ess, bringing Aunt
Zelie to sit beside her.

Mrs. Howard's eyes followed lovingly her two pretty nieces as they
danced away to join the group around the afghan.

"I wonder," said Miss Brown, watching them, "what difference it would
have made in me if I had had such a home when I was a child."

"It is a beautiful and helpful thing to have a happy childhood to look
back upon," answered their aunt. "When I meet discontented, cynical
people I feel sure that no sweet true child-life lies behind them. I
want my boys and girls to be able to say that their happiest times
have been at home. Here comes our housekeeper."

There was certainly a housewifely air about Dora's plump little figure
in her simple white dress as she came to speak to Miss Brown and get
Aunt Zelie to pin on her flowers.

"Everybody is here but Ikey and Jim," announced Louise, whose blue
ribbons were fluttering from one end of the house to the other.

"Here they are!" called Carl from the window, "and someone else; it
must be Uncle William!"

Great excitement prevailed till the door opened and it proved to be
Mr. Caruth.

"I had forgotten you were invited, but I am very glad to see you,"
Louise said, advancing to meet him.

"Then I should not have been missed if I had not come?" he said,
shaking hands with Mrs. Howard.

"Oh, I had only forgotten for a minute, because I have so much on my
mind!" she explained, laughing. "Why, Jim, what lovely flowers! Ikey,
where is your buttonhole bouquet that I took so much trouble to make?"

Ikey stared blankly at his undecorated coat. "Oh! I forgot it. I put
it in the refrigerator; I'll go and get it."

"In the _refrigerator_?" repeated the girls with one voice. "Just like
a boy!"

"Well, why not? That is where you put things to keep;" and Ikey
departed to find his posies, while Jim divided his roses between
Louise and Aunt Zelie.

In three minutes Ikey came flying back quite breathless, announcing
that Uncle William was at the gate.

The festive air which reigned inside found its way out through various
cracks and crevices, causing Mr. Hazeltine to remark that the house
looked unusually brilliant.

The truth did not dawn upon him till he stood in the parlor floor
before a semicircle of bright faces, all very full of the fun of the
occasion.

Across the top of the large mirror he saw "Welcome," in letters of
evergreen, and a chorus of "Many happy returns!" greeted him.

"Bless me! what does this me