y slope with a really happy feeling.

Phyllis and Peter met her at the back door. They were unnaturally clean
and neat, and Phyllis had a red bow in her hair. There was only just
time for Bobbie to make herself tidy and tie up her hair with a blue bow
before a little bell rang.

"There!" said Phyllis, "that's to show the surprise is ready. Now
you wait till the bell rings again and then you may come into the
dining-room."

So Bobbie waited.

"Tinkle, tinkle," said the little bell, and Bobbie went into the
dining-room, feeling rather shy. Directly she opened the door she found
herself, as it seemed, in a new world of light and flowers and singing.
Mother and Peter and Phyllis were standing in a row at the end of the
table. The shutters were shut and there were twelve candles on the
table, one for each of Roberta's years. The table was covered with a
sort of pattern of flowers, and at Roberta's place was a thick wreath of
forget-me-nots and several most interesting little packages. And Mother
and Phyllis and Peter were singing--to the first part of the tune of St.
Patrick's Day. Roberta knew that Mother had written the words on purpose
for her birthday. It was a little way of Mother's on birthdays. It
had begun on Bobbie's fourth birthday when Phyllis was a baby. Bobbie
remembered learning the verses to say to Father 'for a surprise.' She
wondered if Mother had remembered, too. The four-year-old verse had
been:--

Daddy dear, I'm only four
And I'd rather not be more.
Four's the nicest age to be,
Two and two and one and three.
What I love is two and two,
Mother, Peter, Phil, and you.
What you love is one and three,
Mother, Peter, Phil, and me.
Give your little girl a kiss
Because she learned and told you this.

The song the others were singing now went like this:--

Our darling Roberta,
No sorrow shall hurt her
If we can prevent it
Her whole life long.
Her birthday's our fete day,
We'll make it our great day,
And give her our presents
And sing her our song.
May pleasures attend her
And may the Fates send her
The happiest journey
Along her life's way.
With skies bright above her
And dear ones to love her!
Dear Bob! Many happy
Returns of the day!

When they had finished singing they cried, "Three cheers for our
Bobbie!" and gave them very loudly. Bobbie felt exa