.

"Why not return with us and breakfast at Ion?" asked Elsie.

"Why not stay and breakfast with us?" said Rose.

"Certainly," said her husband. "Take off your hat, daughter, and sit
down to your father's table as of old."

"Ah, my little ones! I know they are watching now for mamma and
wondering at her long delay."

"Then I shall not detain, but rather speed you on your way," he said,
leading her out and assisting her to mount her horse.

The children had thought mamma's ride a long one that morning, and much
they wondered at papa's unusual silence and abstraction. He quite forgot
to romp with them, but indeed there was scarcely time, as he did not
come in from the fields till the breakfast bell had begun to ring.

Grace had just been said, every one was sitting silent, quietly waiting
to be helped (the children were all at the table, for "Cousin Ronald"
who had been with them for a week, was now considered quite one of the
family). Mr. Travilla took up the carving knife and fork with the
intent to use them upon a chicken that lay in a dish before him; but the
instant he touched it with the fork, a loud squawk made every body
start, and Harold nearly tumbled from his chair.

"Why dey fordot to kill it!" he cried breathlessly.

"But its head's off!" said Eddie, gazing into the dish in wide-eyed
astonishment.

"Ah ha nn h'm! is that the way your American fowls behave at table?"
asked Cousin Ronald, gravely, but with a slight twinkle in his eye,
pushing back his chair a little while keeping his eyes steadily fixed
upon the ill-mannered bird, as if fearful that its next escapade might
be to fly in his face; "a singular breed they must be."

Elsie and her husband began to recover from their momentary surprise and
bewilderment, and exchanged laughing glances, while the latter, turning
to his guest, said, "Capitally done, cousin! wouldn't have disgraced
Signor Blitz himself or any of his guild. But I had no suspicion that
ventriloquism was one of your many accomplishments. What part shall I
help you to?"

"The leg, if you please; who knows but I may have use for more than two
to-night?"

A gleam of intelligence lighted up little Elsie's face. "Oh! I
understand it now," she said, with a low silvery laugh; "cousin is a
ventriloquist."

"What's that?" asked Vi.

"Oh I know!" cried Eddie. "Cousin Ronald, don't you have a great deal
of fun doing it?"

"Well, my boy, perhaps rather more than I ought, seeing it'