“Many happy returns of the day!” cried Molly, “and here’s my gift.”  She had in her arms a large and rather ungainly bundle, loosely wrapped in white tissue paper.

Together she and Marjorie hastily pulled off the papers, and there was a beautiful cat-basket trimmed with blue ribbons and lined with soft cushions for Puff to sleep in.

“Oh!” cried Marjorie, flinging her arms around Molly’s neck, “that’s just what I’ve been wanting ever since I’ve had that kitten.”  And grabbing up Puff, who was never very far away, she laid her in the basket.

Puff seemed delighted with her new bed, and, after curiously sniffing and poking into all the nooks and corners of it, she curled up and began to purr herself to sleep.

Stella’s gift was a dainty, little white-silk parasol, with a frill around it, which seemed to Marjorie the loveliest thing she had ever seen.

“It’s beautiful, Stella!” she exclaimed.  “And I shall always carry it whenever I’m dressed up enough.  I hope you girls will have your birthdays soon, so I can give you some lovely things, too.”

“Have you had your surprise yet?” asked impatient Molly, who, according to her usual fashion, was prancing about the room on one foot; while Stella sat demurely in a chair, her hands quietly folded in her lap, though her eyes seemed to make the same inquiry.

“No, not yet,” answered Uncle Steve for his niece, “but I think it’s about time for us to see if we can find it.”

“All right,” cried Marjorie, “let’s all go to the orchard!”

“I don’t see, Midget,” said her uncle, “why you think the surprise is down at the orchard, just because I told you I was making it down there.  In fact I have my birthday gift for you right here in my pocket.”

Marjorie looked rather blank.  She knew Uncle Steve loved to tease her, but she had certainly expected some out-of-door gift, and to receive a little trinket that could be carried in a pocket was a surprise indeed.

In proof of his words Uncle Steve drew a neatly-tied parcel from a pocket of his morning coat and handed it to Marjorie.  It was about the size of a one-pound box of candy, and sure enough, when Marjorie eagerly pulled off the paper, the gilt letters on the cover proclaimed it a candy-box.  Marjorie felt positive that her uncle would not offer her candy as a birthday gift, for he often brought her that on any ordinary day of the year.  But she was mystified, and she took off the cover, not knowing herself what she expected to see.  To her surprise, inside the box was another parcel, a trifle smaller, and on the paper which wrapped it was written: 

“I am not candy as you thought, I bring you joys that can’t be bought.”

Marjorie began to understand that it was one of Uncle Steve’s elaborate jokes, and she didn’t know whether further search would reveal a valuable, though tiny gift, or some absurd hoax.

She took out the second box and tore off the wrappings.  Molly eagerly helped her pull off the ribbon and paper, and though Stella sat quietly by, she, too, almost held her breath to see what would happen next.