y.

Brother made his wishes--they must not be spoken aloud--and then took a
deep breath.

Pouf! Three of the candles went out

"Three wishes!" shouted the children. "You'll have three wishes come
true!"

It was a lovely birthday supper. Everyone said so. They had chicken
sandwiches, and cocoa, and vanilla and strawberry ice-cream, and of
course the birthday cake, which Brother cut in slices himself with the
big silver cake knife.

"Why--look!" ejaculated Sister in surprise, glancing up from her cake
at the doorway.

Mother Morrison stood there, smiling, and in her hands she carried what
seemed to be a very large pudding or pie baked in a milk pan.

"What is it?" said Brother curiously. "What is it?"

"It's a secret," answered his mother mysteriously. "Grandmother
Hastings planned it for you."

"And you and Louise bought part of it," Grandmother Hastings assured
him, nodding and smiling from the other doorway, the one that led into
the hall.

She had come over, in her prettiest white and lavender gown, to see the
end of the party.

Mother Morrison came up to the table with the pie and the children saw
that the paper crust was full of little slits and that from each slit a
ribbon hung out. Some were blue and some were pink.

"Each girl must choose a blue ribbon," said Mother Morrison. "The pink
ones are for the boys. You pull first, Lucy."

Lucy Reed pulled one of the blue ribbons. She hauled out a little
celluloid doll dressed in a gay red frock.

"How lovely!" Lucy cried. "Do we all get something?"

Each child was eager to pull a ribbon, and, wasn't it strange?--there
were just enough ribbons to go round! After every one, including
Brother and Sister, had had his turn, the "crust" was all torn, and not
a single present or ribbon was left.

"Half-past five!" said Louise then, looking at her little wrist-watch.
"We must hurry with the fishing."

So they went into the living-room and had a delightful time fishing in
the pond back of the table. There was a gift for everyone who fished,
and when six o'clock struck, and it was time to go home, each small
guest had a package to take along.

"We've had the nicest time," they called to Mother Morrison as they
said good-bye. "We hope Roddy has a party every year."

CHAPTER IX

OUT IN THE BARN

"The party was a great success, eh?" asked Ralph at the breakfast table
the next morning. "I judged so, because it was one o'clock before I
could leave