"Tell us what it is. We give it up, don't we, Dave?"
"Grace Bernard is going to have a party—a birthday party."
"A party?" echoed Dave. "Who told you?"
"My sister Annie just came from Mr. Bernard's and said so."
"When is it to be?" chimed in both boys eagerly.
"Next Thursday evening," answered their informant.
"Well, that strikes me about right," replied Tom, with evident pleasure at the prospect. "How old is Grace, I wonder?"
"She will be sixteen next Thursday," returned Matthew.
"I'm glad some one has life enough to wake us up a little. I'm hungry for a 'racket,'" put in Dave. "The evenings are getting long, and it is too cold to rove about much. Three cheers, I say, for Grace Bernard! I speak for the first waltz with her."
The cheers were given with a will, for the mere mention of a party, the first one of the season, was sufficient to make the boys enthusiastic.