“Nor any stockings—­just rags?” asked Sister in pity.  “I like to go barefoot, Roddy, but I like my new patent leather slippers, too.”

“Maybe he has some for Sunday,” comforted Brother, trying to be hopeful.  “Everybody has to wear shoes on Sunday.”

“Yes, of course they do,” agreed Sister, who had never heard of a boy and girl who didn’t wear shoes on Sunday and every day in the week except when they were allowed to go barefoot as a great treat.

The tempting packages were not to be forgotten one moment longer, and they decided to “take turns” opening them.

“Isn’t it fun!” giggled Sister.  What do you s’pose Mother is going to make you, Roddy?”

“I don’t know,” replied Brother absently.  “I keep thinking about Ralph’s present.  He says that he thinks I’ll be tall enough to have it by tomorrow.”

“Did you drink all your milk for breakfast?” asked Sister anxiously.

Ralph was most particular about the children’s milk.  He insisted that they couldn’t grow properly without enough milk, and as both were anxious to grow tall, Brother and Sister usually drank their milk without fussing.

Brother had finished his to the last drop that morning, he said, and when they were called in to lunch presently, he drank another glass so that he would surely grow enough to please Ralph.

“And now we’ll do up the fishpond presents,” said Louise, when they had finished lunch.

She and Grace both helped, for Mother Morrison was busy in the kitchen with Molly, and of course none of the brothers were home during the day except Jimmie, and he was usually busy out in the barn where the gymnasium was.

You have probably “fished” in a fishpond yourself at parties, and know what it is.  Little gifts are placed somewhere out of sight, and each small guest is given a fishing rod and line with a hook at the end.  He dangles this over the back of a sofa, or over a table, and when he draws it up there is a “fish,” or the present, attached to it.

Louise had plenty of nice white paper and pink string, and each gift was carefully wrapped and tied.  Dark blue crepe paper was tacked around three sides of a table and this table placed across one corner of the parlor.  This was the “ocean.”  The presents were placed on the floor back of the table, and Brother and Sister knew, from past pleasant experience, that when it came time to fish, the packages would obligingly attach themselves to the hooks.

“Tomorrow’s ever so long off,” sighed Brother, when the fishpond was ready and Louise and Grace had gone over to the library to take back some books.

He and Sister were not wanted in the kitchen and they were asked not to touch the clean white clothes spread out on the guest room bed for them to wear to the party.  There really did not seem to be anything for them to do.

“Let’s go out and watch for Ralph?” suggested Sister.