"

"Huh!" says Bobbie. "I suppose there'll be no end of a row about this
when he gets home with his tale; but we'll stand for it. Meanwhile let's
go up and get the girls to give us some music."

Say, I don't believe Harold ever mentioned it to a soul. It's a funny
thing too, but he hasn't been over here since. And someway, gettin'
better acquainted with the boys in that fashion, made it pleasanter all
round.

But no more entertainin' lovers for us! Harolds ain't common enough.

CHAPTER VII

CORNELIA SHOWS SOME CLASS

"Oh, by the way, Shorty," says Sadie to me the other mornin', just as I'm
makin' an early get-away for town.

"Another postscript, eh?" says I. "Well, let it come over speedy."

"It's something for Mrs. Purdy-Pell," says she. "I'd almost forgotten."

"Is it orderin' some fancy groceries, or sendin' out a new laundry
artist?" says I. "If it is, why I guess I can----"

"No, no," says Sadie, givin' my tie an extra pat and brushin' some
imaginary dust off my coat collar; "it's about Cousin Cornelia. She's in
town, you know, and neither of the Purdy-Pells can get in to see her
before next week on account of their garden party, and Cornelia is
staying at a hotel alone, and they're a little anxious about her. So look
her up, won't you? I told them you would. You don't mind, do you?"

"Me?" says I. "Why, I've been waitin' for this. Makin' afternoon calls on
weepy old maids is my specialty."

"There, there!" says Sadie, followin' me out on the veranda. "Don't play
the martyr! Perhaps Cornelia isn't the most entertaining person in the
world, for she certainly has had her share of trouble; but it isn't going
to hurt you merely to find out how she is situated and ask if you can be
of any help to her. You know, if there was anything she could do for us,
she would----"

"Oh, sure!" says I. "If I'm ever brought home on a shutter, I shall look
for Cornelia to be waitin' on the mat with a needle and thread, ready to
sew mournin' bands on the help."

That seems to be Cousin Cornelia's steady job in life, tendin' out on the
sick and being in at the obsequies. Anyway, she's been at it ever since
we knew her. She's a cousin of Mr. Purdy-Pell's, and his branch of the
fam'ly, being composed mainly of antiques and chronic invalids, has been
shufflin' off in one way or another for the last three or four years at
the rate of about one every six months.

Course, it was kind of sad to see a fam'ly peter out t