's the fellow to hunt up the old stories and tell us how to dress
right, and pick out rousing bits for us to speak and sing," put in
Geordie, saying a good word for the absent Worm.

"And what do you and Will do?" asked Rose of Jamie, who sat beside her
as if bound to keep her in sight till the promised gift had been handed
over.

"Oh, I'm the little foot-page, and do errands, and Will and Geordie are
the troops when we march, and the stags when we hunt, and the traitors
when we want to cut any heads off."

"They are very obliging, I'm sure," said Rose, whereat the "utility men"
beamed with modest pride and resolved to enact Wallace and Montrose as
soon as possible for their cousin's special benefit.

"Let's have a game of tag," cried the Prince, swinging himself up to a
beam with a sounding slap on Stevie's shoulder.

Regardless of his gloves, Dandy tore after him, and the rest swarmed in
every direction as if bent on breaking their necks and dislocating their
joints as rapidly as possible.

It was a new and astonishing spectacle to Rose, fresh from a prim
boarding-school, and she watched the active lads with breathless
interest, thinking their antics far superior to those of Mops, the dear
departed monkey.

Will had just covered himself with glory by pitching off a high loft
head first and coming up all right, when Phebe appeared with a cloak,
hood, and rubbers, also a message from Aunt Plenty that "Miss Rose was
to come in directly."

"All right; we'll bring her!" answered Archie, issuing some mysterious
order, which was so promptly obeyed that, before Rose could get out of
the carriage, the boys had caught hold of the pole and rattled her out
of the barn, round the oval and up to the front door with a cheer that
brought two caps to an upper window, and caused Debby to cry aloud from
the back porch,

"Them harum-scarum boys will certainly be the death of that delicate
little creter!"

But the "delicate little creter" seemed all the better for her trip, and
ran up the steps looking rosy, gay, and dishevelled, to be received with
lamentation by Aunt Plenty, who begged her to go and lie down at once.

"Oh, please don't! We have come to tea with our cousin, and we'll be as
good as gold if you'll let us stay, auntie," clamoured the boys, who
not only approved of "our cousin" but had no mind to lose their tea, for
Aunt Plenty's name but feebly expressed her bountiful nature.

"Well, dears, you can; only be q