message to Sheba that sent him flying home through the woods like an
excited little whirlwind. The lid of the basket flopped up and down, in
time to the motion of his scampering feet. At the foot of the hill he
began calling "Mammy!" and kept it up until he reached the door. By that
time, he was so out of breath that he could only gasp his message. Sheba
was expected to be at Rosehaven at seven o'clock, and John Jay was to
take part in the performance on the lawn.

It took a great deal of cross-questioning before Mammy fully understood
the arrangement. She could readily see that her services might be
desired in the kitchen, but it puzzled her to know what anybody could
want of John Jay. She shook her head a great many times before she
finally promised that he might go.

Bud had passed a very dull morning without his adventurous brother. Now
he came up with a bit of rope with which to play horse. But John Jay was
looking down on such sports at present.

"Aw, go way, boy," he said, with a lofty air. "I ain't no hawse. I'se
goin' to a buthday-pa'ty to-night. Miss Hallie done give me an
invite--me an' Mammy."

"Whose goin' to stay with me an' Ivy?" asked Bud, anxiously.

"Aunt Susan, I reckon," answered John Jay. "Mammy tole me to go ask her.
Come along with me, an' I'll tell you what all Miss Hallie got for her
buthday. I reckon she had mos' a thousand presents, an' a box of candy
half as big as Ivy."

Bud opened his eyes in amazement.