“What’s the matter?” asked Midget, looking from one smiling face to another.

“Nothing, nothing!” said King, trying to look unconcerned.

“Nothing, nothing,” said Cousin Jack, pulling a wry face.

But Mrs. Maynard said, “There’s another birthday surprise for you, Marjorie dear.  It has just come, and it’s in the living-room.  Go and hunt for it.”

Marjorie danced into the house, and they all followed.  She began looking about for some small object, peering into vases and under books, till her father said: 

“Look for something larger, Midget; something quite large.”

“And be careful of your frock,” warned her mother, for Midget was down on her hands and knees, looking under the big divan.

“Keep on your feet!” advised King.  “And look everywhere.”

“Pooh!  If I keep on my feet, I can’t find anything big!” exclaimed Midget.  “Where could it be hidden?”

“That’s for you to find out!” returned King.

“I’ll give you a hint,” said Cousin Jack.  “Turn, Mehitabel, turn.”

Marjorie turned slowly round and round, but that didn’t help her any.

“Turn, turn, turn, turn,” Cousin Jack kept saying in a monotone, and suddenly it flashed on Marjorie that he meant for her to turn something else beside herself.

She turned the key of a bookshelf door, and opened it, but found nothing but books.

“Turn, turn, turn, turn,” droned Cousin Jack.

“Oh,” thought Marjorie, “the closet!” and flying to the door of a large closet in the room, she turned the knob, the door flew open, and there she saw,—­Uncle Steve and Kitty!

“Oh, Kit!” she cried, and in a moment the two girls were so tangled up that detriment to their party frocks seemed inevitable.

But they were persuaded to separate before too much damage was done, and then Marjorie turned to greet Uncle Steve.

“I daren’t rumple your fine feathers,” he said, standing ’way off, and extending his fingertips to her.  “But I’m terrible glad to see you, and to find that you’ve grown up as good as you are beautiful.”

This made Marjorie laugh, for she didn’t think she was either.

“How did you happen to come?” she cried, for she couldn’t realize that Kitty was really there.

“Oh, it was just a stroke of good luck,” said Cousin Jack.  “You know to-day is your lucky day.”

“’Deed it is!” declared Marjorie.  “Come on, Kit, let’s go and sit in the swing till the people come to the party.”

The sisters had time for a short, merry chat, and then the guests began to arrive.  There were about twenty-five boys and girls, and with the grown-ups this made quite a party.

It was fun, indeed, to have both Cousin Jack and Uncle Steve present, for these two men just devoted themselves to the cause, and made so much fun and merriment that they seemed like big children themselves.