"Well, dear, how do you like your cousins?" asked Aunt Plenty, as
the last pony frisked round the corner and the din died away.

"Pretty well, ma'am; but I like Phebe better." An answer which
caused Aunt Plenty to hold up her hands in despair and trot away
to tell sister Peace that she never should understand that child, and
it was a mercy Alec was coming soon to take the responsibility off
their hands.

Fatigued by the unusual exertions of the afternoon, Rose curled
herself up in the sofa corner to rest and think about the great
mystery, little guessing that she was to know it first of all.

Right in the middle of her meditations she fell asleep and dreamed
she was at home again in her own little bed. She seemed to wake
and see her father bending over her; to hear him say, "My little
Rose"; to answer, "Yes, papa"; and then to feel him take her in his
arms and kiss her tenderly. So sweet, so real was the dream, that
she started up with a cry of joy to find herself in the arms of a
brown, bearded man, who held her close, and whispered in a voice
so like her father's that she clung to him involuntarily

"This is my little girl, and I am Uncle Alec."



Chapter 3 - Uncles

When Rose woke next morning, she was not sure whether she had
dreamed what occurred the night before, or it had actually