r; which little joke seemed to please her very much, for she
liked to have part in all the home pastimes, and Alec was her favourite
nephew.

Charlie alone failed to catch his shy bird, and the oftener she escaped
the more determined he was to ensnare her. When every other wile had
been tried in vain, he got Archie to propose a game with forfeits.

"I understand that dodge," thought Rose, and was on her guard so
carefully that not one among the pile soon collected belonged to her.

"Now let us redeem them and play something else," said Will, quite
unconscious of the deeply-laid plots all about him.

"One more round and then we will," answered the Prince, who had now
baited his trap anew.

Just as the question came to Rose, Jamie's voice was heard in the hall,
crying distressfully, "Oh, come quick, quick!" Rose started up, missed
the question, and was greeted with a general cry of "Forfeit! forfeit!"
in which the little traitor came to join.

"Now I've got her," thought the young rascal, exulting in his fun-loving
soul.

"Now I'm lost," thought Rose, as she gave up her pin-cushion with a
sternly defiant look that would have daunted anyone but the reckless
Prince. In fact, it made even him think twice, and resolve to "let Rose
off easy,'' she had been so clever.

"Here's a very pretty pawn, and what shall be done to redeem it?" asked
Steve, holding the pin-cushion over Charlie's head, for he had insisted
on being judge, and kept that for the last.

"Fine or superfine?"

"Super."

"Hum, well, she shall take old Mac under the mistletoe, and kiss him
prettily. Won't he be mad, though?" and this bad boy chuckled over the
discomfort he had caused two harmless beings.

There was an impressive pause among the young folks in their corner, for
they all knew that Mac would "be mad," since he hated nonsense of this
sort, and had gone to talk with the elders when the game began. At
this moment he was standing before the fire, listening to a discussion
between his uncles and his father, looking as wise as a young owl, and
blissfully unconscious of the plots against him.

Charlie expected that Rose would say, "I won't!" therefore he was rather
astonished, not to say gratified, when, after a look at the victim,
she laughed suddenly, and, going up to the group of gentlemen, drew her
uncle Mac under the mistletoe and surprised him with a hearty kiss.

"Thank you, my dear," said the innocent gentleman, looking much pleased