as you had gone stark mad. You gave me quite a turn, you did."

Eugenia laughed. "I had to let off steam in some way," she said; "and
really, Eliot, you can't imagine how glad I am. They're cousins of
papa's, you know, the Shermans are. I used to know Lloyd when they lived
in New York. We played together every day, and fussed--my eyes, how we
fussed! But that was before she could talk plain, and she must be
eleven now, for she's about two years younger than I am."

Perching herself on the bed among piles of snowy linen, Eugenia clasped
her hands around her knees and began to tell all she could remember of
the Little Colonel. Because there was no one else to confide in, she
confided in the maid. Patient old Eliot listened to much family history
that did not interest her and which she immediately forgot, and to many
girlish rhapsodies over "Cousin Elizabeth," whom Eugenia declared was
the dearest thing that ever drew the breath of life.

As Eugenia talked on, idly rocking herself back and forth on the bed,
Eliot sorted the linen with deft fingers, laying some of it away in
drawers, sweet with dainty sachets, and putting some aside that needed a
stitch or two. Presently, as she listened, she found herself taking more
interest in the country place that Eugenia described than in anything
she had heard of since she said good-bye to her dear little cottage home
in England. She began to hope that Mr. Forbes would consent to Eugenia's
accepting the invitation, and expressed that wish to Eugenia.

"Why, of course I am going!" exclaimed Eugenia, in surprise. "Whether
papa wants me to or not! I shall answer Cousin Elizabeth's letter this
very minute and accept the invitation before he comes home. Then if he
makes a fuss it will be too late, and I can tease him into a good