THE PRESENTS. 9

 

 

Talk about the party. Mary Bell. Her mother sick.

 

“ Why ?” asked Phonny.

“ Because I was going to have a party,” replied Caro-
line, “and I wanted him to come.”

“Oh never mind,” said Phonny, “ you can have your
party without him.”

“But I want him to be there very much,” said Caro-
line. “He always makes us have such a good time. Be-
sides, I am afraid Mary Bell can’t come.”

“When was your party going to be ?” asked Malleville.

“<'To-morrow,” said Caroline.

Caroline then went on to explain, that she had been to
invite Mary Bell, but that Mrs. Bell was sick, and it was
doubtful whether Mary could come.

“Ts she very sick ?” said Malleville.

“No,” said Caroline, “ when I went there, she was sit~
ting up in a great easy chair. She said that Mary Bell
might come, but Mary came out with me afterward to the
door, when I came away, and told me that she did not
believe that she could come, for she did not think that
her mother would be well enough to be left alone.

“T have just been to your house, to invite you,’’ con-
tinued Caroline, “ but now that Beechnut is not at home,
and Mary Bell cannot come, I don’t know whether to
have any party or not.”

“ Yes,” said Phonny, “I would have it; Malleville and
¥ can come.”

In the mean time, while this conversation had been
going on, Phonny and Malleville had opened their pre-
sents, and were now ready to show them to Caroline.
Caroline looked at them with a great deal of interest.
She did not say much about the knife, except that it
looked like a very good one. She laughed at what was