actually forgot all about the birthday itself; all her mind being set
on the Henderson box, so soon to sail off over the sea.

And Mother Fisher would look over at her absorbed face, and smile, to
watch her in the shops, picking out things for the Henderson boys; and
old Mr. King would send many a keen glance at her, and Jasper had hard
work not to exclaim, "Oh, Polly, father has got you a--" And then he'd
pull himself up, and rush off into some great plan to buy Peletiah
Henderson something that a Badgertown boy ought to have. And Phronsie
was carefully guarded on all sides these days, lest she should let out
the great secret, for, of course, she ought to be in the very centre of
all these preparations to celebrate Polly's birthday in Old Amsterdam,
so she knew everything just as soon as it was planned. But sometimes,
with all this care, the whole thing nearly popped out.

"Mr. King!" It was Mother Fisher who called after him, and her voice
didn't sound like hers, for it had an excited little ring. "Oh, are you
going out?" for she didn't see that he held his hat in his hand till he
turned in the corridor.

"I can wait just as well if it's anything you want, Mrs. Fisher," he
said gladly, controlling his surprise at her unusual manner. "I was
only about to run down to the Kalver-straat for a little matter I just
thought of for the birthday. Can I do anything for you?" he begged.

"Yes, it's just that," said Mrs. Fisher, hurriedly; "it's about the
birthday--I must speak quickly--I've just found out,--" she glanced up
and down the corridor as if fully expecting to see Polly dash around a
corner,--"that Adela Gray's birthday is to-morrow--"