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ever saw. Major Annesley from Wickersham Avenue, stiff but correct; men from Blount Street who weren't used to silver forks; the chap who had been gassed trying desperately not to cough, but not quite succeeding, and letting out a strangling sound in the middle of Justine's responses. Then"Whom God hath joined together"

After that a sort of blur of things. We had a great old supper, and then Chris struck up a dancing tune and we saw Miles bending before Justine.

"Will you dance?" he said. And she got up, the stunningest bride you ever saw, and he walked off with her, before us all. We cleared the floor for him in a jiffy, and if Justine guided him a bit he was too full of bliss to know it. All the candlesand there were dozens of themseemed to be 'specially shining on them as they danced.

"I don't think I ever saw a happier pair," said the chaplain in my ear, as

they stopped near us. "What, is she going to dance with them all? She'll have to, if she begins it. And no whistle for cutting in, either. They won't stand for that."

She did dance with every man-jack of us who could twirl his toes, and even offered to dance with the chaplain, to end all.

"I don't know how," he frankly confessed-looking as if he regretted it, too-"but I'll walk down the room with you to the piano, if you and Miles and Larry and I may sing what I want, before we leave you here together."

Of course it was "Holy Night" he wanted-there couldn't be any other way of ending Christmas Day, from a chaplain's point of view. Not that there could have been a better one, I'll admit that. And at the end of the song he had to have one more wordbeing a chaplain—and the real thing, at that.

The room was still as sleep while he said the words-somehow I can't forget them-the Collect for Christmas Day, that Miles and Pris and I had learned when we were children, and learned better than any other because it was Miles's birthday Collect, too:

"Almighty God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon Him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen."

I looked at Miles. Did he hear the bells of St. John's? I wonder.

THE END

早上

THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS

GARDEN CITY, N. Y.

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