doc." Then scurrying back to the side of the girl, he confided to her,"Ise guv de doc a present, too."
"What was it?" asked Constance, still not looking up.
"Go an' ask 'im," chuckled Swot.
Turned away as she might be, she was not unconscious of the doctor'smovements, and she was somewhat puzzled when, instead of coming to herwith thanks, he crossed the room to a bay-window, where he was hidden bythe tree from both of them. From that point he still further astonishedher by the request,--
"Can you--will you please come here for a moment, Miss Durant?"
Constance rose and walked to where he stood. "I hope you like my gift?"she asked.
"You could have given me nothing I have so wanted--nothing I shalltreasure more," said the man, speaking low and fervently. "But did yourealise what this would mean to me?" As he spoke, he raised his hand, andConstance saw, not the handkerchief-case, but a photograph of herself.
"Oh!" she gasped. "Where--I didn't--that was a picture I gave to Swot. Thecase is my gift,"
The doctor's hand dropped, and all the hope and fire went from his eyes."I beg your pardon for being so foolish, Miss Durant. I--I lost my sensesfor a moment--or I would have known that you never--that the other wasyour gift." He stooped to pick it up from the floor where he had droppedit. "Thank you very deeply for your kindness, and--and try to forget myfolly."
"I--I--couldn't understand why Swot suddenly--why he--I never dreamed ofhis doing it," faltered the girl.
"His and my knowledge of social conventions are about on a par," respondedthe man, with a set look to his mouth. "Shall I give it back to him or toyou?"
Constance drew a deep breath. "It wasn't--my--gift--but--but--I don't mindyour keeping it if you wish."
"You mean--?" cried Dr. Armstrong, incredulously.
"Oh," said the girl, hurriedly, "isn't that enough, now? Please, oh,please--wait--for a little."
The doctor caught her hand and kissed it. "Till death, if you ask it!" hesaid.
Five minutes later Swot abstracted himself sufficiently from his gifts topeep around the tree and ecstatically inquire,--
"Say, oin't dis de doisiest Christmas dat ever wuz?"
"Yes," echoed the two in the bay-window.
"Did youse like me present, doc?"
"Yes," reiterated the doctor, with something in his voice that gave theword tenfold meaning.
"Ise tought youse 'ud freeze to it, an' it wuzn't no sorter good to me."
Constance laughed happily. "Still, I'm very glad I gave it to you, Swot,"she said, with a glance of the eyes, half shy and half arch, at the manbeside her.
"Did youse like Miss Constance's present too, doc?"
"Yes," replied the doctor, "especially the one you haven't seen, Swot."
"Wot wuz dat?"
"A something called hope--which is the finest thing in the world."
"No. There is one thing better," said Miss Durant.
"What is it?"
"Love!" whispered Constance, softly.
***FINIS***
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