Brother and Sister | Page 6

anxiously.
Ralph was most particular about the children's milk. He insisted that

they couldn't grow properly without enough milk, and as both were
anxious to grow tall, Brother and Sister usually drank their milk
without fussing.
Brother had finished his to the last drop that morning, he said, and
when they were called in to lunch presently, he drank another glass so
that he would surely grow enough to please Ralph.
"And now we'll do up the fishpond presents," said Louise, when they
had finished lunch.
She and Grace both helped, for Mother Morrison was busy in the
kitchen with Molly, and of course none of the brothers were home
during the day except Jimmie, and he was usually busy out in the barn
where the gymnasium was.
You have probably "fished" in a fishpond yourself at parties, and know
what it is. Little gifts are placed somewhere out of sight, and each small
guest is given a fishing rod and line with a hook at the end. He dangles
this over the back of a sofa, or over a table, and when he draws it up
there is a "fish," or the present, attached to it.
Louise had plenty of nice white paper and pink string, and each gift
was carefully wrapped and tied. Dark blue crepe paper was tacked
around three sides of a table and this table placed across one corner of
the parlor. This was the "ocean." The presents were placed on the floor
back of the table, and Brother and Sister knew, from past pleasant
experience, that when it came time to fish, the packages would
obligingly attach themselves to the hooks.
"Tomorrow's ever so long off," sighed Brother, when the fishpond was
ready and Louise and Grace had gone over to the library to take back
some books.
He and Sister were not wanted in the kitchen and they were asked not
to touch the clean white clothes spread out on the guest room bed for
them to wear to the party. There really did not seem to be anything for
them to do.

"Let's go out and watch for Ralph?" suggested Sister.
Ralph was the best loved brother, after all, though, of course, the
children loved Dick and Jimmie dearly. But no one was quite as patient
as Ralph, no one had time to read to them as often as he did, no one
told them stories without coaxing as Ralph did.
He and Dick came up the street from the station together this night, and
though Dick kissed Sister and said, "Hello, kid," to Brother, he dashed
into the house, while Ralph stayed to talk.
"Birthday tomorrow, Brother?" he asked teasingly, though he knew
very well that Brother would be six years old.
"Oh, Ralph!" Brother was so excited he nearly stuttered. "Ralph,
couldn't you tell me what the present is now? I'm just as tall, and it's
almost my birthday. Please, Ralph?"
Ralph swung Sister up and sat her on the fence-post.
"Well, I don't believe I could do that," he replied slowly. "Let's see, did
you drink your milk today without grumbling?"
"Yes, I did--didn't I, Sister?" said Brother eagerly.
"Yes," nodded Sister. "He drank all of his for lunch, too, Ralph, and
didn't spill any."
"That's certainly fine," praised Ralph. "I'm sure you've grown a little bit
every day, too. Well, Brother, I tell you what I'll do --tomorrow
morning I'll bring the present up to your room before breakfast. How
will that do?"
Brother was more excited than ever, and for once he was ready to go to
bed that night without a protest. He and Sister trailed sleepily off
upstairs, wishing for the morning to come so that they might know
what this mysterious present was.
They had two little white beds in the same room and they could undress

themselves very nicely if they helped each other with the buttons.
Mother Morrison usually came up before they were ready for bed, and
on bath nights she always came up with them and stayed till they were
in bed.
The night before a birthday party was, of course, a bath night, and
Sister was very willing to let Brother take his bath first because she had
a picture book she wanted to look at. She was lying on her bed, in her
nightie, looking at the pictures while Brother splashed in the tub and
Mother Morrison waited for him to stop playing and use the soap to
lather himself, instead of pretending it was a boat, when Dick knocked
on the door.
"Look here!" he said, opening it and thrusting in his head. "Have either
of you kids been in my room today?"
"How nice you are!" cried Sister, sitting up to look at Dick, who,
indeed, did seem very