calmly. "You forgot it, I guess."

Poor Molly grabbed the bowl from Sister's hands.

"Can't I leave the kitchen one minute that you don't get into
mischief?" she scolded. "This isn't ICING--it's STARCH for Mr. Jimmie's
collars. I'm going to make a beautiful chocolate icing for the cake
this afternoon and write Brother's name on it in white frosting."

"Oh!" said Sister meekly.

"Go on upstairs, do," Molly urged her. "I've my hands full today
getting ready for the party; can't you find something nice to do
upstairs?"

Thus sped on her way, Sister reluctantly mounted the stairs to the
second floor.

"I could play jacks with Nellie Yarrow," she said to herself. "Only
she's lost her jackstones and I can't find mine. What's that on Dick's
bureau?"

Ralph and Jimmie roomed together, but Dick had a room of his own, and
though Sister was strictly forbidden to meddle with his things, they
had a great attraction for her. She could just see the top of Dick's
chiffonier from the floor and now she dragged a chair up to it and
climbed up to see what the shining thing was that had caught her eye.

It was a gold collar button, and Dick, she found, had a box of pearl
and gold buttons that Sister was sure she had never seen before. She
played with them, tossing them up and down and watching them glitter,
until a sudden thought struck her.

"They'd make lovely jackstones," she whispered. "I could use 'em and
put them right back. I know Nellie has a ball."

Dick had several new ties, and Sister had to admire these before she
could leave the chiffonier. Finally she slipped the box of pretty
buttons in her pocket and jumped down. She put the chair where she had
found it, and ran downstairs and through the hedge that separated the
Morrison house from that of Dr. Yarrow's.

"Nellie, oh, Nellie!" called Sister. "Come on, let's play jackstones."

"Haven't any," answered Nellie Yarrow, a little girl a year or so older
than Sister. "All I have left is my ball."

"Well, get that and we can play," Sister told her. "I've found
something we can use--see!"

Nellie admired the collar buttons immensely and thought it would be
great fun to play with them. She ran and got her ball and the two
little friends sat down on the concrete walk to play jackstones,
heedless of the hot morning sun.

Sister had won one game and Nellie two, when they heard Louise calling.

"Sister! Sister! Where are you? If you want to help fix the fishpond,
you'