It was a merry supper, and the two elder boys added much to the fun by
tormenting the rest with dark hints of some interesting event which was
about to occur. Something uncommonly fine, they declared it was, but
enveloped in the deepest mystery for the present.

"Did I ever see it?" asked Jamie.

"Not to remember it; but Mac and Steve have, and liked it immensely,"
answered Archie, thereby causing the two mentioned to neglect Debby's
delectable fritters for several minutes, while they cudgelled their
brains.

"Who will have it first?" asked Will, with his mouth full of marmalade.

"Aunt Plenty, I guess."

"When will she have it?" demanded Geordie, bouncing in his seat with
impatience.

"Sometime on Monday."

"Heart alive! what is the boy talking about?" cried the old lady from
behind the tall urn, which left little to be seen but the topmost bow of
her cap.

"Doesn't auntie know?" asked a chorus of voices.

"No; and that's the best of the joke, for she is desperately fond of
it."

"What colour is it?" asked Rose, joining in the fun.

"Blue and brown."

"Is it good to eat?" asked Jamie.

"Some people think so, but I shouldn't like to try it," answered
Charlie, laughing so he split his tea.

"Who does it belong to?" put in Steve.

Archie and the Prince stared at one another rather blankly for a minute,
then Archie answered with a twinkle of the eye that made Charlie explode
again,

"To Grandfather Campbell."

This was a poser, and they gave up the puzzle, though Jamie confided
to Rose that he did not think he could live till Monday without knowing
what this remarkable thing was.

Soon after tea the Clan departed, singing "All the blue bonnets are over
the border," at the tops of their voices.

"Well, dear, how do you like your cousins?" asked Aunt Plenty, as the
last pony frisked round the corner and the din died away.

"Pretty well, ma'am; but I like Phebe better." An answer which caused
Aunt Plenty to hold up her hands in despair and trot away to tell sister
Peace that she never should understand that child, and it was a mercy
Alec was coming soon to take the responsibility off their hands.

Fatigued by the unusual exertions of the afternoon, Rose curled herself
up in the sofa corner to rest and think about the great mystery, little
guessing that she was to know it first of all.

Right in the middle of her meditations she fell asleep and dreamed she
was at home again in her own little b