u don't have to listen to him often," Annabel said
consolingly.

"No, that's true. But _think_ of Grandmother and Aunt Lucinda! They've
been listening to him for most twenty years."

"Oh, well, 'habit's a cable,'" Annabel quoted glibly. "It jerks us along
and we get into the way of thinking we like things whether we do or not.
I daresay your aunt dotes on him."

"Aunt Lucinda isn't--well--she isn't just the doting kind, Annabel; but
I don't suppose she'd trade Mr. Blake for the Bishop if she could.
Loyalty's the backbone of Aunt Lucinda. She's very fond of Sarah, too.
By the way, did I tell you that Grandmother and Aunt Lucinda are coming
up to spend a few days of the spring vacation with me? Aunt Lucinda has
a lot of shopping to do, and Grandmother loves a little change. They've
asked Sarah Blake to come with them. I wish the rest of the girls could
come. Wouldn't it be fun if the Lambs could meet the We Are Sevens?"

"Oh, lovely, Blue Bonnet! I'm quite wild to see Kitty Clark. I'm real
jealous of her. She's your best friend, isn't she?"

Blue Bonnet hedged.

"Kitty's a dear," she said; "and the prettiest girl you almost ever
saw--but I'm fond of all the girls."

Silence fell between them as they walked homeward. Suddenly Blue Bonnet
gave a little joyful cry.

"Annabel! I know what I'm going to do! Alec said that Uncle Cliff was
coming at Easter. I'll write to him this very afternoon and ask him to
invite the We Are Sevens up here for a day or two just before vacation
begins--just the day before--and give us, the Lambs and the We Are
Sevens, a party. Maybe a matinee party with a dinner at the Copley Plaza
afterward."

"Oh, Blue Bonnet! _Do_ you think he would? That would be heavenly."

"He'd adore to do it. I am sure."

Sunday afternoon at Miss North's was given over almost entirely to
letter writing, and Blue Bonnet was not long in getting a note off to
Uncle Cliff. She was a little ashamed of its scrappiness as she read it
over; but what it lacked in news and length was more than made up in
affection. It fairly throbbed with love and anxiety to see him, and she
had plead the cause of the We Are Sevens with the eloquence of a young
Webster.

"He'll never be able to resist that plea," she said to Annabel, who had
brought her writing materials into Blue Bonnet's room. "He'll just
_have_ to come when he gets this. I shouldn't wonder if it didn't bring
him sooner than he expected."

She sealed the letter