How can you be so absurd as to say you won't?
You know we want you, and you know you came on purpose!"
"Did I?
Well, perhaps I did," laughed Rose.
Then Katy lifted off the lid and set it against the door.
It was an exciting moment.
"Just look here!" cried Katy.
The top of the box was mostly taken up with four square paper boxes, round which parcels of all shapes and sized were wedged and fitted.
The whole was a miracle of packing.
It had taken Miss Finch three mornings, with assistance from old Mary, and much advice from Elsie, to do it so beautifully.
Each box held a different kind of cake.
One was of jumbles, another of ginger-snaps, a third of crullers, and the fourth contained a big square loaf of frosted plum-cake, with a circle of sugar almonds set in the frosting.
How the trio exclaimed at this!
"I never imagined any thing so nice," declared Rose, with her mouth full of jumble.
"As for those snaps, they're simply perfect. What can be in all those fascinating bundles?
Do hurry and open one, Katy."
Dear little Elsie!
The first two bundles opened were hers, a white hood for Katy, and a blue one for Clover, both of her own knitting, and so nicely done.
The girls were enchanted.
"How she has improved!" said Katy.
"She knits better than either of us, Clover."
"There never was such a clever little darling!" responded Clover, and they patted the hoods, tried them on before the glass, and spent so much time in admiring them that Rose grew impatient.
"I declare," she cried, "it isn't any of my funeral, I know; but if you don't open another parcel soon, I shall certainly fall to myself.
It seems as if, what with cold and curiosity, I couldn't wait."
"Very well," said Katy, laying aside her hood, with one final glance.
"Take out a bundle, Clover.
It's your turn."
Clover's bundle was for herself,
"Evangeline," in blue and gold; and pretty soon
"Golden Legend," in the same binding, appeared for Katy.
Both these were from Dorry.
Next came a couple of round packages of exactly the same size.
These proved to be ink-stands, covered with Russia leather: one marked,
"Katy from Johnnie," and the other,
"Clover from Phil."
It was evident that the children had done their shopping together, for presently two long narrow parcels revealed the carved pen-handles, precisely alike; and these were labelled,
"Katy from Phil," and
"Clover from Johnnie."
What fun it was opening those bundles!
The girls made a long business of it, taking out but one at a time, exclaiming, admiring, and exhibiting to Rose, before they began upon another.
They laughed, they joked, but I do not think it would have taken much to make either of them cry.
It was almost too tender a pleasure, these proofs of loving remembrance from the little one; and each separate article seemed full of the very look and feel of home.
"What can this be?" said Katy, as she unrolled a paper and disclosed a pretty round box.
She opened.
Nothing was visible but pink cotton wool.
Katy peeped beneath, and gave a cry. "O Clovy!
Such a lovely thing!
It's from papa,—of course it's from papa.
How could he?
It's a great deal too pretty."