't you young
ladies take a chance?" said a boy, stepping up to them and waving a
handful of tickets.

"How do we know she's beautiful?" asked Uncle Billy. "We'd like to see
her first."

"Only a few tickets left," urged the boy, "you'd better take them now.
The doll's right over there in the glass case for you to look at."

The three girls darted off for a peep at the doll and Uncle Billy,
after buying four tickets from the boy, followed them, and all stood
gazing at the beautiful large French doll.

"Oh, if one of us could only win her!" exclaimed Mary, "she would be so
stylish at our parties with that lovely French look, and we would call
her Mlle. Marie, like your French teacher, Beth."

"We'd have to have very fancy parties when we invited her," responded
Beth, "or she might turn up her nose."

"We will call out the winning number from this spot in just a half hour
from now," called the ticket seller, "and everyone be on hand who has a
ticket."

"Let's have some ice cream," suggested Uncle Billy, "it'll help pass
the time while we're waiting to find out who's the lucky one."

"Oh, goody, I love ice-cream!" exclaimed Mary. "Uncle Billy, you always
think of the nicest things."

When they had found a small table in one corner of the raised platform
where refreshments were served, the little party seated themselves
quickly and looked about at the crowds of people passing below them.

"Isn't it pretty here?" observed Mary, looking at the garlands of
leaves and flowers that covered the beams above their heads.

"I think it's the best day I ever had," announced Jerry.

The band, almost hidden by palms and huge ferns, now struck up a lively
tune, and Beth tapped her fingers on the table as she kept time with
the music.

Uncle Billy ordered for each the cream she most liked and a generous
plate of little cakes.

"I'll take plain vanilla with chocolate sauce," he said to the waiter,
and when Mary asked why he didn't take strawberry, as it was so good,
he threw back his head and gave a hearty laugh.

"I'll tell you," he said, "but you must promise never to repeat it."

"We promise," they agreed, so leaning forward, until their heads were
close together, he began:

"It happened a long time ago. I was just eight years old, and had been
told by my mother to take a strawberry shortcake she had made, to our
church where a supper was being held."

Here Uncle Billy paused and looked at each of the smiling faces