She took her hand off suddenly from the keys and folded it over its
fellow on her knee, to study his face anxiously.

"It's pretty hard to get them up, that's a fact," said Jasper
truthfully, "but then, you know, Polly, we've always found that when a
thing had to be done, it was done. You know the little brown house
taught us that."

"So it did," said Polly, brightening up. "Dear little old brown house,
how could I ever forget it! Well, I suppose," with a sigh, "it will come
to us as an inspiration when it's time to fix them."

"I suppose so too," said Mrs. Pepper, passing the door, as usual with
her mending basket, "and when two people start to play a duet, I think
they much better put their minds on that, and not waste precious time on
all sorts of questions that will take care of themselves when the time
comes."

"You are right, Mrs. Pepper," cried Jasper with a laugh, and seating
himself before the piano. "Come, Polly!"

"Mamsie is always right, isn't she, Jasper?" cried Polly with pride,
putting her hands down for the first chords.

"Indeed she is," responded the boy heartily. "Here now, Polly, remember,
you slipped up a bit on that first bar. Now!"

The twenty-first of December came all too soon for Polly and Jasper,
whose school duties had engrossed them till two days before, but after