Accepted by
His X Mark."
"There, I guess that's all ship-shape and tight enough so water can't leak through," said the man and offered the paper to Bobby. He accepted it gravely, as one should in such important matters, then smiled up at the Lady whose lip still twitched curiously. He looked thoughtfully at the paper in his hand.
"A birthdays and perk—perk—"
"And all the perquisites pertaining thereto," said the man, helping him out.
"What is perk-wizits?" Bobby asked.
"Perk-wizits," replied the man gravely, "are the things that go with birthdays, a celebration, marbles, cake and ice cream, pocket knives, pigs and pups. Why, look at that pup!"
Bobby looked and the puppy had the precious bit of paper in his mouth and was trying to swallow it!
The man opened the puppy's mouth and rescued Bobby's birthdays.
"I was only just in time," he confided to Bobby. "A second later and that dog would have swallowed it. Then where would your birthdays have been?"