She intended to give a kindly welcome to the new pupil, and she hoped
that the others would be friendly.

"How does Jeanette know?" asked Mollie, bluntly.

"Oh, Jeanette ought to know," said Nancy, "for the new little girl is
her cousin, I mean her _third_ cousin."

"Well, Nina is Jeanette's sister," said Mollie, "so what does _she_
say?"

"She didn't say anything," said Nancy, "she just _looked_."

"Arabella Corryville is to be in our class," said Flossie, "and when I
told Uncle Harry he laughed, and asked me if her Aunt Matilda was coming
to school with her."

Of course they laughed, and it was Mollie who first spoke.

"Your Uncle Harry is always joking," she said, "and sometimes I can't
tell whether he is in earnest, or only saying things just for fun."

"Well, I guess you'll laugh when I tell you what he said next! He said
that although he had graduated from college, and now was in business, he
would urge Aunt Charlotte to let him attend a _few_ sessions of our
school, if Arabella's Aunt Matilda was to be there. He said it would be
a great pleasure which he really could not miss." How they laughed at
the idea of Flossie's handsome young uncle in the little private school,
while Arabella's prim little aunt was also a pupil.