The knowing smile that lit her face, however, mystified him and he flushed a little under her searching eyes.
"Will was sure he saw you in the club last night," she persisted, "and he tried to catch you, but you ran off; and now I have come for you and will take no refusal." Livingstone expressed his regret that he could not come.

A wave of his hand towards the curly heads and beaming faces clustered before them and towards the long table gleaming in the dining-room beyond explained his reason.
"I am having a Christmas dinner myself," he said.
"Then you will come in after they go ?" insisted Mrs.Wright, and as Livingstone knew they were going early he assented.
"Who are your friends ?" she asked.

"What a pleasant-looking man, and what lovely children! That little girl,--I thought it was Cupid when she had the bandage on her eyes and now I am sure of it." "Let me present them to you," said Livingstone, and he presented Mr.
Clark as his partner and Kitty as Santa Claus's partner.
"I did not know you had a partner ?" she asked.
"It is my Christmas gift from Santa Claus," he said.

"One of them; I have many.".