"All right, you may." Elizabeth spoke just in time to avert another tearful crisis. "What would you like to do to amuse yourselves, children? Would you like to have me tell you a story?"
"No, ma'am," Moses said, promptly. He indicated the row of shiny travelling bags by the mahogany what-not. Elizabeth had long since unpacked them, but they were such proud possessions that she could not bear to put them out of sight. "I want to see what's in that," he said, selecting the hat-box.
"I want to see what's in that," Mabel said, choosing the suitcase in her turn.
Madget fell upon the overnight bag.
"I wanner see that," she said.
Elizabeth's laugh rang out gayly.
"You are acting just like the story of the three bears," she said. "There isn't anything inside of the bags now, but I'll show them to you, just the same. This is my hat-box, see, and these silver letters on the outside are my initials, E. S."
"There is, too, something inside," Mabel cried, as the brightly flowered lining was disclosed. "Trimming. Now open mine. There's trimming in all of them."
"And a pocket, too," Elizabeth said.
"Now me," said Madget.