Part 13 (2/2)

The three ladies got in on the back seat, Diana was in front with her father, and Alice and Clara were in the side seats.

”Peggy, we can make room for you in front,” said Dr. Carter.

But Peggy had no idea of missing that walk down the hill with the boys and their Uncle Joe. ”I'd rather walk,” she said.

”Jump in, Peggy,” said her mother, ”you must be very tired.”

”I'm not a bit tired, truly I'm not, mother. I've been so tied down all day picking berries, I'm just crazy for a run.”

”Let the young colt have a scamper,” said Dr. Carter; ”it will do her good.”

As Peggy danced along down the hillside, she thought how fortunate Diana was to have a father and an uncle and two brothers. She raced down the hill with Christopher while Tom and his uncle followed at their heels.

”There, I have beaten you, Christopher,” said Peggy, breathlessly, as she sank down on a rock at the bottom of the hill.

”I could have beaten you if I had tried,” said Christopher.

”Then why didn't you?”

”Well, I thought, as you were a girl and younger, I'd let you get a start, and I expected to pa.s.s you.”

”Oh, dear, I am tired of being a girl. Just let's play I'm a boy. You can call me Peter.”

”I don't want to play you are a boy. I like you better the way you are,”

Christopher said, as he glanced at her blue frock.

”Yes, Peggy,” said Uncle Joe, ”we all like you better the way you are.”

”Well, I suppose I'll have to be a girl and make the best of it. But I do wish I had men and boys in my family.”

”You might adopt us,” said Uncle Joe. ”I would like you and Alice for nieces. A lot of children I'm no relation to call me 'Uncle Joe,' and I'm sure the boys would like you and Alice for cousins.”

”You bet we would,” said Christopher.

So Peggy came back from the picnic a much richer little girl than she had been when she went to it. ”Alice,” she said, as she burst into the house, ”Mr. Beal says we can call him 'Uncle Joe,' and we can play that Tom and Christopher are our cousins.”

”I'd like to call him 'Uncle Joe,'” said Alice, ”for he was so nice about Topsy, but I don't want the boys for my cousins.”

CHAPTER XI

THE GEOGRAPHY GAME

The children's Uncle Joe was an architect. He was making some additions to Mrs. Horton's house, and so he came up every little while to see how the work was getting on; and later, he was given the new Savings Bank to build. He often came on from New York for a few days and stayed with the Carters. All the children were delighted when he came, for he was just as nice as a child to play with. In fact, he was nicer, for he knew so much more. He was a great traveler, for he had been a Lieutenant in the army and had been across seas. He had traveled, also, in the United States, and there was hardly a State he had not stayed in. The children were never tired of hearing his stories about places and people. He had, too, a delightful way of inventing games, making them up out of his own head.

One rainy October afternoon, Alice and Peggy were sitting in the living-room when the telephone rang. Alice had Lady Janet curled up in her arms, and Peggy was reading aloud from ”Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.” Peggy flung down her book and ran to the telephone.

”Oh, Peggy,” said Diana's plaintive voice, ”it is so wet I have had to stay in all day; can't you and Alice come and play with me?”

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