d every day in the week
except when they were allowed to go barefoot as a great treat.

The tempting packages were not to be forgotten one moment longer, and
they decided to "take turns" opening them.

"Isn't it fun!" giggled Sister. "What do you s'pose Mother is going to
make you, Roddy?"

"I don't know," replied Brother absently. "I keep thinking about
Ralph's present. He says that he thinks I'll be tall enough to have it
by tomorrow."

"Did you drink all your milk for breakfast?" asked Sister anxiously.

Ralph was most particular about the children's milk. He insisted that
they couldn't grow properly without enough milk, and as both were
anxious to grow tall, Brother and Sister usually drank their milk
without fussing.

Brother had finished his to the last drop that morning, he said, and
when they were called in to lunch presently, he drank another glass so
that he would surely grow enough to please Ralph.

"And now we'll do up the fishpond presents," said Louise, when they had
finished lunch.

She and Grace both helped, for Mother Morrison was busy in the kitchen
with Molly, and of course none of the brothers were home during the day
except Jimmie, and he was usually busy out in the barn where the
gymnasium was.

You have probably "fished" in a fishpond yourself at parties, and know
what it is. Little gifts are placed somewhere out of sight, and each
small guest is given a fishing rod and line with a hook at the end. He
dangles this over the back of a sofa, or over a table, and when he
draws it up there is a "fish," or the present, attached to it.

Louise had plenty of nice white paper and pink string, and each gift
was carefully wrapped and tied. Dark blue crepe paper was tacked around
three sides of a table and this table placed across one corner of the
parlor. This was the "ocean." The presents were placed on the floor
back of the table, and Brother and Sister knew, from past pleasant
experience, that when it came time to fish, the packages would
obligingly attach themselves to the hooks.

"Tomorrow's ever so long off," sighed Brother, when the fishpond was
ready and Louise and Grace had gone over to the library to take back
some books.

He and Sister were not wanted in the kitchen and they were asked not to
touch the clean white clothes spread out on the guest room bed for them
to wear to the party. There really did not seem to be anything for them
to do.

"Let's go out and watch for Ralph?" su