at fun,
scrambling to see who would get a seat, and not be left without one,
and finally there was but one chair left, while Grace Lavine and John
Blake marched about. Mrs. Bobbsey kept playing quite some time, as the
two went around and around that one chair. Everyone was laughing,
wondering who would get a seat and so win the game, when, all at once,
Mrs. Bobbsey stopped the music. She had her back turned so it would be
perfectly fair.

Grace and John made a rush for the one chair, but Grace got to it
first, and so she won.

"Well, I'm glad you did, anyhow," said John, politely.

Other games were "peanut races" and "potato scrambles." In the first
each player had a certain number of peanuts and they had to start at
one end of the room, and lay the nuts at equal distances apart across
to the other side, coming back each time to their pile of peanuts to
get one.

Sometimes a boy would slip, he was in such a hurry, or a girl would
drop her peanuts, and this made fun and confusion.

Nan won this race easily.

In the potato scramble several rows of potatoes were made across the
room. Each player was given a large spoon, and whoever first took up
all his or her potatoes in the spoons one at a time, and piled them up
at the far end of the room, won the game. In this Charley Mason was
successful, and won the prize--a pretty little pin for his tie.

The afternoon wore on, and, almost before the children realized it the
hour for supper had arrived. They were not sorry, either, for they all
had good appetites.

"Come into the dining room, children," invited Mrs. Bobbsey.

And Oh! such gasps of pleased surprise as were heard when the children
saw what had been prepared for them! For Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey, while
not going to any great expense, and not making the children's party too
fanciful, had made it beautiful and simple.

The long table was set with dishes and pretty glasses. There were
flowers in the centre, and at each end, and also blooms in vases about
the room. Then, from the centre chandelier to the four corners of the
table, were strings of green smilax in which had been entwined
carnations of various colors.

The lights were softly glowing on the pretty scene, and there were
prettily shaded candles to add to the effect. But what caught the eyes
of all the children more than anything else were two large cakes--one
at either end of the table.

On each cake burned five candles, and on one cake w