Brother and Sister Part 5

He stooped down and lifted the lid of the basket. Then he tipped it over on one side and out rolled the fattest brown and white collie puppy dog you ever saw!

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" shrieked Brother and Sister together. "What a perfectly dear little puppy!"

"He's yours, Brother," said Ralph, smiling like the dear big brother he was. "Yours to take care of and love, and to name."

"Hasn't he any name?" asked Brother, hugging the fat puppy, who seemed to like it and tried to say so with his little red tongue. "I don't know what to name a puppy dog."

"Call him 'Brownie,'" suggested Sister, down on her knees on the floor, watching the dog with shining eyes. "I think that is a nice name."

"So do I," agreed Brother.

"I do, too," said Ralph. "And now you must get dressed if you are not to be late for breakfast; and I must go down now--I have to take an earlier train in."

"Won't you come to the party?" begged Sister, as Ralph stood up to go.

"Don't believe I'll be home in time," he answered. "But you can tell me all about it and that will be almost as nice."

Mother Morrison came in to help them dress and she kissed Brother six times because it was his birthday. He wore a new blue sailor suit, and Sister put on her next-to-the-best hair-ribbon in his honor.

"I like birthdays," sighed Brother, slipping into his seat at the breakfast table and eyeing the little heap of bundles at his plate with great delight. "Look at my puppy dog, d.i.c.k."

"Well, that is a nice pup," admitted d.i.c.k, putting down his paper.

"Have you named him yet?"

"Name's Brownie--Betty thought of it," replied Brother. "Can he have cereal, Mother? And Daddy wrote on this box, didn't he?" The little boy picked up a box wrapped in paper.

"Now just a minute," said Mother Morrison firmly. "The dog can't eat at the table, dear; put him down until you have finished breakfast. I don't want you to open the parcels, either, until you have had your milk and cereal. But those two on top you may open--they are from Daddy and d.i.c.k and they're going to leave in ten minutes."

Brother opened the two packages eagerly. That from Daddy Morrison was a little wooden block and a set of rubber type with an ink-pad, so that Brother might play at printing. He knew his letters and, if someone helped him, could spell a number of words. d.i.c.k's parcel contained a little silver collar for the new puppy, so made that it could be made larger for him as he grew.

"Oh, d.i.c.k!" Brother flung himself upon that pleased young man and kissed him heartily. Somehow Brother seldom kissed d.i.c.k, although he loved him dearly. "It's the nicest collar!"

"All right, all right," said d.i.c.k hastily. "Glad you like it. Coming, Dad?"

Brother had to thank Daddy Morrison for his gift and kiss him good-bye, and then the interrupted breakfast went on. As soon as they had all finished, they gathered around Brother to watch him open his birthday gifts.

CHAPTER VII

MORE PRESENTS

"With so many birthdays in one family, we must not give elaborate or expensive presents ever," Mother Morrison had once said, and she had made that a rule.

So Brother's presents, while representing a great deal of beautiful love, were simple and mostly home-made.

Louise had made him an entire set of new sails for his ship Swallow; Grace had cleverly painted and cut out a set of paper soldiers, and set them in tiny wooden blocks so that they stood upright; Jimmie's present was a set of little garden tools; Molly brought in a gingerbread man, very wide and tall and most handsomely decorated with pink sugar icing.

And Mother Morrison gave him a box of watercolor paints and a painting book.

Just as Brother had unwrapped the last of his gifts, dear Grandmother Hastings hurried in. Under her arm she carried a large square box, and her eyes twinkled as she set it down.

"For the birthday boy!" she said.

"A toolchest!" shouted Brother in delight. "Look, Grandma, Ralph gave me a puppy!"

"I hope you said 'thank you!' just like that!" laughed Grandmother, as Brother hugged her so tightly she could scarcely get her breath. "Let me give you six kisses, dearie. Why, Brother, what is the matter?"

"I never said 'thank you' at all," mourned Brother. "Did I, Sister? And Ralph gave me such a nice puppy dog."

"But you can say 'thank you' tonight, can't he, Grandma?" protested Sister loyally.

"Why, of course, dear. Don't worry, Brother--Ralph knew you were very happy to have the doggie. Now come and tell me what you are going to call him."

There were many things to be done to get ready for the party that afternoon, and while Brother and Sister introduced Brownie to their grandmother, the rest of the family scattered to their work. Presently Grandmother Hastings declared she must run home and put a lace collar on her best frock so that she could come to the party, and Brother and Sister were left alone with the new presents.

"Let's take Brownie out for a walk," suggested Sister. "Have you fed him, Roddy?"

Brother shook his head. No, Brownie had had no breakfast.

"I wish I'd said thank you' to Ralph," worried Ralph's little brother.

"Maybe he won't come home to supper tonight, and I'll be in bed when he comes."

"Telephone him," said Sister, stroking one of Brownie's velvet ears.

"I don't know the name of the law school," objected Brother.

"Ask Daddy," promptly responded Sister. "He'll know."

The children knew the number of Daddy Morrison's big office in the city, and both could telephone very nicely. The phone booth was under the hall stairs and Brother knew no one in the house could hear him when he took down the receiver.

"Please give me 6587 Main," he said politely, while Sister and Brownie sat down on the floor to wait and listen.

d.i.c.k was in his father's office, and unless the person calling asked for Mr. Morrison, senior, the switchboard operator gave them Mr.

Morrison, junior. That was d.i.c.k, who was named for Daddy Morrison.

"h.e.l.lo, h.e.l.lo!" came d.i.c.k's voice over the wire in answer to Brother's call.

"I want Daddy," said Brother distinctly.

"Is that you, Brother?" asked d.i.c.k in surprise. "Did Mother ask you to call him? Is anything wrong at home?"

"No, only I want to speak to him," said Brother impatiently.

"He's busy--if you are only trying to amuse yourself, I advise you to stop it," answered d.i.c.k rather sharply. "You know you are not supposed to use the 'phone, Brother."

"I guess I can talk to my father," a.s.serted Brother indignantly. "You tell him I want to speak to him, d.i.c.k Morrison!"