“Hollo!” cried Max, in a perfectly good-humored tone, “what do you lock a fellow out for?  It looks as if you’re up to some mischief.  I just came to tell you there’s company in the parlor, and they’ve asked for you, both of you.”

“Who are they?” asked Lulu, glancing at her reflection in a pier-glass opposite, to make sure that dress and hair were in order.

She was neat and orderly by nature, and her father very particular about the appearance of his children; not caring to have them expensively attired, but always neat and tidy.

“The Oaks young folks,” replied Max,—­“Horace and Frank and their two sisters, Maud and Sydney.”

“Come, Gracie,” said Lulu, turning to her little sister:  “we both look nice, and we’ll go right down.”

The children all felt rather flattered by the call, because the Oaks young people were older than themselves.  Horace, Frank, and Maud were all older than Max, and Sydney was between him and Lulu in age.

With the Dinsmore girls, the Raymonds were quite well acquainted, having seen them frequently at Ion, and sometimes met them elsewhere; but the boys, who had been away at school, were comparative strangers.

Violet was in the parlor chatting pleasantly with her young cousins, the call being intended for her also; and her cheerful presence set her little step-daughters more at their ease than they would otherwise have been.

They had not been long in the room ere they learned that the special object of the visit was to invite them and Max to the Oaks, to spend the greater part of Christmas week.

“It is to be a young people’s party, you must all understand,” said Maud, who seemed to be the chief speaker, “and so the captain and cousin Vi are not invited:  not that cousin Vi is not young, you know, for she is that; but there are to be no married folks asked.

“There is to be the usual Christmas-eve party at Ion for all the family connection, Christmas-tree and all that, and the grand dinner-party on Christmas Day; then all the boys and girls of the connection are invited to the Oaks to stay till the next Saturday evening.

“We hope, cousin Vi, that Max and his sisters may come?”

“If it depended upon me,” returned Violet pleasantly, “I presume I should say yes; but of course it will have to be as their father says.”

“Oh, yes! certainly.  Is he in?”

“No, and I fear he will not be for an hour or two; but if you will stay to tea, you will be pretty sure to see him.”

The invitation was declined with thanks; “they had other calls to make, and must be going presently:”  but they sat for some minutes longer, the whole four joining in an animated description of various diversions planned for the entertainment of their expected guests, and repeating again and again that they hoped Max and his sisters would be permitted to come.

“I do wish papa may let us go!” cried Lulu, the moment the visitors had departed.  “I’m sure it will be perfectly delightful!”