“Did you get it this time?” Daisy inquired, eagerly. Dulcie shook her head. “Out as usual,” she said. “I got ‘Heartsease,’ by Charlotte Yonge, but I don believe it’s half as nice as ‘Little Men.’” Molly heard both question and answer, and looked suddenly pleased and mysterious. Paul had gone out with his mother, but on his return, at about four o’clock, he ran up-stairs to the nursery, two steps at a time. He was carrying a parcel under his arm. He found his four friends already returned from their walk, and somewhat to his surprise, three of them--including Dulcie herself--did not look very much pleased to see him. “What are you all doing?” he inquired, with some curiosity, for it was evident that his entrance had interrupted something. “Oh, just playing,” answered Daisy, blushing, and Dulcie added hastily: “It’s a very silly game; you wouldn’t care about it.” “How do you know I wouldn’t?” demanded the visitor, who was standing in the doorway, with one hand behind him. “Because I know you wouldn’t; it isn’t a boy’s game at all.” “Well, I think you might tell me what it is, anyway,” said Paul, rather offended, and Molly, who had noticed the parcel in her friend’s hand, hastened to say soothingly: “There isn’t any harm in telling him; I don’t believe he’ll laugh. We’re having a make-believe party, Paul.” “What’s a make-believe party?” “Why, you see,” Daisy explained, “this is Dulcie’s birthday, and we wanted to do something a little different from ordinary days. Of course Grandma wouldn’t let us have a real party, so we’re having an imaginary one, and all the people who come to it are make-believes.” Paul laughed. “That’s the funniest party I ever heard of,” he said. “I say, let me play, too.” Dulcie and Daisy looked doubtful, but Molly pleaded, and in the end the others consented, after exacting a promise from Paul not to laugh, and never to let the grown-ups know how silly they had been. “We pretend this is the parlor,” said Molly. “We are all dressed in party dresses. Mine is pink silk, with white dotted muslin over it. There’s an imaginary piano over there by the window, and a man is playing dance music on it. Dulcie stands here by the door, and shakes hands with people when they come in. I announce their names, and everybody brings her a present. I’ll show you how we do it.” And, turning her head in the direction of the open door, Molly announced in a good imitation of “Grandma’s company voice”: “Miss Blanche Bud.” Dulcie advanced and held out her hand. “I’m very glad to see you, Blanche,” she said. “It was lovely of you to come to my party. Your dress is very pretty. Oh, are these flowers for me? How very sweet of you to bring them. Maud, please put these roses in water.” “Isn’t it fun?” giggled Maud, seizing the imaginary bouquet from her sister’s outstretched hand. “If I shut my eyes tight, and pretend very hard, I can almost make myself believe it’s a real party.”