"I shall take her in." And Archie offered his arm with great dignity,
an honour that made Rose turn as red as a cherry and long to run
upstairs again.

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.