They gave a burlesque wrestling match on the lawn that sent the young people off into peals of laughter.  They made up funny dialogue, and were always playing good-natured tricks on some of the children.  Then Cousin Jack said: 

“Now we will play the Good Luck game.  Into the hall, all of you!”

The children scampered into the hall, and on the wall they saw a large placard which read: 

“Pins                  one
Hairpins               two
Four-leafed clovers    five
Horse-shoes            ten
Pennies                fifteen
Black cats             twenty-five.”

Each guest was given a small fancy basket, with ribbons tied to the handle.  Then they were instructed to hunt all the rooms on the lower floor, the veranda, and the nearby lawns, and gather into their baskets such of the above mentioned articles as they could find.  A prize would be given to the one who had the most valuable collection, according to the values given on the placard.

At the word “go!” they scuttled away, and hunted eagerly, now and then stooping to pick up a pin from the floor, or reaching up to get a horseshoe from the mantelpiece.  The rooms had been literally sown with the small objects; the clovers and horseshoes being cut from pasteboard and painted, and the black cats being tiny china, wooden, or bronze affairs.

Cousin Jack must have had an immense store of these findings, for the baskets filled rapidly, and yet there seemed always more to be found.

“How are you getting along, Hester?” asked Marjorie as she met her.

“Can’t find any hardly.  I never have any luck!  I s’pose you have a basket full!”

“Nearly,” said Marjorie, laughing at Hester’s ill-nature in the midst of the others’ merriment.

“Say, Hester, I’ll tell you what!  I’ll change baskets with you.  Want to?”

“Will you?” and Hester’s eyes sparkled.  “Oh, Marjorie, will you?”

“Yes, I will, on condition that you’ll be nice and pleasant, and not go around looking as cross as a magpie!”

“All right, give me your basket,” and Hester put on a very bright smile in anticipation of winning the game.

“What did you do that for?” asked Kitty, who saw the transfer of baskets.

“Oh, because.  Never mind now, Kit, I’ll tell you to-morrow,” and Midget danced away with Hester’s almost empty basket hanging from her arm.

She picked up a few more things here and there, and then Cousin Jack rang a bell to announce that the game was over.  The baskets, each having its owner’s name on a card tied to it, were all put on the hall table, and Mrs. Maynard and Cousin Ethel appraised the contents, while the children went to another game.

This time Uncle Steve conducted affairs.  Several tables in the living-room were surrounded by the players, and each was given a paper and pencil.