"Oh, we shall be glad to do that, Mr. Bond. I am not great for girls' things, you know. I like boys' toys and games better. But Mary——well, I guess there isn't much in the way of things girls like that she hasn't had. You see, Uncle Frank just dotes on Mary. He thinks the twins are pretty fine, but his Mary! Well, I tell her that she has two fathers."
"You make me very anxious to meet Uncle Frank," laughed Mr. Bond, "and I shall feel perfectly safe in leaving the choice of toys to you, Mary. By the way, I think the Sisters will find in Dorothy's trunk everything mentioned on the list in the catalog; but those, I take it, are all very necessary articles. If you girls can think of anything else that will make my little one happier or more comfortable, put it on the list with the toys. I must hurry away now if I am to catch the next train to the city."
Returning to Bird-a-Lea, Mary at once found paper and pencil and sat down beside Wilhelmina on the steps to make out the list. The little ones crowded around to see that nothing was forgotten.
"Doll, doll bed, doll carriage—" Mary read aloud.
"A little trunk."
"Yes, Beth, that's a good idea."
"And a shootcase, so when Dor'fy brings her chile over to stay all night with our chilluns."
"And——and——oh, I know! A little broom, so she can help us sweep the nice house we's going to make on the side porch."
"And a cute little carpet sweeper 'zactly the same as Liza's big one, and a mop to rub all around the floor——"
"But you won't need a sweeper for the floor of the porch, Berta."