"But your mamma never
plays for money, does she?"
"Mamma! Oh, gracious, no. Mamma's far too slow for that.
But I shall tell her that Santa Claus insisted on putting
in the little money boxes."
"I suppose she believes in Santa Claus, just as my mamma
does."
"Oh, absolutely," said Clarisse, and added, "What if we
play a little game! With a double dummy, the French way,
or Norwegian Skat, if you like. That only needs two."
"All right," agreed Ulvina, and in a few minutes they
were deep in a game of cards with a little pile of pocket
money beside them.
About half an hour later, all the members of the two
families were again in the drawing-room. But of course
nobody said anything about the presents. In any case they
were all too busy looking at the beautiful big Bible,
with maps in it, that the Joneses had brought to give to
Grandfather. They all agreed that, with the help of it,
Grandfather could hunt up any place in Palestine in a
moment, day or night.
But upstairs, away upstairs in a sitting-room of his own
Grandfather Jones was looking with an affectionate eye
at the presents that stood beside him. There was a
beautiful whisky decanter, with silver filigree outside
(and whiskey inside) for Jones, and for the little boy
a big nickel-plated Jew's harp.
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