greta, who had been in her own room, joined them. All three entered together.

"Don't you want to see my lovely new statue?" asked Henrietta. "There, with the rest of my heathen friends."

"Ho," said Simmons, leaning closer to look. "That's wot came in that 'eavy box. Another 'eathen god from Hindia."

"He ees very pretty god-lady, Miss Henrietta," approved Greta. "Looks most like real."

Rosa Marie, awed by her strange surroundings, played her part most beautifully. For a long moment she sat perfectly still. But, just as Simmons leaned forward to take a better look at her, Rosa Marie, who had suddenly caught a whiff of pungent smoke from the joss-sticks that Henrietta had lighted to create a proper atmosphere for her gods and goddesses, gave a sudden sneeze. The effect was all that could be desired. Simmons leaped backward and Greta, who was excitable, gave a piercing shriek.

The hidden girls restrained their giggles, but only with difficulty; and Bettie said afterwards that she could feel Mrs. Slater shaking with helpless laughter.

"My heye!" exclaimed Simmons, "wot'll they be mykin' next! Look! Hit's movin' 'is 'ead."

Rosa Marie proceeded deliberately to move more than her head. Putting both hands on the tabouret, she managed somehow to lift herself clumsily to all-fours, balancing uncertainly for several moments in that ungainly attitude. Then she rose to her feet, and, stiffly, like some mechanical toy, stretched out her arms toward Henrietta. Greta backed hastily through the doorway; but Simmons eyed the swaying youngster with enlightened eyes.

"Hit's a real biby, from Hindia," said he, "but think of hit comin' hall that wy in that there box. But them Indoos 'ave a lot of queer tricks and Hi suppose they drugged 'im, mide a bloomin' mummy of 'im and sent directions for bringin' of 'im to."

"Take the box downstairs, please," said Henrietta, succeeding in the difficult task of keeping her face straight. "This is a little North Indian from Lakeville, Simmons, not an East Indian from India, and it was only some things that I'm not to look at till Christmas that came in the box."

"Hi thought hit was mighty stringe," returned Simmons, looking very much relieved and not at all resentful. "Hit seemed sort of hawful, Miss 'Enrietta, to think as 'ow 'uman bein's could tike such chances with heven their hown hoffsprings. But, just the sime, Miss 'Enrietta, Hi've 'eard of them 'Indoos doing mighty queer things, and Hi, for one, don't trust 'em."