"Come, explain yourself, young man," said that gentleman laughingly. "I've heard of ventriloquists, sir," said Max. "I don't know if you are one, but as pup and hen could only be heard and not seen, I think it must have been a ventriloquist's work." "But you don't know for certain," said Rosie, coming to his side, "and please don't say anything to Zoe, or Lulu, or Gracie about it." "I won't," he said, as the door opened and the three entered, Zoe having overtaken the two little girls on their way down-stairs after being dressed for the evening by the careful and expert Agnes. "Mamma, do I look nice enough for your little girl?" asked Gracie, going to Violet's side. "Very nice and sweet, my darling," was the whispered reply, accompanied by a tender caress. Walter, hardly waiting until the necessary introductions were over, burst out eagerly, "Zoe, do you know where that pup is?" "What pup?" she asked. "I don't know his name." "Well, what about him?" "I thought he was in Max's pocket, but he wasn't, and neither was the hen." The tea-bell rang at that instant, and Rosie, putting her lips to Walter's ear, whispered, "Do keep quiet about it, and we'll have some fun." "Will we?" he asked with a look of mingled wonder and pleasure; "then I'll keep quiet." All through the meal Walter was on the _qui vive_ for the fun, but there was none beyond a few jests and pleasantries which were by no means unusual in their cheerful family circle. "There wasn't a bit of fun, Rosie," he complained to her after all had returned to the parlor. "Wait a little," she answered, "perhaps it will come yet." "Before I have to go to bed?" "I hope so. Suppose you go and tell Cousin Ronald you want some fun. He knows how to make it. But be sure to whisper it in his ear." Walter did as directed. "Wait a wee, bairnie, and see what will happen," Cousin Ronald answered in an undertone, and with a low pleasant laugh as he lifted the little fellow to his knee. Mr. Dinsmore sat near at hand, the ladies had gathered about the centre-table with their work, while Lester Leland and Edward Travilla hovered near their wives, the one with a newspaper, the other merely watching the busy fingers of the fair workers and making jesting comments upon what they were doing. But presently there was a sudden commotion in their midst, one after another springing from her chair with a little startled cry and trying to dodge what, from the sound, seemed to be an enormous bumble bee circling round and round their heads and in and out among them. "Buzz! buzz! buzz!" surely never bumble bee buzzed so loud before. "Oh, catch it! kill it, Edward!" cried Zoe, with a half frantic rush to the farther side of the room. "Oh, here it comes after me! It's settling on my hair! Oh!" "No, dear, it isn't, there is really nothing there," Edward said soothingly, yet with a laugh, for a second thought had told him the real cause of the disturbance.