CHAPTER II.

THE WONDER-BALL BEGINS TO UNWIND


Lloyd's wonder-ball began to unroll the morning that her father took her
to town to choose her own steamer trunk, and some of the things that were
to go in it. She packed and unpacked it many times in the two weeks that
followed, although she knew that Mom Beck would do the final packing, and
probably take out half the things which she insisted upon crowding into
it.

Every morning it was a fresh delight to waken and find it standing by her
dressing-table, reminding her of the journey they would soon begin
together, and, when the journey was actually begun, she settled back in
her seat with a happy sigh.

"Now, I'll commence to count my packages as they fall out," she said. "I
think I ought to count what I see from the car windows as one, for I enjoy
looking out at the different places we pass moah than I evah enjoyed my
biggest pictuah books."

"Then count this number two," said her father, putting a flat, square
parcel in her lap. Lloyd looked puzzled as she opened it. There was only a
blank book inside, bound in Russia leather, with the word "Record" stamped
on it in gilt.

"I thought it would be a good idea to keep a partnership diary," he said.
"We can take turns in writing in it, and some day, when you are grown, and
your mother and I are old and gray, it will help us to remember much of