CHAPTER XII 



THE LARGE YELLOW LADY's SLIPPER 



It will be Tommy's birthday on Saturday and 

 he is to have a party. Sallie is going with me, and 

 Philip Todd will be there. Little Trudy has a 

 ne.w dress to wear and also one for her doll. In- 

 deed we are all thinking what we can do to make 

 Tommy happy. 



Grandmother is going to give him a beautiful 

 book about flowers and birds and Philip has spent 

 all the money he had in his bank to buy him a 

 kodak. Herr Wllhelm Fritz knows that Tommy's 

 birthday is near and he is holding back some 

 beautiful roses to send him in a basket. I have 

 been thinking that I should like to gather Tommy a 

 bunch of the wild flowers he loves so much, only 

 he seldom picks them himself and it would not 

 make him happy If I were to take him any that he 

 thought were vanishing. ,j 



He has invited all the boys and girls that live 

 near here, and has written to Francis to say that 

 he would like him to come also. The only thing 

 that makes him feel sorry Is that he doesn't yet 

 know the name of the girl with straight hair 

 whom he saw in Secret Valley. 



When Saturday morning came I heard Herr 



73 



