To one of its handles was tied a card, on which was printed in big letters: "A Christmas Present, with wishes for a very merry Christmas, from Uncle 'Christmas' to his grandniece Ruth Elmer." "Oh! oh! oh! ain't it lovely ?" cried Ruth.

"Dear old 'Uncle Christmas!' And I thought he had forgotten me, and only remembered Mark, too." The organ was placed in the parlor, and from that day forth was a source of great pleasure, not only to Ruth and the Elmer family, but to their neighbors across the river, who frequently came over in the evening to hear Ruth play.
Among the events of that week were two that impressed Mark deeply, as they seemed to be connected in some way with the face he had seen at the window.

One of these was the mysterious disappearance, on that same night, of a loaf of bread and a cold roast duck from the kitchen.

The other was the appearance, two days later, at the kitchen door, of a poor wounded dog, who dragged himself out from the woods back of the house, and lay down on the step, evidently in great pain.
Ruth saw him as he lay there, panting and moaning, and ran to tell Mark, and her father and mother, of their visitor and his wretched plight.

They all went to see him, and after a careful examination of the suffering animal, Mr.Elmer said he had been cruelly treated and badly wounded; but that, with proper treatment and care, he could be cured.