The little mother and the children had to take the next train back home . The minister stayed there , and the khaki boy and the sealskin lady changed trains . The sealskin lady shook Aunt Cyrilla 's hand . She no longer looked discontented or cross . `` This has been the pleasantest Christmas I have ever spent , '' she said heartily . `` I shall never forget that wonderful basket of yours . The little shop girl is going home with me . I 've promised her a place in my husband 's store . '' When Aunt Cyrilla and Lucy Rose reached Pembroke there was nobody to meet them because everyone had given up expecting them . It was not far from the station to Edward 's house and Aunt Cyrilla elected to walk . `` I 'll carry the basket , '' said Lucy Rose . Aunt Cyrilla relinquished it with a smile . Lucy Rose smiled too . `` It 's a blessed old basket , '' said the latter , `` and I love it . Please forget all the silly things I ever said about it , Aunt C'rilla . '' Davenport 's Story It was a rainy afternoon , and we had been passing the time by telling ghost stories . That is a very good sort of thing for a rainy afternoon , and it is a much better time than after night . If you tell ghost stories after dark they are apt to make you nervous , whether you own up to it or not , and you sneak home and dodge upstairs in mortal terror , and undress with your back to the wall , so that you ca n't fancy there is anything behind you . We had each told a story , and had had the usual assortment of mysterious noises and death warnings and sheeted spectres and so on , down through the whole catalogue of horrors -- enough to satisfy any reasonable ghost-taster . But Jack , as usual , was dissatisfied .
He XXXXX our stories were all second-hand stuff .
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