by Oliver Optic
"They'd make lovely jackstones," she whispered. "I could use 'em andput them right back. I know Nellie has a ball."
Dick had several new ties, and Sister had to admire these before shecould leave the chiffonier. Finally she slipped the box of prettybuttons in her pocket and jumped down. She put the chair where she hadfound it, and ran downstairs and through the hedge that separated theMorrison house from that of Dr. Yarrow's.
"Nellie, oh, Nellie!" called Sister. "Come on, let's play jackstones."
"Haven't any," answered Nellie Yarrow, a little girl a year or so olderthan Sister. "All I have left is my ball."
"Well, get that and we can play," Sister told her. "I've foundsomething we can use--see!"
Nellie admired the collar buttons immensely and thought it would begreat fun to play with them. She ran and got her ball and the twolittle friends sat down on the concrete walk to play jackstones,heedless of the hot morning sun.
Sister had won one game and Nellie two, when they heard Louise calling.
"Sister! Sister! Where are you? If you want to help fix the fishpond,you'll have to come right away."
Sister stuffed the buttons in her pocket and ran home, eager to seewhat Louise and Brother had bought.
CHAPTER IV
PARTY PREPARATIONS
When Mother Morrison had suggested a fishpond for the party, Louise andGrace had protested.
"Oh, Mother!" they cried. "That's so old!"
"But the children like it," said Mother Morrison mildly.
"It's fun," urged Brother. "It's fun to fish over the table and catchsomething!"
Sister, too, had asked for the pond, so it was decided to have one.Louise and Grace might not care for such things at their birthdayparties, but this, as Sister said, was "different."
"We bought bushels and bushels," Brother informed Sister as she boundedthrough the hedge and up to the front porch. "Little colored pencils,and crayons, and games, and dolls, and oh!--everything!"
Louise, whose shopping bag was certainly bulging with parcels, laughedmerrily.
"We bought all the little gifts for the fish-pond and for the--there! Ialmost told you." She clapped her hand over her mouth and laughed again.
"For the what?" teased Sister. "Tell me, Louise--I won't tell."
"No, Mother said no one was to know," declared Louise firmly. "Now allthese packages you may open, and after lunch I'll help you tie them upagain and fix the pond. But these other parcels go upstairs to Mother'sroom and no one is to touch them."
She tumbled half the contents of her bag on the porch floor and thenran upstairs with the rest.
"Let's look at them," said Sister eagerly. "What's the matter, Roddy?"
"I was thinking," explained Brother, making no move to open thepackages. "We saw a little boy down town and his foot was all tied upin a rag, and I know it hurt him 'cause he limped."
"Maybe he sprained his ankle," said Sister. "Like Dr. Yarrow's cousin,you know."
"It wasn't his ankle--it was his foot," insisted Brother. "And I toldLouise Mother said we mustn't go on the ground without our sandals, andshe said she guessed the boy didn't have any sandals; she said heprob'bly didn't have any shoes, either."
"Nor any stockings--just rags?" asked Sister in pity. "I like to gobarefoot, Roddy, but I like my new patent leather slippers, too."
"Maybe he has some for Sunday," comforted Brother, trying to behopeful. "Everybody has to wear shoes on Sunday."
"Yes, of course they do," agreed Sister, who had never heard of a boyand girl who didn't wear shoes on Sunday and every day in the weekexcept when they were allowed to go barefoot as a great treat.
The tempting packages were not to be forgotten one moment longer, andthey decided to "take turns" opening them.
"Isn't it fun!" giggled Sister. "What do you s'pose Mother is going tomake you, Roddy?"
"I don't know," replied Brother absently. "I keep thinking aboutRalph's present. He says that he thinks I'll be tall enough to have itby tomorrow."
"Did you drink all your milk for breakfast?" asked Sister anxiously.
Ralph was most particular about the children's milk. He insisted thatthey couldn't grow properly without enough milk, and as both wereanxious to grow tall, Brother and Sister usually drank their milkwithout fussing.
Brother had finished his to the last drop that morning, he said, andwhen they were called in to lunch presently, he drank another glass sothat he would surely grow enough to please Ralph.
"And now we'll do up the fishpond presents," said Louise, when they hadfinished lunch.
She and Grace both helped, for Mother Morrison was busy in the kitchenwith Molly, and of course none of the brothers were home during the dayexcept Jimmie, and he was usually busy out in the barn where thegymnasium was.
You have probably "fished" in a fishpond yourself at parties, and knowwhat it is. Little gifts are placed somewhere out of sight, and eachsmall guest is given a fishing rod and line with a hook at the end. Hedangles this over the back of a sofa, or over a table, and when hedraws it up there is a "fish," or the present, attached to it.
Louise had plenty of nice white paper and pink string, and each giftwas carefully wrapped and tied. Dark blue crepe paper was tacked aroundthree sides of a table and this table placed across one corner of theparlor. This was the "ocean." The presents were placed on the floorback of the table, and Brother and Sister knew, from past pleasantexperience, that when it came time to fish, the packages wouldobligingly attach themselves to the hooks.
"Tomorrow's ever so long off," sighed Brother, when the fishpond wasready and Louise and Grace had gone over to the library to take backsome books.
He and Sister were not wanted in the kitchen and they were asked not totouch the clean white clothes spread out on the guest room bed for themto wear to the party. There really did not seem to be anything for themto do.
"Let's go out and watch for Ralph?" suggested Sister.
Ralph was the best loved brother, after all, though, of course, thechildren loved Dick and Jimmie dearly. But no one was quite as patientas Ralph, no one had time to read to them as often as he did, no onetold them stories without coaxing as Ralph did.
He and Dick came up the street from the station together this night,and though Dick kissed Sister and said, "Hello, kid," to Brother, hedashed into the house, while Ralph stayed to talk.
"Birthday tomorrow, Brother?" he asked teasingly, though he knew verywell that Brother would be six years old.
"Oh, Ralph!" Brother was so excited he nearly stuttered. "Ralph,couldn't you tell me what the present is now? I'm just as tall, andit's almost my birthday. Please, Ralph?"
Ralph swung Sister up and sat her on the fence-post.
"Well, I don't believe I could do that," he replied slowly. "Let's see,did you drink your milk today without grumbling?"
"Yes, I did--didn't I, Sister?" said Brother eagerly.
"Yes," nodded Sister. "He drank all of his for lunch, too, Ralph, anddidn't spill any."
"That's certainly fine," praised Ralph. "I'm sure you've grown a littlebit every day, too. Well, Brother, I tell you what I'll do--tomorrowmorning I'll bring the present up to your room before breakfast. Howwill that do?"
Brother was more excited than ever, and for once he was ready to go tobed that night without a protest. He and Sister trailed sleepily offupstairs, wishing for the morning to come so that they might know whatthis mysterious present was.
They had two little white beds in the same room and they could undressthemselves very nicely if they helped each other with the buttons.Mother Morrison usually came up before they were ready for bed, and onbath nights she always came up with them and stayed till they were inbed.
The night before a birthday party was, of course, a bath night, andSister was very willing to let Brother take his bath first because shehad a picture book she wanted to look at. She was lying on her bed, inher nightie, looking at the pictures while Brother splashed in the tuband Mother Morrison waited for him
to stop playing and use the soap tolather himself, instead of pretending it was a boat, when Dick knockedon the door.
"Look here!" he said, opening it and thrusting in his head. "Haveeither of you kids been in my room today?"
"How nice you are!" cried Sister, sitting up to look at Dick, who,indeed, did seem very nice, though he was without his coat.
"I'm twenty minutes late now," growled Dick. "I've hunted everywherefor my collar buttons and studs, and I can't find them."
CHAPTER V
DICK'S BUTTONS
Before Sister could say anything, in pranced Brother, very pink andclean from his hot bath and treading on his gray bathrobe at everyother step.
"Have you been meddling with my things again?" demanded Dick. "Mother,I've an engagement at eight o'clock and it's quarter past now; everyblessed collar button is gone from my chiffonier!"
Mother Morrison, who had followed Brother into the room, lookedanxiously at him.
"Brother, you haven't been in Dick's room today, have you?" she askedhim.
Then Sister, whose memory had been waking up, spoke.
"Please, Dick," she said in a very little voice. "Please, I had thebuttons."
"Oh, you did!" Dick quite forgot to smile at her. "What did you want'em for? Where are they now?"
"You see, I was playing jackstones with Nellie Yarrow, and afterwardI--I left them in my pocket--" Sister's voice trailed off.
She recollected that the dress she had been wearing was now down thelaundry chute.
"Mother, something's got to be done!" fumed Dick. "I can't have thekids going through my stuff and helping themselves to whatever theywant; those buttons were my solid gold ones and my good studs were inthe same box. There's the telephone!--Nina will be furious! Sister,where did you say that dress was?"
Dick rushed downstairs to answer the telephone, leaving a sorrowfulSister curled up in a forlorn little heap on the bed.
"My blue dress is way down in the laundry," she wailed. "The buttonsare in the pocket. Oh, Mother, it's awful far down there, and it's darkon the stairs!"
"What's all the racket about?" inquired Ralph, coming to the door. "IsSister crying? And Dick is trying to smooth down Nina Carson, who seemsto be in a bad way. Want any help with these young ones, Mother?Anyway, tell a fellow the cause of the excitement."
Sister smiled through her tears. "Young ones" was what Molly's countrysister had once called them, and Ralph always said it when he meant tomake her laugh.
"I really think Sister should go down and get the buttons from herdress pocket," said dear Mother Morrison decidedly. "I have forbiddenher, time and again, to touch anything in Dick's room. Take your kimonaand slippers, Sister, and hurry; I'll have your bath ready for you whenyou come back."
More tears ran down Sister's round cheeks. Her eyes were so full ofsalt water she couldn't find the armholes of her pink kimona, and Ralphhad to help her.
"I'll go with her, Mother," he offered. "I'll sit on the stairs andwait while she hunts for the buttons; and after this you--will leaveDick's things alone, won't you, Sister?"
Sister promised joyfully, and paddled off downstairs with Ralph. Thedark stairs that led to the laundry didn't frighten her one bit, andwhile Ralph sat on the last step and held the door open, Sister snappedon the light and found the blue dress on top of the basket that stoodunder the chute. Surely enough, the buttons were in the pocket just asshe had left them. She took the box and hurried back to Ralph. "Where'sDick going?" she asked him, as they went upstairs.
"Oh, out somewhere, to see some girl," replied Ralph, who seldom wentto call on a girl. "Scoot now, Sister--I'm going out on the porch andread. You've made poor old Dick half an hour late as it is."
Ralph went out on the screened front porch, where Daddy Morrison wasreading beside the electric lamp, and had just picked up his magazine,when there was a patter of little feet and Sister threw her arms aroundhim breathlessly.
"I love you, Ralph!" she said quickly, hugging him and then turning torun.
"Here, here!" cried Daddy Morrison in surprise. "Thought you were inbed long ago. Don't I get any kissing?"
"Mother is waiting to bathe me," explained Sister hurriedly, "and Dickwants his collar buttons, so I have to go, Daddy."
Her father caught her as she rushed past him and gave her a quick kiss.
"Sister!" called Mother Morrison. "Sister, are you coming?"
Sister, the box of buttons clutched tightly in her hand, ran upstairs.Dick, glowering, met her at the top.
"For goodness' sake!" he ejaculated. "I'd about given up hope--and ifyou ever touch one of my things again--"
"I won't!" promised Sister hastily. "Honest Injun, I won't. You aren'tmad, are you, Dick?"
Dick was wrestling with a stiff collar before the glass in the hall.
"No, I'm not mad, but I shall be in a minute," he announced grimly."Don't stand there and watch me, please; you make me nervous."
"Come and take your bath, dear," called Mother Morrison.
"Don't you hear Mother? What are you waiting for?" demanded Dick.
"Waiting for you to kiss me good-night," answered Sister composedly.
Dick stared at her. Then he laughed.
"There!" he said, picking Sister up and kissing her soundly. "Now willyou leave me in peace, you monkey?"
Sister was satisfied and hurried off to her bathing. When she came outof the bathroom, she found Brother sleepily waiting for her, sittingup, in his bed.
"If you hear Ralph in the morning," he told her earnestly, "you callme, 'cause I want to see my own birthday present before you do."
"Can't I look at it if you're not awake?" asked Sister hopefully.
"No, you mustn't," said Brother firmly. "It's my birthday present, andI want to see it first. Now you remember!"
Mother Morrison kissed them both, put a screen in another window, forthe night was warm, and snapped off the light. It was time for Brotherand Sister to be asleep.
"Roddy!" whispered Sister softly.
"Uh-huh?" came sleepily from Brother.
"Suppose I can't help looking when Ralph opens the door?"
Brother roused himself.
"You mustn't," he repeated. "It's my birthday. I wouldn't look first ifit was your birthday present. You can shut your eyes, can't you?"
Sister sighed, and a big yawn came and surprised the sigh.
"Maybe he'll have it tied in a paper," she murmured hopefully. "Then Ican't see it."
CHAPTER VI
RALPH'S PRESENT
The sun rose bright and early on Brother's birthday morning. Not anyearlier than usual, perhaps, but it certainly woke Brother a wholehalf-hour earlier than he usually opened his eyes.
Almost at the same moment that his brown eyes opened wide, and he satup in bed, Sister's dark eyes also opened wide and she sat up in herlittle white bed.
"Oh!" she said, blinking. "OH, it's your birthday, Roddy! Many happyreturns of the day--and I have a present for you!"
She slipped out of bed and ran over to the chest of white drawers thatheld her own possessions.
"You can play with them a little while and then you can eat 'em," sheexplained, returning with a flat, white box which she put on Brother'slap.
The present proved to be a pound of animal crackers, of which Brotherwas very fond, and Sister was telling him how she had carefully pickedout as many horses and elephants as she could--for indulgent GrandmaHastings had bought several pounds of the crackers, and allowed Sisterto select the two kinds of animals that were Brother's favorites--whenthey heard Ralph's quick step in the hall.
"Here comes Ralph! Don't look!" commanded Brother hastily.
Sister promptly dived under the bedclothes, and when Ralph softlyopened the door--lest the children were still asleep--he saw Brotherstaring eagerly toward him and a little lump in the middle of Sister'sbed.
"Well, young man, how does it feel to be six years old?" Ralph askedmerrily, putting down the basket he carried on the floor, and coming
over to Brother, who stood up to hug him.
"Just as nice," gurgled Brother, standing still to receive the six"spanks" without which no birthday could be properly celebrated.
"Can I look yet?" asked a muffled voice meekly.
"Why, sweetheart, what have they done to you?" demanded Ralph inamazement, uncovering a very warm and flushed little girl. "I thoughtyou were asleep, honey. Don't you feel well?"
"Oh, I feel all right," Sister assured him cheerfully. "Only I promisedBrother I wouldn't look at the present before he did."
"That's so, I did bring a present, didn't I?" said Ralph, pretending tohave forgotten. "Well, Brother, stand up while I measure you once more;I must be sure that you are tall enough and that means that you drankyour milk every time without grumbling."
"Couldn't he grumble?" asked Sister, watching while Ralph stood brotheragainst the wall and made a tiny mark with a pencil. "You never said hecouldn't grumble, Ralph."
"Didn't I?" Ralph said. "Well, then, I should, because that is veryimportant. You will grow, you know, if you drink your milk and grumbleabout it, but not half as fast as you will grow if you drink the milkand make no fuss. That's true, Sister--I'm not joking."
"I didn't grumble much, did I, Sister?" interposed Brother. "Haven't Igrown, Ralph?"
"Yes, I think you have--enough to have what I have brought you,"returned Ralph cheerfully. "Here, now, tell me what you think of this."
