ome one. "Perhaps there will be one other,
though almost everybody has come."

"The Judge himself isn't here yet," said Dr. Harlow. "He'll make the
fiftieth. There he is! Let's line up, and give him a royal welcome!"

The suggestion "took," and the little judge came up the walk, bowing on
all sides, and smiling. As he reached the door and shook hands with Dr.
Harlow and Dr. Helen, he looked about him peeringly. "Where's my girl?"
he asked.

"Here I am," said Catherine, "and here is a little souvenir for you,
Judge Arthur, with wishes for many returns of the day." She presented
with a flourish, a huge feather duster adorned with a great green bow.
That was the signal and the others at once produced parcels of all sizes
and shapes, and bestowed them upon the judge, who opened them under a
rapid fire of friendly wit.

The special form of recreation offered for the evening was called
"Strange Compounds." Catherine had taken the idea from the nonsense
verses which had been spreading over the country as generally as the
limericks of a few years before. The guests grouped themselves at little
tables, and some, with shears and pages cut from old natural histories,
geographies or poultry and live stock journals, created grotesque
illustrations for the verses descriptive of the hippopotamustang and the
kangarooster and other strange beasts which Catherine and Alice
concocted during the afternoon. Others labored over historical
combinations and the deeds of Bathrobespierre were sung in limpid
strains, and the plaintive history of Old Black Joan of Archaeology set
every one off into a gale of mirth. The Three R's had done so many
foolish things together in the many years since their beginning as a
club, that they were ready to laugh before a joke was thought of, and in
that atmosphere of appreciation the frailest wit was bound to flourish.
Mrs. Osgood headed a party of gardeners whose attempts at grafting
produced such startling results as cro-custards and gerani-umbrellas.
When some one requested help in developing the theme of a disaster,
Judge Arthur shouted from the animal table that he had attempted to draw
a wild-cat-astrophe and the picture would probably do for both!

Just in time to save them all from mental collapse, the white-gowned
maidens brought in the dainty salad, sandwiches and cups of fragrant
coffee. Then the noble birthday cake, wreathed in scarlet flame, was set
before the judge, the candles blown out with