"Many thanks for the assurance, sister mine," he laughed, "and though older than yourself, I believe I am young enough to wait a year for any special good luck."
"And I hope you will have enough afterward to reward you for the patient waiting, Uncle Harold," said Lucilla.
"If he gets all he deserves it will be a great deal," added Evelyn.
"You are good, kind comforters—both; accept my warmest thanks," laughed Harold.
There was a little more lively chat, then the young girls said good-night and went to their rooms—two on the second floor with a communicating door between. Rosie accompanied them, leaving her husband to attend to the gentlemen guests.
"See here, girls," she said, pointing to a basket of rosy-cheeked apples on a stand; "these were put here to induce you to try another Hallowe'en experiment. If you want to see what your future husbands will look like, eat one of these standing before the mirror, brushing your hair all the time, and now and then—when you can get up courage enough—look over your left shoulder."
"Oh, that won't require any courage, Rosie," laughed Evelyn. "I am not in the least afraid of Max—brave officer though he is."
"And I stand in quite as little fear of Chester," said Lucilla. "So that really it seems that your good apples will be almost thrown away."
"Ah, you two forget the 'many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip,'" laughed Rosie. "And it cannot possibly do your lovers any harm, or alienate their affections from you."
"No, we are not at all afraid of that," said Lucilla, "and as your apples look very tempting, I believe I shall run the risk of eating one presently. I suppose I must first don a dressing gown and take down my hair."