y, doubtfully.

"The very thing!" said Mrs. Wiggs. "We'll hang it in the front
door. Billy's makin' a Jack o' lantern to set on the fence. Fer the
land's sake! what's John Bagby a-bringing' in here?"

The grocery boy, staggering under the weight of an ice-cream freezer
and carrying something wrapped in white paper, came up the path.

"It's fer you," he said, grinning broadly. John was cross-eyed, so
Miss Hazy thought he looked at Mrs. Wiggs, and Mrs. Wiggs thought he
looked at Miss Hazy.

However, the card on the freezer dispelled all doubt: "Fer mrs Wiggs
on her 50 Birthday compelments of The Naybors."

Under the white paper was a large, white iced cake, with a "W" in
cinnamon drops on top.

"How'd they ever know it was my birthday?" exclaimed Mrs. Wiggs, in
delight. "Why, I'd even forgot it myself! We'll have the cake fer
the party to-night. Somehow, I never feel like good things b'long to
me till I pass 'em on to somebody else."

This necessitated a supply of saucers and spoons, and friends were
again called upon to provide as many as possible.

The Wiggses were quite busy until seven o'clock, when they stopped
to make their toilets.

"Where's Europena?" asked Asia.

Nobody had seen her for some time. Search was made, and she was
discovered standing on a chair in a corner of the parlor, calmly
eating the cinnamon drops off the birthday cake. Fingers and mouth
were crimson, and the first stroke of the "W" was missing. Billy was
so indignant that he insisted on immediate punishment.

"No, I ain't a-goin' to whip her on my birthday, Billy. She's
sorry; she says she is. Besides, the cake ain't spoiled; it's jes'
a 'N' now, 'stid of a 'W,' an' N stands fer Nancy jes' as good as W
stands fer Wiggs!"

The first guest to arrive was Mr. Krasmier; he had paid ten cents
toward the refreshments, and proposed to get his money's worth. Mrs.
Eichorn came early, too, but for a different reason; she was very
stout, and her happiness for the evening depended largely upon the
size of the chair she secured.

Half the spectators had arrived before the hostess appeared. Her
delay was caused by the loss of her false curls, which she had not
worn since the memorable night at the Opera House. They were very
black and very frizzled, and had been bought at a reduced price from
a traveling salesman some ten years before. Mrs. Wiggs considered
them absolutely necessary to her toilet on state occasions. Hence
consternation preva