“Yes,” said Dulcie, smiling; “that’s why the others went up so early; they wanted to tie up the presents.”
“Have you any idea what you’re going to get?” Paul asked, curiously.
“Not the very least, and it’s so exciting wondering about it.” And Dulcie laughed, such a happy laugh, that Paul gazed at her in bewilderment.
“I hope she won’t be disappointed,” he said to himself. “I wish I’d known about that book before, so I could have bought it in time. I should be disappointed enough if I didn’t get anything but old junk for my birthday, and I guess most people would, too.”
But when Dulcie came down to breakfast the next morning, she did not look in the least disappointed. She was wearing a pink hair-ribbon, which Paul remembered to have noticed as a favorite color with Molly, and round her neck, attached to a piece of black velvet, was a tiny gold locket.
“Happy birthday,” remarked Paul, as Dulcie slipped into her seat at the table. “Did you like your presents?”
“I loved them,” answered Dulcie, heartily. “I woke up before six, and took all the packages into bed; I was so crazy to see what they were.”
At that moment Grandma looked up from the morning paper, to inquire sharply:
“What’s that round your neck, Dulcie?”
“It’s my locket,” said Dulcie, proudly, touching the trinket with loving fingers. “It was Maud’s, but she gave it to me for a birthday present. Papa gave it to her, and there’s a piece of Mamma’s hair in it.”