"I don't have to drink milk this morning, Mother," he assured her
confidently. "Honestly I don't. It's raining so hard that we can't
go outdoors and grow, anyway."
Louise, his older sister, said sharply. "Don't be silly!" but
Ralph, who was in a hurry to catch his train, stopped long enough
to give a word of advice.
"Look here, Brother," he urged seriously, "better not skip a
morning. Your birthday is next week, isn't it? Well, if you're not
tall enough by Wednesday morning, you can't have the present I
bought for you last night. Too short, no present--you think it
over."
He stooped to kiss his mother, tweaked Sister's perky bow of hair-
ribbon, and with a hasty "Good-bye" for the others at the table,
hurried out into the hall. They heard the front door slam after
him.
Spurred by Ralph's mysterious hint, Brother drank his milk, and
then the Morrison family scattered for their usual busy day.
Brother and Sister were left to clear the breakfast table. They
always did this, carrying out the dishes and silver to Molly in
the kitchen. Then they crumbled the cloth neatly. Molly declared
she could not do without them.
"What do you suppose Ralph is going to give you?" speculated
Sister, carefully folding up the napkin Louise had dropped, and
slipping it into the white pique ring embroidered with an "L.
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