she is one of your mother's best friends. Whose birthday is it,
Peggy? Yours or your mother's?"

"Mother's," said Peggy, hanging her head.

"Pauline is a good sort," said Miss Betsy. "There is no use in disliking
good people, Peggy. I think it had better be a small party, for your
mother would not want the care of many hens, and, besides, small parties
are the most fun. We'll ask all of the Carters--that will make five."

"Six with Uncle Joe--I know he'll come on 'specially for it, if I ask
him," said Peggy. "He needn't bring a hen, because he belongs to the
family. There's to be just one hen for every family."

"Then, if Mrs. Horton and Miss Rand and Clara should come on," said Miss
Porter, "that would make nine, I would make ten, and Miss Pauline
eleven."

"If I've got to have Miss Pauline," said Peggy, with a sigh, "I'm going
to have the dog and her father."

"All right," said Miss Betsy, "that will make one hen for the Carters,
one for the Hortons,--for I'm sure they will give a hen, even if they
can't come themselves,--one for the Thorntons, and one for me."

"Not one for you," said Peggy. "You have given me Mr. Henry Cox
already."

"I would not be left out on any account," said Miss Betsy. "Six hens
would be as many as your mother would want, as she isn't planning to run
a poultry farm. I am sure Mrs. Horton would like to give a pair--she has
so many. I'll suggest they send Rhode Island Reds--it is better to have
all of a kind."

"I think it would be more fun to have them different," said Peggy.

"They get along better if they are all of a kind," said Miss Betsy. "I
have too many kinds, but I can give you another Rhode Island Red. It is
like the Jews and the Italians--they are happier in a quarter by
themselves."

"It will be a Rhode Island Red Quarter," said Peggy, in delight. "I can
name one Mrs. Rhoda Rhodes."

"I know some people who are named Henn," said Miss Betsy.

Peggy looked doubtful. "It may be all right for people," she said, "but
I don't like it for hens. I think Henderson sounds nicer."

She and Alice sat down to write the notes. Miss Betsy made no
suggestions, but they were glad to ask her about the spelling. Peggy
wrote the notes to the Carters and Hortons, and Alice wrote the one to
Miss Thornton.

_Dear Mrs. Carter_, Peggy wrote--

Mother is to have a birthday a week from next Saturday, and we are
going to celebrate it by giving her a surprise party consisting of