"what's a red-letter day, nora?" asked betty, coming into the kitchen where nora was doing the saturday baking.

"it's a day when something 'specially nice happens," answered nora. "why?"

"mamma just said it would be a red-letter day if she got all her mending done by night. i wish," added betty wistfully, "that i could make it a red-letter day for her!"

"you can!" cried nora. "i'll show you how to make a cake, and then she won't have to make it. she can have the time to mend."

"goody, goody!" cried betty, when her mamma said she might try.

"i didn't tell her about the red-letter part," she explained, as she and nora measured and beat and stirred. "that will make it another kind of red-letter day—s for s'prise."

the cake came out of the oven light and flaky and beautiful.

"wouldn't it be nice," sighed betty, "if it could only have a red s right in the middle?"

"it can," said nora. "make it of those tiny red candies of yours. you'll have to work fast before the icing dries."

when the s was finished it was pretty crooked, even for an s. but there was no doubt at all about what it was.

when dinner was on the table betty brought in the cake and set it before her mother.

"well, well, well!" cried mrs. arnold. "what a fine little cook i have! but what is the s for, betty?"

"it stands for saturday, mamma," said betty. and then she told all about the red-letter plan.

"it was a dear plan," said her mother. "and i did finish the mending. and now i'll tell my little girl something else. s stands for saturday, but it stands for another word, too—it stands for my sunshine," she finished, giving betty a loving kiss.