"I hope she will choose to live with us. You know she can go to any of the uncles she likes best," said Alf.
"We are nearer her age than any of the other cousins, and papa is the oldest uncle, so I guess she will," added Milly, the fourteen-year-old daughter of the house.
"She said she liked America," said quiet Frank.
"Wonder if she will give us a lot of her money?" put in practical Fred, who was always in debt.
"Stop that!" commanded Alf. "Mind now, if you ever ask her for a penny I'll shake you out of your jacket."
"Hush! she's coming," cried Milly, and a dead silence followed the lively chatter.
A fresh-faced bright-eyed girl of fifteen came quietly in, glanced at the group on the rug, and paused as if doubtful whether she was wanted.
"Oh! dear, no, we were only talking," answered Milly, drawing her cousin nearer with an arm about her waist.
"It sounded like something pleasant," said Kate, not exactly knowing what to say.
"We were talking about you," began little May, when a poke from Frank made her stop to ask, "What's that for? We were talking about Kate, and we all said we liked her, so it's no matter if I do tell."
"You are very kind," and Kate looked so pleased that the children forgave May's awkward frankness.
"Yes, and we hoped you'd like us and stay with us," said Alf, in the lofty and polite manner which he thought became the young lord of the house.
"I am going to try all the uncles in turn, and then decide; papa wished it," answered Kate, with a sudden tremble of the lips, for her father was the only parent she could remember, and had been unusually dear for that reason.
"Can you play billiards?" asked Fred, who had a horror of seeing girls cry.
"You had a pony-carriage at your house, didn't you?" added Frank, eager to help on the good work.
"At grandma's,--I had no other home, you know," answered Kate.
"What shall you buy first with your money?" asked May, who _would_ ask improper questions.
"I'd buy a grandma if I could," and Kate both smiled and sighed.
"How funny! We've got one somewhere, but we don't care much about her," continued May, with the inconvenient candor of a child.
"Have you? Where is she?" and Kate turned quickly, looking full of interest.
"Papa's mother is very old, and lives ever so far away in the country, so of course we don't see much of her," explained Alf.