1-TABITHA12

Candy and Jonathan started to walk up Bay Road to their home, Gull Cottage. Mrs. Coburn and Linda had dropped them off at the bottom of the hill that afternoon as per Carolyn's instructions that morning. Linda had another orthodontist's appointment that afternoon and couldn't be late for it. The weather was balmy for March, and the children took their time making their way up the hill.

"Hey, Candy . . ." said Jonathan, "Watch-ya gonna do for the Captain's birthday this year?"

Candy stopped on the road and turned to him, her eyes wide open. "Birthday! When's that? I thought you'd be more worried about your dumb April Fool's Day jokes! Remember. You promised no more jokes like last year! Besides, didn't we do the Captain's birthday?" Candy continued walking up the road.

Jonathan shook his head. "No . . . Remember? Claymore gave us the wrong day! We celebrated the day the Captain DIED . . . not the day he was born! Mom told me so!"

Candy grimaced at the thought. "Oh yeah . . . Well, when is it?"

"Mom said she looked up the right day in the city records after Claymore blew it. It's April eighth, eighteen- twenty-five." Jonathan paused and concentrated. ". . . At least I think that was the year. But I'm sure it's April eighth."

"Gee. That's not very far away!" Candy turned and glanced at her brother again. "It's March twenty-seventh now! That only gives us . . . thirteen . . . yeah . . . a little less than two weeks to get ready for it!"

"Yeah . . . I wonder why the Captain didn't say anything about it? I start talking about what I want for my birthday at least a month ahead of time!"

"I don't think grownups like birthdays . . ." said Candy, thoughtfully. ". . . I mean I think they like that people remember their birthday, but I don't think they like to talk about them. Maybe they're worried about getting old or something. You know, Martha calls hers a 'State Secret'." She reminded her brother.

"Well . . ." said Jonathan, kicking a stone in his path, ". . . The Captain can't get older exactly . . . Do you think maybe he forgot what day his birthday is? He couldn't remember when we asked him about it in November . . . That's how we ended up getting the wrong date from Claymore and surprising him on the wrong day . . ."

"I don't think so," said Candy, shifting her school books to her other arm, "I was thinking about it after the party was over last year. Do you think maybe he told us he couldn't remember the day on purpose, so we couldn't make a fuss? Mom says he remembers everything . . . that's how he can tell such great stories."

"Well, that would be dumb!" Jonathan retorted. "If we remember yours and mine and Mom's and Scruffy's we have to remember his too!"

"Well, don't get mad at me!" Candy replied hotly, "I think you're right! But either way we have the same problem we did in November. How can we surprise him with a birthday party when we never know when he's around to hear what we are saying?"

"Well, I was thinking," Jonathan said, in a conspiring tone. "He doesn't know, we know when his birthday is, right?"

"Right . . ."

"And Martha knows about the Captain now, and Mom, and Claymore . . ."

"Yeah . . ."

"So, that makes everything easier! Don't you get it? Maybe we can do what we're doing right now . . . Plan it all when we aren't at Gull Cottage!"

Candy's face suddenly lit up as Jonathan' idea began to take shape. "Oh! I get it! We can run errands and take walks and play on the beach and plan the party and then go into town with Mom to get stuff and hide everything we get for the party in the car! Captain Gregg never messes around in Mom's car!"

"Yeah!" answered Jonathan "Except the cake . . . we can't hide that there! But, Captain Gregg might still be on the lookout for something going on . . . He looks out for everything anyway. Maybe we could disrect him or something . . ."

"Disrect? Don't you mean distract?" Candy corrected him, with what Jonathan privately called her 'mother' tone.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that . . . make him think we're doing something else . . ."

"Like what?"

"Well . . . His birthday is real near April Fools' Day . . . Maybe if he thinks we're trying to 'get' him with April Fool's Day jokes, then he'll forget about his birthday!"

"I don't know, Jonathan . . ." Candy said doubtfully. "It's four days to April Fool's Day, and then another eight days after that to his birthday . . ."

"Yeah, but if he thinks we're trying to play jokes on him, maybe he'll start thinking about jokes to play back and forget about his birthday . . . Hey! Wait! I know!" Jonathan said, tossing his schoolbooks to the ground.

"What?" said Candy, exasperated, but trying to be patient.

"We could play a really big April Fool's Day joke! We can do his birthday party on April Fools Day! He'll never guess that!"

"I dunno, Jonathan . . . I'd want my birthday remembered on my birthday . . . having it that early wouldn't be any fun!" said Candy. "I don't think that's a very good idea."

"No . . . you still don't get it! We'll do both! We fool him on April Fools day with a little party. Then surprise him on his birthday with a big party! That'll really get him!"

"Hey! Yeah!" said Candy, "That's a great idea!"

"Let' go tell Mom and Martha!" said Jonathan, grabbing his books from the ground.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Candy and Jonathan raced the rest of the way up the hill and burst through the front door. To their surprise, Carolyn and Martha were at the door, waiting for them.

"Avast, you two!" said Carolyn, greeting them with a hug. "I'm glad you're home, and on time, for a change! You do remember we have shopping to do in Schooner Bay this afternoon?"

"And no arguments," added Martha, joining the three with her purse and a shopping list. "I already have your after school snack in the car, so put your books down and we'll get moving."

"Okay!" chorused Candy and Jonathan; they put their schoolbooks down quickly and made a beeline to the car with no arguments.

"Hmm . . ." said Martha, staring after them.

"Hmm, what?" asked Carolyn looking at her friend.

"Hmm. That's all," said Martha. "The kids hate shopping, even when it's for them! I wonder what they're up to?"

"Couldn't say!" replied Carolyn with a laugh, "I'm just happy to have 'willing prisoners' for a change! Now, lets get going before they change their mind about being cooperative!"