thday, and I want to
celebrate. What can I do?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," answered Allie vaguely. "What do you want to
do?"

"That's the worst of it," responded Marjorie thoughtfully. "I want it to
be something that she'd like, and I don't know just what. I might--Let
me see. I'll tell you," she added, with sudden inspiration, "I'll give
her a surprise party."

"What?" And Allie looked at her friend, in astonishment at so daring a
proposal.

"Yes, I'll give her a party," repeated Marjorie, nodding her head with
decision.

"But do you suppose she'd like it?" inquired Allie dubiously.

"Of course she will. She 'most always has one for me on my birthday, you
know," returned Marjorie; "and she wouldn't do that, if she didn't like
them. She never had one herself; but that's only because she didn't have
anybody to give her one."

Such logic was not to be resisted; and Allie felt her misgivings swept
away while she listened.

"Besides," Marjorie went on enthusiastically; "I heard her say to papa,
last night, that they'd take that very day to go over to Butte, and buy
the new parlor carpet. They'll go in the morning early, and not come
back till five, so that will just give us time, while they're out of the
way. You'll help me get ready for it, won't you, Allie?"

"If mamma will let me," Allie was beginning, when Marjorie
interrupted,--

"Your mother mustn't know anything about it; but we won't go to Mrs.
Hammond that morning, we'll come here instead."

"I'm afraid we oughtn't to do that," remonstrated Allie feebly, although
she was secretly longing to enter into the proposition.

"Why not?" demanded Marjorie. "Mamma gave up going to missionary
meeting, last year, to get ready for my birthday party, and this is just
the same thing. Don't be silly, Allie, but help me plan. I know mamma
would say 'twas right," she added with an air of self-sacrificing
virtue; "to give up our own improvement for the sake of making her
happy."

"We might ask mamma," suggested Allie hopefully.

"Oh, no; she'd be sure to tell my mother, and that would spoil all the
surprise," interposed Marjorie hastily. "It will be all right, I know.
Would you have them come to supper, or just in the evening?"

"It's less work to have them come in the evening, isn't it?" asked
Allie, losing her last doubts in the excitement of making plans for so
momentous an occasion.

"Well, no," said Marjorie reflectively. "You have to feed them both
times