“The party’s going on,” observed Dot, as they went up the steps.  She was seized with a sudden fit of shyness, and pressed close to Meg.

Meg and Bobby were experienced in the matter of parties, and they knew you went upstairs to take off your things and then came down to present your birthday present.

“See my new locket and chain,” said Ruth Ellis, a little girl Meg knew, who was fluffing out her hair-ribbon before the glass in Marion’s mother’s room where the girls were told to leave their wraps.  “My uncle gave it to me.”

Poor Meg remembered her lost locket again.  She thought it much prettier than Ruth’s, and she would have been so glad to have it around her neck to show the other girls.

The four little Blossoms met in the hall and went down together.  They had brought Marion a knitting set, two ivory needles with sterling silver tops, which folded into a neat leather case, and Marion, who was a famous little knitter, was delighted.

All the presents were put on the center table after they were opened and admired, and then the children played games till Mrs. Green announced that there was something in the dining-room to interest them.

“Gee, it is chocolate,” whispered Twaddles shrilly, as the plates of ice-cream followed the sandwiches.

The cake was white with eight pink candles, and if anything looks prettier or tastes better than chocolate ice-cream and white cake, do tell me what it is.

“Now we can fish,” remarked Marion, as they left the table.

Back of the wide deep sofa in the parlor, Marion’s mother had fixed a “fish pond,” and now she gave each guest a rod and line with a hook at the end, and told them all to try their luck.

Twaddles fished first.  His hook mysteriously caught something right away, and he drew up a tissue paper parcel that proved to contain a little glass jar of candy sticks.  Twaddles liked them very much.

Meg caught a pretty silk handkerchief, and Dot found a soap bubble set on the end of her line.  Bobby’s catch was a box of water-color paints.

After every child had fished and caught something, it was five o’clock and the party was over.  They said good-by to Marion and her mother, and told them they had had the nicest time, which was certainly true.

“My, but isn’t it cold!” exclaimed Mrs. Green, as she held open the door for a group of the party guests to go out.  “We’ll have skating next week if this weather keeps up.”

The four little Blossoms hurried home, for the cold nipped their noses and the tips of Meg’s fingers in her spandy new kid gloves.

“I like a party,” said Dot suddenly, running to keep up with Bobby, “where you get presents, too.”

Father Blossom opened the door for them, and they were glad to see the fire blazing cheerily in the living-room.

“Well, well, how did the party go?” asked Father, pulling off Meg’s gloves for her, and drawing her into his lap.  “Presents, too?  Why, Twaddles, I thought this was Marion’s birthday.”