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Eight Cousins

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portmanteau and packing cases were really in the hall. She seemed to remember tumbling over them when she went to bed, for the aunts had sent her off very punctually, because they wanted their pet nephew all to themselves. The sun was shining, and Rose opened her window to let in the soft May air fresh from the sea. As she leaned over her little balcony, watching an early bird get the worm, and wondering how she should like Uncle Alec, she saw a man leap the garden wall and come whistling up the path. At first she thought it was some trespasser, but a second look showed her that it was her uncle returning from an early dip into the sea. She had hardly dared to look at him the night before, because whenever she tried to do so she always found a pair of keen blue eyes looking at her. Now she could take a good stare at him as he lingered along, looking about him as if glad to see the old place again. A brown, breezy man, in a blue jacket, with no hat on the curly head, which he shook now and then like a water dog; broad-shouldered, alert in his motions, and with a general air of strength and stability about him which pleased Rose, though she could not explain the feeling of comfort it gave her. She had just said to herself, with a sense of relief, "I guess I shall like him, though he looks as if he made people mind," when he lifted his eyes to examine the budding horse-chestnut overhead, and saw the eager face peering down at him. He waved his hand to her, nodded, and called out in a bluff, cheery voice "You are on deck early, little niece." "I got up to see if you had really come, uncle." "Did you? Well, come down here and make sure of it." "I'm not allowed to go out before breakfast, sir." "Oh, indeed!" with a shrug. "Then I'll come aboard and salute," he added; and, to Rose's great amazement, Uncle Alec went up one of the pillars of the back piazza hand over hand, stepped across the roof, and swung himself into her balcony, saying, as he landed on the wide balustrade: "Have you any doubts about me now, ma'am?" Rose was so taken aback, she could only answer with a smile as she went to meet him. "How does my girl do this morning?" he asked, taking the little cold hand she gave him in both his big warm ones. "Pretty well, thank you, sir." "Ah, but it should be very well. Why isn't it?" "I always wake up with a headache, and feel tired." "Don't you sleep well?" "I lie awake a long time, and then I dream, and my sleep does not seem to rest me much." "What do you do all day?" "Oh, I read, and sew a little, and take naps, and sit with auntie." "No running about out of doors, or house-work, or riding, hey?" "Aunt Plenty says I'm not strong enough for much exercise. I drive out with her sometimes, but I don't care for it." "I'm not surprised at that," said Uncle Alec, half to himself, adding, in his quick way: "Who have you had to play with?" "No one but Ariadne Blish, and she was such a goose I couldn't bear her. The boys came yesterday, and seemed rather nice; but, of course, I couldn't play with them." "Why not?" "I'm too old to play with boys." "Not a bit of it; that's just what you need, for you've been molly-coddled too much. They are good lads, and you'll be mixed up with them more or less for years to come, so you may as well be friends and playmates at once. I will look you up some girls also, if I can find a sensible one who is not spoilt by her nonsensical education." "Phebe is sensible, I'm sure, and I like her, though I only saw her yesterday," cried Rose, waking up suddenly. "And who is Phebe, if you please?" Rose eagerly told all she knew, and Uncle Alec listened, with an odd smile lurking about his mouth, though his eyes were quite sober as he watched the face before him. "I'm glad to see that you are not aristocratic in your tastes, but I don't quite make out why you like this young lady from the poor-house." "You may laugh at me, but I do. I can't tell why, only she seems so happy and busy, and sings so beautifully, and is strong enough to scrub and sweep, and hasn't any troubles to plague her," said Rose, making a funny jumble of reasons in her efforts to explain. "How do you know that?"

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