before one, the next day, all the children in Primrose
Court gathered on the lawn in front of Laura's window. Maida led
Molly by one hand and Tim by the other. Rosie led Betsy and Delia.
Dorothy Clark held Fluff and Mabel held Tag. Promptly at one
o'clock, Mrs. Lathrop appeared at the window, carrying a little,
thin, white wisp of a girl, all muffled up in a big shawl.

The children broke into shouts of joy. The boys waved their hats and
the girls their handkerchiefs. Tag barked madly and Rosie declared
afterwards that even Fluff looked excited. But Maida stood still
with the tears streaming down her cheeks--Laura's face looked so
tiny, her eyes so big and sad. From her own experience, Maida could
guess how weak Laura felt.

Laura stayed only an instant at the window. One feeble wave of her
claw-like hand and she was gone.

"Annie says Mrs. Lathrop is worn to a shadow trying to find things
to entertain Laura," Rosie said one night to Maida and Billy Potter.
"She's read all her books to her and played all her games with her
and Laura keeps saying she wished she had something new."

"Oh, I do wish we could think of something to do for her," Maida
said wistfully. "I know just how she feels. If I could only think of
a new toy--but Laura has everything. And then the trouble with toys
is that after you've played with them once, there's no more fun in
them. I know what that is. If we all had telephones, we could talk
to her once in a while. But even that would tire her, I guess."

Billy jumped. "I know what we can do for Laura," he said. "I'll have
to have Mrs. Lathrop's permission though." He seized his hat and
made for the door. "I'd better see her about it to-night." The door
slammed.

It had all happened so suddenly that the children gazed after him
with wide-open mouths and eyes.

"What do you suppose it's going to be, Maida?" Rosie asked finally.

"I don't know," Maida answered. "I haven't the least idea. But if
Billy makes it, you may be sure it will be wonderful."

When Billy came back, they asked him a hundred questions. But they
could not get a word out of him in regard to the new toy.

He appeared at the shop early the next morning with a suit-case full
of bundles. Then followed doings that, for a long time, were a
mystery to everybody. A crowd of excited children followed him
about, asking him dozens of questions and chattering frantically
among themselves.

First, he opened one of the bundles--out d