n came
to sit with the old lady when the young folks were away and, of course,
dutiful Archie came with her, so willingly of late!

"What's amiss with Charlie? I thought he was the prince of cavaliers.
Annabel says he dances 'like an angel,' and I know a dozen mothers
couldn't keep him at home of an evening. Have you had a tiff with Adonis
and so fall back on poor me?" asked Mac, coming last to the person of
whom he thought first but did not mention, feeling shy about alluding to
a subject often discussed behind her back.

"Yes, I have, and I don't intend to go with him any more for some time.
His ways do not suit me, and mine do not suit him, so I want to be
quite independent, and you can help me if you will," said Rose, rather
nervously spinning the big globe close by.

Mac gave a low whistle, looking wide awake all in a minute as he said
with a gesture, as if he brushed a cobweb off his face: "Now, see here,
Cousin, I'm not good at mysteries and shall only blunder if you put me
blindfold into any nice maneuver. Just tell me straight out what you
want and I'll do it if I can. Play I'm Uncle and free your mind come
now."

He spoke so kindly, and the honest eyes were so full of merry goodwill,
that Rose thought she might confide in him and answered as frankly as
he could desire: "You are right, Mac, and I don't mind talking to you
almost as freely as to Uncle, because you are such a reliable fellow
and won't think me silly for trying to do what I believe to be right.
Charlie does, and so makes it hard for me to hold to my resolutions. I
want to keep early hours, dress simply, and behave properly no matter
what fashionable people do. You will agree to that, I'm sure, and stand
by me through thick and thin for principle's sake."

"I will, and begin by showing you that I understand the case. I don't
wonder you are not pleased, for Charlie is too presuming, and you do
need someone to help you head him off a bit. Hey, Cousin?"

"What a way to put it!" And Rose laughed in spite of herself, adding
with an air of relief, "That is it, and I do want someone to help me
make him understand that I don't choose to be taken possession of in
that lordly way, as if I belonged to him more than to the rest of the
family. I don't like it, for people begin to talk, and Charlie won't see
how disagreeable it is to me."

"Tell him so," was Mac's blunt advice.

"I have, but he only laughs and promises to behave, and then he does
it ag