If Mac had been a lover, he would not have discussed the subject in
this simple and sincere fashion, though he might have felt it far more
deeply, but being quite heart-free, he frankly showed his interest and,
curiously enough, out of his wise young head unconsciously gave the
three lovers before him counsel which they valued, because he practiced
what he preached.

"Well, I hope you'll find her!" said Charlie heartily as he went back to
his game.

"I think I shall." And while the others played, Mac lay staring at the
window curtain as contentedly as if, through it, he beheld "a dream of
fair women" from which to choose his future mate.

A few days after this talk in the billiard room, Kitty went to call upon
Rose, for as she was about to enter the family she felt it her duty
to become acquainted with all its branches. This branch, however, she
cultivated more assiduously than any other and was continually running
in to confer with "Cousin Rose," whom she considered the wisest,
dearest, kindest girl ever created. And Rose, finding that, in spite
of her flighty head, Kitty had a good heart of her own, did her best to
encourage all the new hopes and aspirations springing up in it under the
warmth of the first genuine affection she had ever known.

"My dear, I want to have some serious conversation with you upon a
subject in which I take an interest for the first time in my life,"
began Miss Kitty, seating herself and pulling off her gloves as if the
subject was one which needed a firm grasp.

"Tell away, and don't mind if I go on working, as I want to finish this
job today," answered Rose, with a long-handled paintbrush in her hand
and a great pair of shears at her side.

"You are always so busy! What is it now? Let me help I can talk faster
when I'm doing something," which seemed hardly possible, for Kitty's
tongue went like a mill clapper at all hours.

"Making picture books for my sick babies at the hospital. Pretty work,
isn't it? You cut out, and I'll paste them on these squares of gay
cambric then we just tie up a few pages with a ribbon and there is a
nice, light, durable book for the poor dears to look at as they lie in
their little beds."

"A capital idea. Do you go there often? How ever do you find the time
for such things?" asked Kitty, busily cutting from a big sheet the
touching picture of a parent bird with a red head and a blue tail
offering what looked like a small boa constrictor to one of i