But my! What a struggle it was not to tell
Paula!
In a few days it would be Paula's fifteenth birthday, and the whole family
seemed endued with the same idea, to make it an especially happy and
unforgettable occasion.
Paula must have suspected something with all the coming and going; the
whispering and smothered giggles in corners, etc., but she wasn't the kind
to pry into other people's affairs, and so, no matter what she may have
thought, she kept her own counsel.
On the morning of the great day, which to our great satisfaction, came on a
Sunday, Paula was quite a bit surprised to find that Mlle. Virtud and
Gabriel had been invited over to breakfast; but aside from that occurrence
there was nothing unusual as yet to indicate that we were celebrating
Paula's birthday.
When the meal was finished, however, my father folded up his napkin, and
with an air of mock gravity said, "Why, let me see, this is Paula's
birthday; isn't it? I suppose Paula's been wondering why there were no
gifts piled up on her plate. You see, Paula, we've all combined on the one
gift, but it's too big to put on the dining-table. However, it's not far
away. Let's all go and have a look at it together.
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