he went into the garden, where she found John Hencle already at work,
industriously weeding and watering his plants and flowers.

"Goot-morning, mine leetle mees," he said, catching sight of her, "Was
it so goot a night mit you?"

"No," she said, and went on to tell the story of her fright.

"Dot ish lige me," he remarked, phlegmatically, at the conclusion of her
tale. "Von nighd I hears somedings what make me scare. I know notings
what he ish; I shust hears a noise, an' I shumpt de bed out, and ran de
shtairs down, and looked de window out, and it wasn't notings but a
leetle tog going 'Bow wow.'"

"I don't think it was very much like my fright," remarked Lulu, in
disgust; "it couldn't have been half so bad."

"Vell, maype not; but dat Nero ish a goot, kind tog; he bide dramps, but
nefer dose nice leetle girl. Dis ish de great day when dose nice old
lady pees von huntred years old. What you dinks? a fery long dime to
live?"

"Yes; very long," returned Lulu, emphatically. "I wish I knew papa would
live to be that old, for then he'd be at home with us almost forty years
after he retires from the navy."

"Somebody ish call you, I dinks," said John, and at the same moment
Grace's clear, bird-like voice came floating on the morning breeze,
"Lulu, Lulu!" as her dainty little figure danced gayly down the garden
path in search of her missing sister.

"Oh, there you are!" she exclaimed, catching sight of Lulu. "Come into
Aunt Wealthy's house and see the pretty presents everybody has given her
for her hundredth birthday. She hasn't seen them yet, but she is going
to when she comes down to eat her breakfast."

"Oh, I'd like to see them!" exclaimed Lulu, and she and Grace tripped
back to the house together, and on into the sitting-room, where, on a
large table, the gifts were displayed.

They were many, and some of them costly, for the old lady was very dear
to the hearts of these relatives, and they were able as well as willing
to show their affection in this substantial way.

There were fine paintings and engravings to adorn her walls; fine china,
and glittering cut glass, silver and gold ware for her tables; vases for
her mantels; richly-bound and illustrated books, whose literary contents
were worthy of the costly adornment, and various other things calculated
to give her pleasure or add to her ease and comfort.

She was not anticipating any such demonstration of affection--not
expecting such substantial evidences