“Oh, who can they be for?” clamored the girls.  Half the school expected boxes, and had been watching the storm all day, with a dreadful fear that it would block the roads, and delay the expected treasures.

At this moment Mrs. Nipson came in.

“There will be the usual study-hour this evening,” she announced.  “All of you will prepare lessons for Monday morning.  Miss Carr, come her for a moment, if you please.”

Clover, wondering, followed her into the entry.

“A parcel has arrived for you, and a box,” said Mrs. Nipson.  “I presume that they contain articles for Christmas.  I will have the nails removed, and both of them placed in you room this evening, but I expect you to refrain from examining them until to-morrow.  The vacation does not open until after study-hour to-night, and it will then be too late for you to begin.”

“Very well, ma’am,” said Clover, demurely.  But the minute Mrs. Nipson’s back was turned, she gave a jump, and rushed into the school-room.

“O girls,” she cried, “what do you think?  Both the boxes are for Katy and me!”

“Both!” cried a disappointed chorus.

“Yes, both.  Nipson said so.  I’m so sorry for you.  But isn’t it nice for us?  We’ve never had a box from home before, you know; and I didn’t think we should, it’s so far off.  It’s too lovely!  But I do hope yours will come to-night.”

Clover’s voice was so sympathizing, for all its glee, that nobody could help being glad with her.

“You little darling!” said Louisa, giving her a hug.  “I’m rejoiced that the box is yours.  The rest of us are always getting them, and you and Katy never had a thing before.  I hope it’s a nice one!”

Study-hour seemed unusually long that night.  The minute it was over, the sisters ran to No. 2.  There stood the boxes, a big wooden one, with all the nails taken out of the lid, and a small paper one, carefully tied up and sealed.  It was almost more than the girls could do to obey orders and not peep.

“I feel something hard,” announced Clover, inserting a finger-top under the lid.

“Oh, do you?” cried Katy.  Then, making an heroic effort, she jumped into the bed.

“It’s the only way,” she said, “you’d better come too, Clovy.  Blow the candle out and let’s get to sleep as fast as we can, so as to make morning come quicker.”

Katy dreamed of home that night.  Perhaps it was that which made her wake so early.  It was not five o’clock, and the room was perfectly dark.  She did not like to disturb Clover, so she lay perfectly still, for hours as it seemed, till a faint gray dawn crept in, and revealed the outlines of the big box standing by the window.  Then she could wait no longer, but crept out of bed, crossed the floor on tip-toe, and raising the lid a little put in her hand.  Something crumby and sugary met it, and when she drew it out, there, fitting on her finger like a ring, was a round cake with a hole in the middle of it.