rself," he said. "This is to show that we are listed
for passage on a steamer going to Antwerp the first of June. You may begin
to pack your trunk next week, if you wish."

It was impossible for Lloyd to eat any more after that. She was too
excited and happy, and there were countless questions she wanted to ask.
"It's bettah than a hundred house pahties," she exclaimed, as she blew out
the last birthday candle. "It's the loveliest wondah-ball that evah was,
and I'm suah that nobody in all Kentucky is as happy as I am now."

CHAPTER II.

THE WONDER-BALL BEGINS TO UNWIND

Lloyd's wonder-ball began to unroll the morning that her father took her
to town to choose her own steamer trunk, and some of the things that were
to go in it. She packed and unpacked it many times in the two weeks that
followed, although she knew that Mom Beck would do the final packing, and
probably take out half the things which she insisted upon crowding into
it.

Every morning it was a fresh delight to waken and find it standing by her
dressing-table, reminding her of the journey they would soon begin
together, and, when the journey was actually begun, she settled back in
her seat with a happy sigh.

"Now, I'll commence to count my packages as they fall out," she said. "I
think I ought to count what I see from the car windows as one, for I enjoy
looking out at the different places we pass moah than I evah enjoyed my
biggest pictuah books."

"Then count this number two," said her father, putting a flat, square
parcel in her lap. Lloyd looked puzzled as she opened it. There was only a
blank book inside, bound in Russia leather, with the word "Record" stamped
on it in gilt.

"I thought it would be a good idea to keep a partnership diary," he said.
"We can take turns in writing in it, and some day, when you are grown, and
your mother and I are old and gray, it will help us to remember much of
the journey that otherwise might pass out of our memories. So many things
happen when one is travelling, that they are apt to crowd each other out
of mind unless a record is kept of them."

"We'll begin as soon as we get on the ship," said Lloyd. "Mothah shall
write first, then you, and then I. And let's put photographs in it, too,
as Mrs. Walton did in hers. It will be like writing a real book. Package
numbah two is lovely, Papa Jack."

It happened that Mr. Sherman was the only one who made an entry in the
record for more than a week. Mrs. Sher