I must know now, really I must.
Please, please," begged Dorothy.

"I shan't tell," remarked Jim, slowly walking away from her.

"Jim! Jim!" called Dorothy, running after him. "Dear Jim, please,
please tell me."

"Girls certainly are curious creatures," soliloquized Jim, as Dorothy
had turned on her heel and was walking quickly toward the door, saying
to herself, but loud enough for Jim to hear, "Well, Aunt Betty will
tell me, I'm sure."

"Aunt Betty. Oh, Aunt Betty!" called Dorothy as she burst into
the sewing room where Aunt Betty and Alfy were still sewing. "Jim
says--oh, I mean, you must tell me what the surprise is for to-morrow.
He said Gerald would take me to Herr Deichenberg's for my lesson in
the morning and then he wouldn't tell me any more."

"Well, can't my little girl wait till then and see what more, for
herself? That's much better than having some one tell you,"
remonstrated Aunt Betty.

"I'll tell you, Dorothy," said Alfy.

"You will?" interrupted Dorothy, "you dear."

"Don't interrupt me, Dorothy. I was going to say--what was I going to
say?" said Alfy. "I know. I said I'd tell you--well, I meant to say I
would tell you that a surprise isn't a surprise if you know
beforehand."

"I thought you were going to tell me," remarked Dorothy, "but you
didn't even intend to."

"I guess my little girl will have to wait," severely murmured Aunt
Betty, kissing Dorothy, who by this time was standing very near her
aunt's chair.

"Well," said Dorothy, "I guess I shall have to." So she sat down and
took up her sewing again.

All three carefully sewed in silence for some time till Aunt Betty
said: "Dorothy, girl, I think you could try on this dress, now."

"Certainly," replied Dorothy. "I am sure I ought to be quite willing."

Aunt Betty and Alfy fitted the dress carefully, altering the seams in
the shoulders and cutting out the neck some. Before they had stopped
sewing they had nearly finished this dress and had two others well
under way.

Putting away their sewing carefully so as they could start again
early in the morning, they all went to their rooms to dress for
dinner.

They had a quiet meal after which Dorothy played for them awhile, and
then they all sang songs, each choosing the songs they liked best.
Thus they spent a quiet but most enjoyable evening. They retired early
as Alfy was quite tired after her long journey and wanted to get a
good night's sleep.

They had an early breakfast of