see why you was ever allowed to play with him!...

"Now, darlin',"--softening--"here we stand fussin', and you ain't even
guessed what your presents are. Guess something that's real fine:
something you'd like in the city, pettie." She began to unwrap the
larger of the packages.

"Oh," said Gwendolyn. "What I'd like in the _city_. Well,"--suddenly
between her brows there came a curious, strained little wrinkle--"I'd
like--"

The white paper fell away. A large, round box was disclosed. To it was
tied a small card.

"This is from your papa!" cried Jane. "Oh, let's see what it is!"

The wrinkle smoothed. A smile broke,--like sudden sunlight after clouds,
and shadow. Then there poured forth all that had filled her heart during
the past months:

"I'd like to eat at the grown-up table with my fath-er and my moth-er,"
she declared; "and I don't want to have a nurse any more like a baby!
and I want to go to _day_-school."

Jane gasped, and her big hands fell from the round box. Thomas stared,
and reddened even to his ears, which were large and over-prominent. To
both, the project cherished so long and constantly was in the nature of
a bombshell.

"Oh-ho!" said Jane, recovering herself after a moment. "So me and Thomas