Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-03


large bottle from her old dark desk full
of cubby holes, as she answered:
your birthday comes on Hallowe'e
you know, and we're going to have the
jolliest time! It's the first time you
ever had a Halloween birthday party
In apple-orchard, where you could have
just all the red apples you wanted to
bob for isn't it? And mother and
daddy will be here by that time. and
we'll surprise them and everybody else.
1t will be big secret, Just between
you and me. Come out in the kitchen
now land you can work at one side Of
the big table while make cookies"
Peter had forgotten the rain, and,
scampering into the warm kitchen he
climbed into his chair by the window.
Now" went on Aunt Elsie, "the first
thing we have to do is to think Just
what people we want to have at the
party. There's mother and daddy.
Well begin with them"
"And Uncle joe" piped up Peter,
and you and me"
Aunt Elsie was scribbling names
down fast.
"And Harold Drew" she prompted.
"and Tiny Brown, and Helen Arnold,
and Joe Arnold"
"And Bunny Rabbit, and that little
girl with fuzzy hair that lives over be.
yond the HILL" went on Peter, eagerly.
."Flossie Hunter" questioned Aunt
Elsie. eyes, of course she must come,
and then there is Polly Gale, and John.
ny Gale, and Sammy Gale,-they must
all come"
Peter, joyously; "and who else?"
well, I guess that's about all the lit
tie girls and boys that live near enough
that aren't too big or too little" said
Aunt Elsie after both she and Peter
had thought long time. $50 now we'll
begin. First, I'll print the names in big
fat letters, and then you can cut them
all out,-Tn show you. And when you
finish one name, stick a pin through
that pile Of letters" and she put a red,
green-semmed tomato :. pin-cushion
Aunt Elsie printed all the names, and
Peter, puckering his red lips and stick
ing out the end of his tongue, began
to snip, snip 1t was so hard to keep
Just exactly on the black lines.
ooh, Peter, forgot! Before you pin
the letters Of each name together you
must brush mucilage on their backs
and leave them spread out on the table
to dry. Then we'll pin them together
afterward."
"But what are the names for. Aunt
Elsie?" Peter was nearly bursting with
curiosity.
"Well, Peterkin, I'll tell you, but re-
member, don't tell anybody; it's just
our own secret" And though there was
nobody that could have heard except
old fat Billy cat. purring by the stove
Aunt Elsie bent her head close to Pet
ers and whispered and whispered, and
till finally they both were laughing,
and Peter was shouting: won't moth
err and daddy be surprised! Don't tell
them! And won't every one be surpris-
ed! I guess nobody ever went to that
kind Of party before:'
Peter shipped and pasted and pinned.
and Aunt Elsie rolled out cookies; and
in a juffy. it seemed to Peter, dinner
time came. n.
In the afternoon the sun came out
and after all the men had gone back
to their work in the orchard Aunt Elsie
and Peter packed all the names in a
little basket and started off, first
through one end of the orchard, across
the creek on a slippery old log, through
some woods till they came out In a lit
tie clearing where there had once been
near the old celler, and after they had
looked them over Peter called
II think these are the best apples on
this tree, Aunt Elsie"
Eyes" agreed Aunt Elsie, coming
over to him, II think this is the best,
because it is Northern Spy, and
those apples turn very red.'
you're sure they'll be red by my
birthday" Peters voice was very anx-
ysr<> oil ySnyx ~ 81
"Sure as sure" said Aunt Elsie, and
you know we want them green now.
don't think any one ever comes to this
old place so nobody will find out our
secret"
Then they both set to work. Aunt
Elsie could reach from the ground. but
Peter couldn't, so they found an old
box for him to stand on.
rs this one all right, Aunt Elsie?"
asked Peter cooking his head. in anx-
iety. after five minutes OF silence.
'Fine!" laughed Aunt Elsie. "And
how is miner
"FIne!" shouted Peter, gleefully, in
return. and then they fell to work again
and didn't stop till the last name in
the basket was used up.
"There!" said Peter, jumping down
from his box, and marching round and
round the tree, with his head tipped
back as far as his neck would let 1t
go. isn't that bout the funniest
looking apple tree you ever did see?
Gust about the funniest" agreed
Aunt Elsie. "And remember, Peter,
it's secret"
Three or four times during the next
six weeks Aunt Elsie and Peter slipped
off by themselves to their apple-tree.
each time coming home laughing and
joking in the highest spirits.
Three days before the birthday
mother and daddy came, and finally
Birthday Day itself, all warm and sun
shiny. Before any Of the others were
up Aunt Elsie and Peter slipped on
carrying big basket between them.
When they got back they tiptoed
softly up to the attic. where they were
still whispering and giggling when
Uncle Joes voice startled them.
ScoNrMUw NEXT WEHl