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“You’re awfully nice to me,” continued Cathalina, “just as nice as you are to Louise or Ann Maria. Rosalie Haverhill said that her brother didn’t pay any attention to her after he had been away to school.”

Philip was still at the stage when he preferred to avoid the expression of sentiment, though possessing his share. “O, you’re a good old scout, Kit, that’s the reason.”

It was not a long ride to the Van Ness place, where a roomful of cousins awaited them. Cousin Elizabeth herself, sweet and hospitable, met them at the door.

“O, Ann Maria!—Emily Stuart, is this really you? and is Campbell—O, there he is!” Cathalina was quite animated for a little while, as she greeted the cousins.

Ann Maria Van Ness was an orphan, grandniece of Aunt Knickerbocker, and lived with them, Emily, Campbell and Sara Stuart were the children of one of Philip Van Buskirk’s sisters. Campbell was about the age of Philip Junior; Emily scarcely a year older; Sarah, a little girl of ten years. Emily and Louise Van Ness, who was Cousin Elizabeth’s oldest daughter, had returned from boarding school. Ann Maria attended the same school, but had returned earlier. She was almost as tall as Phil, an athletic girl, with good features and an alert, vivacious manner. Her “chum cousin” was Louise, who was short, plump, fair-haired and blue-eyed, with charming dimples in her round cheeks. Ann, or “Nan”, Van Ness disowned the name of Nancy, but consented to be called Nan that she might be distinguished from her cousin Ann Maria. Nan and Cathalina were of nearly the same age.