The Imp's Christmas Dinner
the seaside in the summer, but a fine blue broadcloth affair with neat anchors in black silk braid at various points, and the whistle already mentioned. Except for the unfortunate tendency of the family to burst into nautical songs at his approach and the persistence of his Uncle Stanley in shouting "Ay, ay, sir!" whenever he spoke, the Imp enjoyed this garment greatly.
In a conversation with the waitress as to its merits, he was greatly interested to learn that in a certain shop downtown there was a whole room of such suits, many of them white, with gold braid.
"I should like to see 'em," he remarked. The waitress passed this by discreetly and turned the subject.
"I want to see 'em, Maggie," he added firmly. Maggie shook her head decidedly.
"We ain't to take you into stores, you know, Master Perry," she reminded him. "We'll go out if you want, though."
In previous dealings with Maggie, who shared with the housemaid the supervision of the Imp when he was left alone, since he did not really need a nurse, being seven and accustomed to a great deal of freedom as to his comings and go-
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