midnight
Once at home a round of merry parties began . True to their promise Jessica and Reddy had come back to Oakdale for Christmas . The only missing member of the Eight Originals was Anne , and the Sunday morning following Christmas Day she walked into the Harlowe 's living room accompanied by Everett Southard and his sister . She could not bear to allow the holidays to pass without seeing her friends , so she and the Southards had taken the midnight train for Oakdale , determined to spend at least one day there . That evening a contented , happy company gathered at the Nesbits , as Miriam 's and David 's guests , at a dinner given in honor of the unexpected arrivals . After a short , but exceedingly earnest , confab in a cosy corner just off the hall , Anne and David had appeared arm in arm , and , to an accompaniment of meaning smiles , had announced their engagement . Although Miriam Nesbit was entirely unaware of it , four pairs of eyes , belonging to the feminine half of the Eight Originals had kept a lynx-like watch upon her and Everett Southard .