and beliefs of the young lady, but flattered himself that they would
soon be changed when she saw how unfashionable and
inconvenient they were.
Musing over the delightful future he had laid out, he made himself
comfortable in the sofa corner near his mother till the appearance
of a slight refection caused both groups to melt into one. Aunt
Plenty believed in eating and drinking, so the slightest excuse for
festivity delighted her hospitable soul, and on this joyful occasion
she surpassed herself.
It was during this informal banquet that Rose, roaming about from
one admiring relative to another, came upon the three younger
lads, who were having a quiet little scuffle in a secluded corner.
“Come out here and let me have a look at you,” she said enticingly,
for she predicted an explosion and public disgrace if peace was not
speedily restored.
Hastily smoothing themselves down, the young gentlemen
presented three flushed and merry countenances for inspection,
feeling highly honored by the command.
“Dear me, how you two have grown! You big things how dare you
get head of me in this way!” she said, standing on tiptoe to pat the
curly pates before her, for Will and Geordie had shot up like
weeds, and now grinned cheerfully down upon her as she surveyed
them in comic amazement.
“The Campbells are all fine, tall fellows, and we mean to be the
best of the lot. Shouldn’t wonder if we were six-footers like
Grandpa,” observed Will proudly, looking so like a young
Shanghai rooster, all legs and an insignificant head, that Rose kept
her countenance with difficulty.
“We shall broaden out when we get our growth. We are taller than
Steve now, a half a head, both of us,” added Geordie, with his nose
in the air.
Rose turned to look at Steve and, with a sudden smile, beckoned to
him. He dropped his napkin and flew to obey the summons, for she
was queen of the hour, and he had openly announced his deathless
loyalty.
“Tell the other boys to come here. I’ve a fancy to stand you all in a
row and look you over, as you did me that dreadful day when you
nearly frightened me out of my wits,” she said, laughing at the
memory of it as she spoke.
They came in a body and, standing shoulder to shoulder, made
such an imposing array that the young commander was rather
daunted for a moment. But she had seen too much of the world
lately to be abashed by a trifle, and the desire to see a girlish test
gave her courage to face the line of smiling cousins with dignity
and spirit.
“Now, I’m going to stare at you as you stared at me. It is my
revenge on you seven bad boys for entrapping one poor little girl
and enjoying her alarm. I’m not a bit afraid of you now, so tremble
and beware!?
As she spoke, Rose looked up into Archie’s face and nodded
approvingly, for the steady gray eyes met hers fairly and softened
as they did so a becoming change, for naturally they were rather
keen than kind.
“A true Campbell, bless you!” she said, and shook his hand heartily
as she passed on.
Charlie came next, and here she felt less satisfied, though scarcely
conscious why, for, as she looked, there came a defiant sort of
flash, changing suddenly to something warmer than anger, stronger
than pride, making her shrink a little and say, hastily, “I don’t find
the Charlie I left, but the Prince is there still, I see.?
Turning to Mac with a sense of relief, she gently took off his
“winkers,” as Jamie called them, and looked straight into the
honest blue eyes that looked straight back at her, full of a frank
and friendly affection that warmed her heart and made her own
eyes brighten as she gave back the glasses, saying, with a look and
tone of cordial satisfaction, “You are not changed, my dear old
Mac, and I’m so glad of that!?
“Now say something extra sweet to me, because I’m the flower of
the family,” said Steve, twirling the blond moustache, which was