"I haven't grown enough to
understand outlandish words, Margaret, so you need not try them on me.
Oh,"--she looked around her with delighted eyes,--"how beautiful
everything looks, Uncle John. Why, the yellow birch has grown as much as
I have; it is quite a fat tree. And--you have put out more chestnuts,
haven't you? And--oh, Uncle John, I haven't told you my great news! The
most wonderful news! I wouldn't write about it, because I wanted to
surprise you. Hugh, our Hugh, is coming East. He is--"

"What is he?" said another voice, and Hugh came forward laughing, and
took his sister in his arms. "Well, little girl,--big, enormous,
colossal little girl, how are you? Shut your eyes, Peg of Limavaddy, or
they will drop out, and then what should we do?"

"Hugh! what does it mean? When--how did you get here? You weren't to
start till next week."

"So I wasn't," said Hugh, composedly. "But you see I did. If you are not
glad to see me, Margaret will let me stay in the back kitchen, I am
sure, till you go away."

Peggy's only reply was a hug as powerful as the one she had given
Margaret; it set her brother coughing and laughing till the tears came
to his eye. "My dear sister," he said, "have you been studying grips
with a grizzly bear? I felt one rib go, if not two."

"Not really, Hugh? I didn't really hurt you?" cried Peggy, anxiously.

"No, no! not really. See now, Margaret wants you. Run along, Samsonina."

Peggy ran into the house, casting delighted glances all about her.

"How beautiful the hall looks! Oh, Margaret, what flowers! why, it is a
perfect flower show! Did you do them all yourself? for me? Oh, you
darling!" and again Margaret's breath was extinguished by a powerful
embrace. "And, oh, the surprise of seeing Hugh! You know I love a
surprise. You planned it for me, didn't you, darling Margaret? You are
the most angelic--"

"Peggy! Peggy! Peggy! no extravagance!"

"No, Margaret, I won't. Only how can I help it, when I am so happy, and
you are so--"

But here Margaret fairly laid her hand over Peggy's mouth. "I did not
plan Hugh's coming," she said. "I was as much surprised, and as
pleasantly, as you, Peggy. He came earlier than he had expected, on
account of some business for Uncle James. Only, we all agreed that we
would not tell you, because we knew your fondness for surprises. Do you
think you could bear another, Peggy, or is this enough for to-day?"

"What do you mean, Margaret? There can't be anyth