Sure enough Sister’s dough-man, and Brother’s, too, was a rather dark gray, while the bread Molly was mixing was creamy white.

Mother Morrison, coming into the kitchen carrying Brother’s rubbers and raincoat, saved Molly an explanation.

CHAPTER II

GRANDMA HASTINGS

“Where are you going Mother?” asked Brother, when he saw the rubbers.

“I’m not going out,” smiled Mother.  “You are going for me, dear.  These are your rubbers and coat—­hop into them and run across the street to Grandma’s with this apron pattern.”

“Will you bake my dough-man, Molly?” begged Brother, struggling into his coat and taking the small parcel Mother gave him.  “Is Betty coming?”

“Not this time,” answered his mother.  “It is raining too hard.  Yes, Molly will bake your dough-man and you may eat him for lunch.  Run along now.”

Grandmother Hastings lived almost directly across the street from the Morrison house and she was putting her beautiful Boston fern out to get the rain when Brother tramped sturdily up her side garden path.

“Bless his heart, he’s a regular little duck!” cried Grandma, giving him a tremendous hug.

That is the way grandmothers are, you know, whether they live across the street from you and see you every day, or whether they live miles away and come to visit you Christmas and summer times.  A grandmother is always glad to see you.

Grandmother Hastings was short and plumpy and her white hair was curly and her eyes were blue.  She had pink cheeks and wore a blue dress and a white apron with a frilly bib, and altogether, Brother thought privately, she looked very nice indeed.

“I’m very glad to get that pattern,” she told him, patting the long leaves of the fern and spreading them out to catch the rain.  “I’ve a magazine you can take back to Mother, dearie, and an old fashion book Sister will like for paper dolls.  Come into the sitting-room while I find them for you.  Take off your rubbers, child.”

Brother followed her into the house and there Aunt Kate swooped upon him and tickled him as she always did.  Aunt Kate was a school teacher.  In summer she tutored backward pupils.  She was on her way to give a lesson now and in a few minutes she went away merrily into the driving rain.  That left Grandmother and Brother to entertain each other.

“Do you know what Ralph is going to give me for a birthday present, Grandmother?” Brother asked, dropping flat on his stomach to play jungle with the tigerskin that lay before the fireplace.  “He says if I’m not tall enough I can’t have it.  But he’s bought it all ready—­he said so.”

Brother, you see, would be six years old in a few days.  He couldn’t help thinking a great deal about his birthday.

Grandmother and Brother had no secrets from each other, though sometimes they planned surprises for the other members of the family.