"Should have been called Yule, for yule-tide," said Nat. "Not too late
yet, is it Tavia?"

Mrs. White was smiling at the good times "her children" had already made
for themselves. She now insisted upon calling Dorothy daughter and she
was so kind to Tavia that she made no distinction but said "daughters"
in addressing both.

"Just see, boys," said their mother, unpinning Tavia's now famous half
head of hair, "that is all there is left."

"Never!" exclaimed Nat, handling the braid gingerly. "How much did you
settle for?"

"That would be telling," said Mrs. White, "but what I want you boys to
do is to drive the girls down to your barber's. You said it was a very
nice place."

"Tip-top," interrupted Ned. "Bay rum or old rum or anything else from
oyster cocktail to Castile soap."

"But have you seen ladies go there?" asked the mother.

"Took 'em there myself," insisted the younger boy. "Don't you remember
the day Daisy Bliss got burrs in her hair? Of course I did not put them
there--"

"Oh, no!" drawled Ned.

"Well, she always was a dub at ducking," went on the other, "but I put