picnics every day if we want to, and invite all the boys and girls in
the Valley, and we can have the house full from mawnin' till night. I'll
invite you right now for every day that you want to come. We'll expect
you at all the pahties and picnics and candy-pullin's that we have. I
want you to help me give the girls a good time, Bobby."

Rob whirled his cap around his head with a "Whe-ew! Jolly for you!"
before he answered more politely, "Thank you, Lloyd, you can count on me
for my part. I'll be on hand every time you turn around, if you want me.
Who all's coming?"

For answer Lloyd held up the three letters she was carrying, and let him
see the first address, written in Mrs. Sherman's flowing hand.

_Miss Eugenia Forbes,_
_The Waldorf-Astoria,_
_New York City._

"Well, who is she?" he asked, reading it aloud.

"Eugenia is a sort of cousin of mine," explained Lloyd. "At least her
fathah and my fathah are related in some way. I used to know her when
we lived in New York, but I haven't seen her since we left. I was five
then and she was seven, so she must be neahly thirteen yeahs old now.
When we played togethah she would scream and _scream_ if I didn't give
up to her in everything, and as I had a bad tempah, too, we were always
fussin'. She was dreadfully spoiled. I'll nevah fo'get how my hand bled
one day when she bit it, or how she clawed my face till it looked as if
a tigah had scratched it."