"0h, just a little longer, just a little longer."

"No, no. You cain't hardly prop your eyes open now. Come now.Get to bed. Now, Elmer Lonnie; now, Mary Ellen; now, Janey; now,Eddie; now, Lycurgus. Don't be naughty at the last minute and say,'I don't want to,' or else Santa Claus won't come a-near. No, sir."

After the last drink of water and the last "Now I lay me," a longpause . . . . Then from the spare bedroom the loud rustling ofstiff paper, the snap of broken, string, and whispers of, "Won'ther eyes stick out when she sees that!" and, "He's been justfretting for a sled; I'm so glad it was so 't we could get it forhim," and, "I s'pose we ort n't to spent so much, but seems likewith such nice young ones 's we've got 't ain't no more 'n rightwe should do for 'em all we can afford, 'n' mebby a little more.Henriettay 's ' 'stiffcut' said she was 100 in everything, deportmentan' all."

At one house something black slips down the staircase to where agood view can be had through the half-open parlor door. It pauseswhen a step cracks loudly in the stillness. The parlor dooris slammed to.