"Yes, and Whyn will be back by that time, so I understand, and we can
arrange for her and her mother to come up from the city. Will that do?"

"Won't it be great!" and Rod fairly shook with delight.

"It certainly will. We shall all go to the service on Christmas
morning, and your grandfather wants to offer up special thanks for all
the blessings we have received. We shall then come home for dinner,
and have all the afternoon and evening for games."

When Captain Josh came to see Rod the next day, he noticed the happy
expression upon the boy's face.

"What's up, lad?" he asked.

"What do you mean, captain?"

"Oh, I hardly know," and the old man scratched his head in perplexity.
"But everybody in this house seems about ready to explode with
excitement. I never saw sich a happy bunch in all my life. Ye'd think
that summer had been suddenly dumped down here, with all the birds
singin', the bees hummin', and the flowers bloomin'. That's the only
way I kin describe it."

"I guess you're about right, captain," was Rod's brief reply, for he
was determined not to give away the wonderful secret.