end of a piece of tapestry while
the two men were clearing a place for it behind the chair, called out,
"When's all this to happen, Tootcoms?"--one of his pet names; he had a
dozen of them.

"Next Saturday."

"Why next Saturday?"

"Because then I'm eleven years old, and you know that a great many fairy
princesses are never any older."

Down went the tapestry. "Your birthday! You blessed little angel! Eleven
years old! My goodness, how time flies! Pretty soon you will be in long
dresses, with your hair in a knot on the top of your head. You never
told me a word about it!"

"No, but I do now. And I am just going to have a party--a real party.
And I am going to invite everybody, all the girls I know and all the
boys and all the old people."

Felix had her beside him now, her fresh young cheek against his. "You
don't tell me! Well! I never heard anything like it! And what will your
father say?"

Her face fell. "Don't let's tell him! Let's have a surprise."

Felix shook his head. "I am afraid we could never do that, unless we
locked him up in the cellar and did not give him a thing to eat until
everything was ready. Oh, just think how he would beg for mercy!"

Masie rubbed her cheek up and down that of Felix in disapproval. "No,
you wouldn't be so mean to poor Popsy."

"Well, then, suppose--suppose--" and he held her teasingly from him
to note the effect of his words--"suppose we make him go away--way off
somewhere, to buy something--so far away that he could not come back
until the next day. How would that do?"

"No, that won't do--not a little bit! I've got a better plan. You go
right down-stairs this minute and tell him it's all fixed, and that I'm
going out this very afternoon to invite everybody myself."

Felix made a wry fate. "Suppose he sends me about my business?"

"He won't. He thinks you are the most WONDERFUL man in the world--he
told Mr. Kelsey so; I heard him--and he won't refuse you anything--oh,
Uncle Felix"--both arms were around his neck now, always her last
argument--"I do so want a birthday party and I want it right here in
this room."

Felix smoothed back the hair from her pleading eyes and kissed her
tenderly on the forehead. For a moment there was silence between them,
he continuing to smooth back her hair, she cuddling the tighter, her
usual way. She always let him think a while and it always came out
right. But he had made up his mind. It had been years since a birthday
of his own