THE MERRYWEATHERS

THE MERRYWEATHERS

BY

LAURA E. RICHARDS

AUTHOR OF "CAPTAINJANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEENHILDEGARDE," "GEOFFREYSTRONG," ETC.

Illustrated by JULIA WARDRICHARDS

BOSTON DANA ESTES &COMPANY PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1904 BY DANA ESTES &COMPANY

* * * * *

All rights reserved

THE MERRYWEATHERS

Colonial Press Electrotyped andPrinted by C. H. Simonds & Co.

Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

TO

H. H. F., Jr.

WITH AFFECTIONATEGREETING.

FOR REMEMBRANCE

The sunlight falls in gold upon thegolden fields, The ruffling wave givesback the sky in blue; The asters fringe

the meadow's skirts in purple pride,And proud the goldenrod is standing,too.

Oh! clear and far across the lonelywater, The wild bird calls his mate atclose of day; My heart cries out, myheart cries out in answer, And oh, Ifondly think of them that's far away.

Oh, fair the fields where now their feetare treading! Oh, green the trees thatblossom o'er their head! Oh, deep andsweet the skies above them spreading,And on their hearth the fire-glow warmand red!

Still may they hear, across the lonely

water, The wild bird call his mate atclose of day; Still may their hearts, stillmay their hearts make answer; Still maythey kindly think of them that's faraway!

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE ARRIVAL 11

II. THE CAMP 26

III. AUF DAS WASSER ZU SINGEN39

IV. AFTER THE PICNIC 55

V. KITTY AND WILLY 75

VI. A DISCUSSION 90

VII. WATER PLAY 106

VIII. THE MAIL 119

IX. MR. BELLEVILLE 138

X. PUPPY PLAY 155

XI. MRS. MERRYWEATHER'SVIGIL 171

XII. "SHOULD AULDACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT"186

XIII. ABOUT VISITING 204

XIV. MOONLIGHT AGAIN 220

XV. CONCERNING VARIOUSTHINGS 239

XVI. ON THE DOWN 259

XVII. THE SNOWY OWL 273

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"'TU-WHOO!' SAID THE SNOWYOWL" (See page 281) Frontispiece

"'HERE IS YOURS,' SAID BELL;'NEXT TO OURS'" 28

"''TIS NOT A PLATE SHIP!'" 81

"'COME ON! COME IN!'" 107

"MR. CLAUD BELLEVILLE WAS ATALL, PALLID YOUTH" 138

MRS. MERRYWEATHER'S VIGIL175

"'SIMPLY FIERCE, YOURREVERENCE!' SAID I" 217

"HE WAS STIRRING THEPORRIDGE INDUSTRIOUSLY,WHILE SHE MIXED THEJOHNNY-CAKE" 233

THE MERRYWEATHERS

CHAPTER I.

THE ARRIVAL

"OH, Peggy, I am afraid!"

"Why, Margaret!"

"Yes, I am. I feel very shy and queer,going among strangers. You see, I havenever really been away in my life; neverin this way, I mean. I was always withfather; and then afterward I went toFernley; and though so many peoplehave come into my life, dear, delightfulpeople, I have never somehow goneinto theirs. And now, to go into awhole great big family, only two ofwhom I mean which oh, dear me! Idon't know what I mean, but I haveonly seen two of them, you know, and

it is formidable, you will admit, Peggy."

"Well, I feel just a scrap queer myself,"said Peggy; "but I never thought youwould. And anyhow, we needn't; weboth know the boys so well, andthough you have not actually seen theSnowy, you really know her very well.Darling thing! Oh, I cannot wait till weget there! Do you think we ever shall getthere, Margaret This is the longestjourney I ever made in my life."

"How about the journey from Ohio "

"Oh, that is different. I know all theplaces along the road, and they slip bybefore one can think. Besides, a long

journey always seems shorter, becauseyou know it is long. Well, you needn'tlaugh, you know perfectly well what Imean. Oh, Margaret, I saw a glimpse ofblue behind the trees. Do you supposethat is the lake do you think we arenearly there Oh! I am so excited! Is myhat on straight "

Margaret Montfort, by way of reply,straightened her cousin's hat, and thenproceeded to administer sundrycoaxing pats to her hair and herribbons.

"You are a trifle flyaway, dear!" she said."There! now, when you have taken theblack smut off your nose, you will be

as trim as possible. Am I all right "

"You!" said Peggy, with a despairinglook, as she rubbed away at her nose;"as if you ever had a pin or an eyelashout of place! Margaret, how do you doit Why does dust avoid you, and clingto me as if I were its last refuge Howdo you make your collar stay like that Idon't see why I was born a MisfitPuzzle. Oh ee! there is the lake! justlook, how blue it is! Oh! Margaret, Imust scream!"

"You must not scream!" said Margaretwith quiet decision, pulling Peggydown into the seat beside her. "Youmust be good, and sit still. See! that old

gentleman is watching us, Peggy. Hewill be scandalized if you carry on so."

"He doesn't look a bit scandalized; helooks awfully jolly."

"Peggy!"

"Well, he does, Margaret. Do yousuppose Mr. Merryweather is anythinglike that Margaret!"

"What is it, Peggy please don't speak soloud!"

"Perhaps it is Mr. Merryweather. I thinkI am almost perfectly sure it must be.Why, he is positively staring at us. It

must be Mr. Merryweather!"

"Is Mr. Merryweather specially addictedto staring I should not suppose so. Thisgentleman is not in the least my idea ofMr. Merryweather; and if he does stare,there! he is looking away now, it isbecause he sees a great big girl dancingand jumping in her seat as if she werePolly Peppercorn."

"Next station Merryweather!" chantedthe brakeman.

"There! Margaret, he is getting histhings together. It is! it is, I tell you. Oh!I shall scream!"

Peggy's threat was uttered in so loud astage whisper, that Margaret looked upin alarm, fearing that the gentlemanmust have heard. She met a glance sokind, so twinkling with sympatheticmerriment, that she smiled in spite ofherself.

The gentleman lifted his hat, instantly,and stepped forward. He was not tall,but broad and muscular, with keen,dark eyes that sparkled under shaggywhite eyebrows; a most vigorous,positive-looking old gentleman.

"A thousand pardons!" he said, in adeep, gruff voice which was the veryessence of heartiness. "You also are

getting off at Merryweather, youngladies I beg the privilege of assistingyou with your parcels; I insist upon it!Permit me, madam!" and he tookpossession of Margaret's travelling-bag,Margaret blushing and protesting, whilePeggy's blue eyes grew to absolutecircles, and her little mouth opened toanother.

"You are very kind!" said Margaret."Indeed, I can carry it perfectly thankyou so very much! Yes, we are going toMr. Merryweather's camp. Do youknow "

"Harry Monmouth!" exclaimed the oldgentleman. "Astonishing! Going there

myself. Permit me to introduce myselfColonel Ferrers, at your service."

He lifted his hat again, and bowed low.

"Our name is Montfort," said Margarettimidly, attracted and yet alarmed by hisexplosive utterance, so different fromthe quiet speech of the Montfort men.

"Not John's daughters!" cried theColonel. "I'll be shot if you are John'sdaughters!"

"Oh! no," cried Margaret, her eyeslightening. "Not his daughters, but hisnieces. Do you know Uncle John,Colonel Ferrers "

"Know John Montfort know the noseon my face not that there is anyresemblance; fine-looking man. I haveknown John Montfort, my dear youngladies, ever since he was in petticoats.John, Dick, Jim, Roger fine lads! usedto stay at Roseholme my place inDutchess County forty years ago.School-boys when I was in college. Allover the place, climbing, hunting,fishing, falling off the roofs great boys!haven't heard of them for twenty years.Where are they now all living, I eh,what "

"My father, Roger Montfort, is dead,"said Margaret, softly; "so is Uncle

Richard. Uncle John and Uncle Jamesare living, Colonel Ferrers; this is UncleJames's daughter. Peggy dear, ColonelFerrers! and I live with Uncle John atFernley House. Oh! how delightful tomeet some one who knows UncleJohn!"

"Pleasure is mine, I assure you!" saidthe Colonel, gallantly. "HarryMonmouth! takes me back forty years.Knew Roger, your father, well, MissMontfort. Great scholar; fine fellow!nose in his books all day long, just likemy brother Raymond; great chums,Roger and Raymond. I remember onceha! here we are!"

"Merryweather!" shouted thebrakeman. The train drew up beside alittle wayside station. On one side ofthe track, a platform and a shed, with afew barrels and boxes lying about; onthe other, a long stretch of dark bluewater, ruffling into brown where thewind swept it.

The three travellers, emerging, foundthree persons awaiting them on theplatform. Gerald Merryweather wasfirst, his hand on the rail, his face alightwith joy and eagerness; close besidehim was another person, a tall girl ingray, at sight of whom Peggy, who hadbeen apparently stricken dumb by theaspect of Colonel Ferrers, shouted

aloud and tumbled off the car-step, tothe imminent peril of life and limb.

"Snowy! Snowy! is it really you "

"You dear Peggy!" cried GertrudeMerryweather, taking her in her arms,and giving her a hearty kiss. "I am soglad! and this is Margaret oh! welcome,most welcome, to Merryweather! DearColonel Ferrers, how do you do it wasso good of you to come! But where isHugh haven't you brought him "

Colonel Ferrers drew her a step aside.

"My dear Gertrude," he said, in aconfidential tone, "there is no need of

my telling you that Hugh is one of themost astonishing I will say the mostastonishing boy I ever saw in my life.Expected to come; looking forward toit for weeks, greatest pleasure of thesummer. Yesterday morning, ElizabethBeadle had an attack of lumbago;painful thing; confined to her bed;excellent woman, none better in theworld. Never could understand whygood people should have lumbago;excellent complaint for scoundrels;excellent! well, the boy his great-aunt,you understand! refuses to leave her.Says she likes to have him read to her!Preposterous! I insisted, ElizabethBeadle insisted, with tears in her eyes;tears, sir! I mean my dear! Boy

immovable; Gibraltar vacillating besidehim; tottering, sir, on its foundations. Ihad to come away and leave him,perfectly happy, reading Tennyson toElizabeth Beadle. Ask somebody else tocoerce a boy like that; Thomas Ferrersis not the man for it. Where's myCochin China Chittagong "

"Jack " said Gertrude, laughing. "He isbehind the shed, with the horses. Theold horse doesn't like the train, and willnot stand tying. As soon as Jerry getsthe trunks "

"Checks " cried the Colonel, in answerto Gerald's request. "Two of them, sir.Sole-leather trunk, green carpet-bag.

Anything for me by express box,hamper, basket, that sort of thing, eh,what "

"I should think there was, sir!" saidGerald. "A basket of peaches as big asthe camp, or very near it; and a hamperthat says 'salmon!' as plainly as if itcould speak. You're awfully good, sir!"

"Nothing of the sort!" retorted theColonel. "Pity if I can't have a littlegratification once in a way. Ah! there ismy Cochin China how are you, sir, howare you prancing, as usual, like anEgyptian war-horse. Come here, and beintroduced to the Miss Montforts! Weare in luck, sir! Miss Montfort, Miss eh

thank you! Miss Peggy Montfort, mynephew, John Ferrers. Here sir! take thebags, will you Which way, Gerald ehwhat "

While the colonel was explaining (andexploding) to Gerald and Gertrude,and Margaret looking and listening inquiet amusement, Peggy had beenhanging back, overcome in her turn bythe shyness which her companion hadconquered. But now Gertrude took herby the hand, and while the trunks werebeing hoisted on the wagon by Geraldand Jack, aided by a tall and powerfullad in blue overalls, the two walked upand down the little platform in earnesttalk. Fragments of it reached Margaret

where she stood, as they passed andrepassed.

"Yes, last week. She is very well, shesays, and fluffier than ever, on accountof the heat. She has enjoyed her schoolvery much. She wanted Grace to joinher, and I think she might have, if allthis had not come about. Oh, Peggy, Iwas so glad!"

"Blissful, my dear, is no word for it!they have no eyes for any one else. Hecan't remember that there is any oneelse, and she "

"Well, I always said that if Grace didcare for any one "

"Yes, in October. The wedding is to beat Fernley, and "

"Anybody coming with me " inquiredGerald, wistfully. "Margaret, will yourisk life and limb with me and the oldhorse "

"With pleasure!" said Margaret. "Is hevery wild He doesn't look so."

"Only by comparison with the younghorse!" said Gerald. "Jacob, don't strainyour back lifting that carpet-bag!"

Jacob, the youth in blue overalls, smiledcalmly, and swung a large trunk over his

shoulder as if it were a hand-satchel.

"It's you I'm scared about, Gerald," hesaid slowly; "fear you'll do yourself ahurt pulling on the reins. Frank hasn'tbeen out since yesterday."

"I'll risk him!" said Gerald. "Now,Margaret." He held out his hand, andMargaret stepped lightly up to the seatof the Concord wagon.

"Now," said Gerald, "Jack, if you'lldrive the beach-wagon is that all right,Toots "

"Certainly!" said Gertrude. "Peggy, youand I will sit together behind; that is, if

you do not mind the front seat,Colonel Ferrers So! all right now, Jack!we'd better let the old horse go first, forhe doesn't like to stay behind the newone. Oh! Jacob! how are you goinghome we must make room for yousomewhere."

"I'll go across lots," said the blue youth,"and be there to take the horses whenyou get there. You better hurry them upthe least mite, so's I sha'n't have to waittoo long!"

With a benign smile he vaulted over afive-barred gate, and went with a long,leisurely stride across the fields.

"He'll run when he gets round thecorner!" said Gerald. "I know that's theway he does it. Get up, Frank! do playyou are alive, just for once. Oh,Margaret, I am so glad to see you. Ithought September would never come.It has been the longest summer I everknew. Haven't you found it so "

"Why, no!" said truthful Margaret. "Ithas seemed very short to me."

"Oh, well, of course it has been shorttoo, summers always are; like thedachshund!"

"The dachshund!" repeated Margaret."What can a dachshund have to do

with summer, Gerald "

"A description I once heard," saidGerald. "I was walking with Beppo, mydachs, and a little boy stopped to lookat him. 'Ain't he long ' he said. 'My! ain'the short ' Even so summer. Oh, I amglad to see you. Get up, Frank!"

CHAPTER II.

THE CAMP

A LONG, low, irregular building, with

a wide verandah in front, the lakerippling and ruffling almost up to thepiers; beyond, great hills rolling up andaway. To right and left, boat-houses andtents; hammocks swung between thetrees, fishing-rods ranged along thesides of the building. This was theCamp. As the wagons drove up, Mrs.Merryweather hurried from the house,and Mr. Merryweather and Phil cameup with long strides from the wharf.Amid a chorus of eager welcome, ababel of questions and answers, thetravellers were helped out and escortedto the verandah.

"Most welcome, all!" cried Mrs.Merryweather. "Are you very tired No

that is good! Well, but you must behungry, I am sure. There are doughnutsand milk on the table; or if you wouldrather have tea "

"They are not hungry, Miranda!" saidMr. Merryweather. "They cannot behungry at three o'clock. Dined atWayport, Ferrers Of course! Jack, showyour uncle his tent! Miss Montfort "

"I'll show them the way, Papa!" saidGertrude. "Where is Bell, Mammy Oh,there she is! Bell, here are Margaret andPeggy; girls, this is Bell!"

Bell Merryweather, a sturdy, blue-eyedgirl with the general aspect of a snow

apple, greeted the guests with a heartyshake of a powerful hand, and acordial smile.

"We have been looking forward so toyour coming!" she said. "Don't youwant to come out to your tent Here, I'lltake your bag, Margaret; shall I say'Margaret' at once it will be so muchnicer. This way!"

She led the way, Margaret following,Gertrude and Peggy after them, stilltalking eagerly. A row of flagstones ledpast the boat-house, and on undersolemn pines and feathery birches towhere a line of tents stood facing thewater.

"Here is yours," said Bell; "next to ours,this big one; we are three, you see.Yours is small, but I hope you can becomfortable."

"Comfortable!" echoed Peggy; "Ishould think so! Oh, Margaret, do look!how perfect everything is! Oh, whatducky beds! the red blankets are justlike home; our boys have red blankets.Oh, I shall be perfectly happy here!"

Margaret, accustomed to the widespaces and ample closets of FernleyHouse, was a little bewildered at thefirst glance around her. The tent washardly bigger than the stateroom of a

moderate-sized steamer. Could twopersons live here in anythingapproaching comfort A second glanceshowed her how compactly andconveniently everything was arranged.The narrow cots, with their scarletblankets and blue check pillows, stoodon either side; between them was atable, with blotter of birch bark, and aninkstand made by hollowing out aquaintly shaped piece of wood andsinking in the hollow a small glasstumbler. Above the head of each bedhung a long shoe-bag with manypockets, while opposite the foot wererows of hooks for dresses, a shelf onwhich stood pitcher, basin, etc., and achest of drawers. All was fresh, neat,

and tidy.

"Yes, I am sure we shall be happy!" saidMargaret, repeating Peggy's words.

"Here is the hook for your lantern,"said Bell. "Here is a little jar forcrackers, but be sure to keep it covered,or the squirrels will carry them off. Ihope you will not mind a squirrelcoming in now and then they are sotame, they come hopping in to see ifwe have anything for them; I oftenleave a bit of something."

"Oh! what fun!" said Peggy. "I love totame squirrels. Ours at home will comeand eat from our hands. Will yours do

that "

"Not often; at least, not for me. Theboys can bring them sometimes. I thinkthey like boys best. But I have a dearlittle field-mouse who brings me herbabies to look at now and then, just toshow me how they are growing. There,now, we go on chattering, when I knowyou ought to rest awhile, and unpackand stow away. It takes quite a bit ofplanning for two persons to fit into atent. By and by, when you are all settled,would you like to go out on the waterHurrah! we'll come for you. Come on,Toots!"

The two sisters walked slowly down the

long slip that led to the floating wharf,and sat down with their feet hangingover the edge.

"Well, Bell!" said Gertrude, eagerly.

"Well!" said Bell, slowly.

"What do you think of them Isn't shelovely and isn't Peggy a dear "

"Yes," said Bell. "I think you have justhit it, Toots. Peggy is a dear; just ahearty, jolly dear; but Margaret is lovely.Do you see a little hint of Hilda I can'ttell where it is; not in the features,certainly, nor in the coloring. I think itis in the brow and eyes; a kind of noble

look; I don't know how else to put it.You wouldn't say anything false or baseto this girl, any more than you would toHilda; you wouldn't dare. My lamb! Ispeak as if falseness and baseness werethe usual note of your conversation."

"I thought you were a trifle severe,"said Gertrude, smiling. "Well, anyhow,it is a joy to have them here, and dearColonel Ferrers, too. What shall we dothis evening Here come the boys for acouncil."

The twins, Gerald and Phil, camerunning down the wharf, followed byJack Ferrers. The latter, whom some ofmy readers may have known as an

awkward, "leggy" boy, was now a man.Very tall, towering three or four inchesabove the six-foot Merryweathers, hestill kept his boyish slenderness andspring, though the awkward angleswere somehow softened away. He nolonger stooped and shambled, but heldhis head up and his shoulders back;and if he did still prance, as his uncledeclared, like the Mighty Ones ofScripture, it was not an ungracefulprancing. Briefly, Jack Ferrers was afine-looking fellow.

"Council of War " asked Gerald; "or dowe intrude "

"Sit down!" said Bell. "We were just

beginning to plan the evening. What areyour ideas, if any "

The boys for they were still the boys,even if they had passed one and twentystretched themselves along the wharf inpicturesque attitudes.

"I would sing!" announced Gerald."Prose will not express my feelings atthis juncture.

"My fertile brain is simmering, Myfancy's fire is glimmering; I'd fainbetake Me to the lake, When bright themoonlight's shimmering.

"Your turn, Ferguson. Go on; the song

upraise!"

"Let me see!" said Phil. "Well on thewhole

"I can't agree with himmering; Myfancy's fire is dimmering; If you wouldknow The thing I'd doe, Methinks I'llgo a swimmering."

"Oh! no, Phil," said Gertrude. "Not thevery first night the girls are here; it willtake them a day or two to get used tocamp ways, Margaret at least; and wewant to do something all together,something that Colonel Ferrers willlike, too. I think "

"Sing it! sing it!" cried Gerald. "Thesong upraise, Tintinnabula! no escape!'Trimmering' is still left you."

"Is there only one vowel " demandedBell, laughing. "I refuse to be fettered.Wait a second! now I have it.

"Forbear, forbear your clamoring, Andcease this hasty hammering; I think,with Jerry, 'Twere wise and merry Torow by moonlight glamouring.

Your turn, Toots!"

"I cannot!" said Gertrude. "You know Icannot, Bell. Besides, there aren't anymore rhymes."

"Oh!" cried Gerald, "you know whatyou are telling, and you know whathappens to people who tell them.Perpend, Tootsina!

"You yodel, yodel yammering, Youstutter, stutter stammering; And whenyou cry, 'I will not try!' We know you'reonly shammering."

"Gracious!" said Gertrude. "Don't yousuppose I would make rhymes if Icould It's really a dreadful thing to bethe only prose member of a largefamily. But Jack comforts me; you can'tmake them either, can you, Jack "

"Not to save my life!" said Jack. "Nevercould see how they do it."

"But you can set them to music!" saidGertrude. "That is the delightful thingabout you."

"And you can illustrate them! That isone of the many delightful thingsabout you!" said Jack, with a low bow.

"'They built it up for forty miles, Withmutual bows and pleasing smiles!'"

quoted Gerald. "A truce to thisbadinage! Compliment, unless paid tomyself, wearies me. We go, then, incanoes "

"In canoes!" replied the others inchorus.

"'Tis well! Any special stunts in the wayof arrangement "

"Oh!" said Jack, "in plain prose Bell,will you come with me It's our turn toget supper, isn't it and I have an ideajust a little one which we can talk overwhile we are getting it."

"Oh, guard it, guard it tenderly, Thy oneidea thy first!"

sang Gerald.

"And we, the while, console ourselves;'Twill be the last, at worst!

Nay! nay!" he went on, as Jack seizedhim by the shoulders, and made amotion toward the water.

"Duck not the bard, the tuneful bard,Who all thy soul reveals; To hear thetruth, I own, is hard, Yet dry thy tearfulsqueals!"

"False construction!" said Bell. "Youcannot dry squeals."

"They were tearful ones!" Geraldprotested. "It was the tears I wouldhave dried. Tears, idle tears, I know not

whence they come; tears from the depthof some despairing fiddler."

"Suppose you dry up!" said Jack,dipping Gerald's head lightly in thewater.

"No ducking between swims!"proclaimed Phil. "Law of the Medesand Persians!"

"Besides, it is time to be making thefire!" said Bell, rising. "Leave him to hisconscience, Jack, and come along!"

"Yes, leave me to me conscience!" saidGerald.

"'Twill cradle me with songs of Araby;Arrah be aisy! hear it sing to me!"

"Jerry, what has got into you " askedGertrude, a few minutes later, whenPhil had followed the others to thehouse, leaving the two Reds, as theirmother called them, together. "Has therhyming spider bitten you you are reallywild!"

"Nice little sister!" said Gerald, rollingover, and resting his head onGertrude's knee. "Nice little red-haired,cream-colored, comfortable sister! If Iwere as good-looking as you, Toots,who knows As it is but still I am happy,my child, happy! I say! Toots!"

"Yes, Jerry!"

"What do you think of her "

"Oh, Jerry, she is a darling!"

"Dixisti!" cried Gerald. "Thou hastspoken."

CHAPTER III.

AUF DAS WASSER ZU SINGEN

"HARRY MONMOUTH!" saidColonel Ferrers. "This is pleasant.

Merryweather, you are a lucky dog!" Ashe spoke, he looked around him, andrepeated, "A lucky dog, sir!"

The horn had just blown for supper,three long blasts, and already thecampers were in their places at the longtable, with its shining white cover. Mr.and Mrs. Merryweather, their sixchildren, Bell, Gertrude, and Kitty,Gerald, Philip, and Willy, the twoMontforts, with the Colonel and hisnephew, made a party of twelve, andfilled the table comfortably, thoughthere was still room for more. Theroom was a long one, with a vast openfireplace stretching half across one side.At one end were rows of book-shelves,

filled to overflowing; at the other, thewalls were adorned with models forboats, sketches in water-color and penand ink, birds' nests, curious fungi, andall manner of odds and ends. It wascertainly a cheerful room, and so MilesMerryweather thought, as his eyesfollowed the Colonel's.

"We like it!" he said, simply. "It suits us,the place and the life. It's good foryoung and old both, to get away fromhurry and bustle, and live for a time thenatural life."

"Nature, sir!" said the Colonel. "Nature!that's it; nothing like it! When I was alad, young men were sent abroad, after

their school or college course; thegrand tour, Paris, Vienna, that sort ofthing: very good thing in its way, too,monstrous good thing. But before hesees the world, sir, a lad should knowhow to live, as you say, the natural life.Ought to know what a tree is when hesees it; upon my soul, he ought. Nowmy milksop best fellow in the world, Igive you my word, except that littlefellow at home there well, sir! when hecame to me, he didn't know thedifference between an oak and an elm,give you my word he didn't. Rememberone day he heard me giving directionsto Giuseppe about cutting some ashesclump of them in the field below thehouse, needed thinning out and he

wanted to know how ashes could becut; thought I meant those in thefireplace, sir. Monstrous! Well, I taughthim a little, and you and your youngfolks have taught him a great deal. H'm!I don't know that he is now moredisgracefully ignorant than nine-tenthsof the young men of his age. Set ofnoodles! I'll tell you what,Merryweather! You ought to have akind of summer school here: get otherboys, a dozen, two dozen; teach 'em tosee with their eyes, and all the rest of it.I knew a boy once who thought a batwas a bird, give you my word I did.And another who thought oysters grewon bushes. Get up a school, sir, and I'llcome myself, and be a boy again."

"That is a great inducement," said Mr.Merryweather, laughing: "but, Colonel,I hope you have brought a boy'sappetite with you, at least. Who are thecooks to-night, Miranda Oh, I see; Belland Jack. Well, that is all right, Colonel;they make one of our bestcombinations. What have you there,Jack "

Jack, in a white cap, and an apronreaching not quite half-way to hisknees, advanced bearing a mighty dish,from which rose fragrant steam.

"H'm! ha!" said the Colonel, sniffing."Smells good! you had no hand in this,

I'll be bound, sir!"

"Indeed, Colonel Ferrers," said Bell,who followed with the teapot and aplate piled high with feathery rolls, "it isall Jack's doing, every bit. It is hisfamous pilaff, that the old Greekprofessor taught him to make inGermany; and it is almost the best thingyou ever tasted in your life."

"H'm!" said the Colonel, frowningheavily, and looking immensely pleased."So this is what he was doing while hewas supposed to be studying. I alwaysknew the rascal was deceiving me. Ha! itis good; it's uncommon good! So youdid learn something besides fiddling,

eh, Jack "

"Cooking is a part of chemistry,Uncle," said Jack, soberly; "a veryimportant part. This dish is chemicallyprepared, sir; please regard it as ademonstration!"

"And please try my fried potatoes as afurther demonstration!" said Bell."Margaret, you are not eating anything."

"She never does!" said Peggy.

"Oh!" cried Margaret, "but I never ateso much before. Oh, please not!" asPhil tried to heap her plate withpotatoes. "They are delicious, but I

really cannot!"

"I can!" said Gertrude, holding out herplate.

"I'll warrant you!" said Phil. "No onedoubted that, sweet Chuck!"

"We do not look for the CampAppetite till after twenty-four hours,"said Mrs. Merryweather. "Give Margarettime! in two days she will eat twice asmuch as she does now."

"Harry Monmouth!" exclaimed theColonel. "At that rate, it is fortunate foryou all that I do not outstay my twodays. Twice as much as I am eating now

would clear your larder, dear madam.Yes, thanks, Merryweather, a littlemore!"

"Oh, Colonel Ferrers!"

"Oh, Uncle Tom! you are not goingaway in two days We counted on aweek at least!" cried all in chorus.

"Impossible, dear people, impossible!Like nothing better; enchanted to stayall summer; delightful place. ButElizabeth Beadle's condition, youunderstand; and the boy I must getback. He is too young to have theresponsibility. Most amazing boy in theworld; I haven't the slightest doubt that

he is doing her more good than all thedoctors in the world parcel of fools,mostly but still he is too young; I mustget back."

"Let me go, Uncle!" said Jack.

"Or me, Colonel Ferrers!" criedGertrude. "Any one of us would loveto go!"

The Colonel beamed on them with hiskindliest smile, but shook his headresolutely. "Thanks! thanks!" he said,heartily. "Good children! kind andthoughtful children! but I must go.Couldn't be easy, you understand."

"The fact is," said Jack, "Uncle Tomcannot be comfortable for more thantwenty-four hours away from Hugh.After that length of time he becomesrestive, and symptoms develop which "

"Hold your tongue, sir!" cried theColonel. "Nothing of the sort, sir! Mrs.Merryweather, I hoped you wereteaching this fellow better manners.Symptoms, indeed! You have seen nosymptoms in me, of anything exceptpure pleasure pleasure in everythingexcept the gabbling of a goose!"

"Surely not, dear friend!" said Mrs.Merryweather, laughing. "But all thesame, I think I should not try to detain

you when once you had made up yourmind that Hugh needed you."

"All against me!" cried the Colonel."'The little dogs and all' I beg tenthousand pardons, my dear madam;you know the quotation! Well," headded, his face changing suddenly as heturned to Mrs. Merryweather and spokein a lower tone, "fortunate old fellow,eh to have one young face two, perhaps,for my Giraffe loves me too brightenwhen one comes. Ah! you, with all yourwealth richest woman of myacquaintance, give you my honor!cannot tell what these boys mean to me.Hilda, too: most astonishing how Imiss that child! but all your young

people are so good to me "

"Colonel!" cried Gertrude from theother end of the table. "Will you comewith me in my canoe after tea "

"Will I " cried the Colonel. "Won't ILead the way, my dear!"

* * * * *

The young moon shone bright; the lakelay a broad sheet of luminous black,with a silver path stretching across it.Four canoes lay beside the wharf, andthe campers were taking their places. Inthe birch canoe, the original Cheemaun,Mrs. Merryweather was going as

passenger, with her husband and Phil atbow and stern; in the Nahma wasColonel Ferrers, with Gertrude andPeggy; Kitty and Willy in the Rob Roy,Gerald and Margaret in the Wenonah.

"All ready " asked the chief. "Whereshall we go Where are Jack and Bell "

"Oh, they started ahead," said Phil."They had some stunt on hand, and weare to meet them over by the BlackShore."

"Ready give way all!"

The paddles dipped, the canoes shotout along the silver path, gliding swift

and silent as spirits. For a time no onespoke. The Cheemaun, with the powerfularms at either end, took the lead andkept it easily: next came the Nahma andthe Rob, nearly abreast, and vying witheach other; but the Wenonah laggedbehind, and seemed in no special hurry.

"Like it " asked Gerald, presently.

"Oh!" said Margaret, softly.

Gerald gave a little grunt of content,and was silent again. The paddledipped noiseless in the liquid silver, thedark prow crept noiseless along theshining way.

"It is another world!" said Margaretpresently, still speaking under herbreath. "I never dreamed of anythinglike it. A silver world! Oh!"

"What is it "

"Nothing I was only thinking oneought to be very good, to live in aworld so beautiful as this, Gerald!"

"Some of us are, Margaret!"

Silence again.

"I'm awfully glad you like it!" saidGerald. "I hoped you would. I've I'vebeen looking forward all summer to

your coming."

"I was very glad to come," saidMargaret, simply. "I was afraid, but Iwas glad, too."

"Afraid I should like to know what youwere afraid of!"

"Oh I don't know! I have never beenwith many people, you know. I havenever seen a large family togetherbefore. How happy you all are!"

"That's what we are!" said Gerald."Especially now! I say, Margaret! thechild Toots has fallen a victim."

"Fallen a what do you mean, Geraldnot into the water "

"Charms!" said Gerald. "Yours. Bowledher over completely. Nice child, thechild Toots. Think so "

"I think she looks as good as she isbeautiful," said Margaret. "Does shereally like me I am very glad, for I knowI shall love her."

"Don't you think she is the image ofme " asked Gerald, plaintively.

"No, I never thought of it!" saiddownright Margaret. "Oh! hark, Gerald;what is that I hear music."

They listened. Directly in front of themlay a deep black shadow, and forthfrom this shadow stole notes of music,low, sweet, almost unearthly in theirpurity and clearness.

"Evidently the stunt of Tintinnabulaand the Camelopard!" said Gerald."That is the Black Shore yonder, andthe noise is that of the Tree-browser'sfiddle, in sooth a goodly noise.Approach we along the moonglade!that is what we call the wake here.Pretty "

"Lovely!" murmured Margaret. "Oh!but hush, and listen!"

The other canoes had slackened theirspeed, and now all four crept onabreast over the luminous water. Fromthe black shadow ahead forms began todetach themselves, black rocks, darktrees stooping to the water's edge, firand pine, with here and there a whitebirch glimmering ghostlike; and still themusic rose, ever clearer and sweeter,thrilling on the silent air. It seemed novoice of anything made by man; it wasas if the trees spoke, the rocks, thewater, the very silence itself. But nownow another tone was heard; a humanvoice this time, a full, rich contralto,blending with the aerial notes of theviolin.

"Over all the mountains is peace;Among the tree-tops Hardly a breath isstirring; The birds are silent, Silent inthe woodland; Only wait! only wait!Soon thou too shalt rest."

"Harry Monmouth!" murmured theColonel under his breath. "Am I alive,or is this the gate of Heaven "

"Oh! who is it " whispered Margaret.

"Tintinnabula! rather a neat thing invoices, the Tintinnabula's. Nor does thesong altogether excite to strenutation.Ah! but that is the best yet!"

The notes changed. It was Schubert'sSerenade now that rose from voice andviolin together. No one stirred. Thecanoes were now close inshore, and thelong, soft fingers of fir and cedarbrushed Margaret's cheek as she satmotionless, spellbound. It was a worldof soft darkness, black upon black: thesilver world they had just left seemedalmost garish as she looked back on it.Here in the cool shadow, the voices ofthe night pouring forth their wonderfulmelody "Oh!" she thought; "if thismight last forever!"

But it was over. Floating round a greatrock that stretched far out from theshore, they came upon the musicians,

their canoe drawn up close to the rock.

"Here they are!" cried Willy. "It's Belland Jack, Kitty; I knew it was. You aresuch a silly!"

"I don't care!" pouted Kitty. "It didsound like nymphs; I am sure that isjust the way they sound."

"You are quite right, Kitty," said hermother. "Children, you have given us agreat treat. May we not have some more"

"Oh, we were only waiting for you,"said Bell; "now we must have choruses,many of them!"

And lying close together, the paddlesstretched across from one canoe toanother, the Merryweathers sang, toJack's accompaniment, song after songin chorus: German student songs, withmerry refrain of "vivallera la" and "juchheira sa sa!" Scottish ballads and quaintold Highland boat-songs; till Mr.Merryweather declared that it was timeto go home.

So home they went, down themoonglade once more, across theglimmering floor of the lake, singing asthey went; till, twinkling through thefringe of trees, they saw the lights ofthe Camp, and the long outline of the

float, and the boats swinging at theirmoorings.

CHAPTER IV.

AFTER THE PICNIC

"AND what comes next on theprogramme " asked the Chief.

"Coma, I should say," replied ColonelFerrers. "After that watermelon, I seenothing else for it. It's my avowedbelief that my nephew there could notstir if his life depended on it; it standsto reason. The boy has eaten more than

his own weight. Monstrous!"

"What a frightful calumny!" cried Jack,laughing. "Really, Uncle Tom, youcannot expect me to sit still under that."

He rose lightly to his feet, and graspinga branch of the tree above his head,drew himself up, and after kicking hislong legs several times in the air, finallytwisted them round the branch, and inanother moment had disappeared inthe shadowy depths of the greathemlock.

"Oh! I say!" his voice floated down."This is a great tree to climb. You'dbetter come up, Uncle Tom, if you feel

the slightest symptoms of coma."

The other lads did not wait to beinvited, but flung themselves at the tree,and were soon lost to sight, though notto sound. Colonel Ferrers turned to hishostess with a frown which tried hardnot to turn into a smile.

"Now, did you ever hear of suchimpudence as that " he asked. "Theseyoung fellows of to-day are the mostimpudent scoundrels I ever cameacross. Time was, though, when wecould have climbed a tree with the bestof them; eh, Merryweather "

"I have no doubt you could now,

Colonel," said his host, "if you wereput to it; but I confess it is morecomfortable under a tree than in it,nowadays, especially after a Gargantuanfeast like this."

It had indeed been a great picnic. Theboys, while on a tramp, had discovereda grove of pines and hemlocks, hugeold trees, which had unaccountablyescaped the woodman's axe. The pinesshot up straight and tall for a hundredfeet and more, their trunks seamed andscarred, their clouds of dusky greenplumes tossing far overhead; thehemlocks were no less massive in girth,but they were twisted into all mannerof grotesque shapes, and their feathery

branches hung low, making a densecanopy over the heads of thepicnickers. Here, under one of thesehemlocks, the cloth had been laid, anddecorated with ferns and hemlocktassels. Then the baskets wereunpacked, and the campers feasted asonly dwellers in the open air can feast.Ham and pasty, sandwiches and rolls,jam and doughnuts nothing seemed tocome amiss; and they finished off witha watermelon of such mightyproportions that it took all the unitedenergies of the boys to dispose of it.

But it was finally disposed of, and nowcame the hour that is apt to be a littledifficult at picnics; the hour between

the feast and the going home.

"I have a new game," said Mrs.Merryweather. "Perhaps you would liketo try it presently; but first, ColonelFerrers, while the boys are skylarking, orrather tree-larking, up there, I want tohear the story you were telling Miles onthe drive over. I could not hear verywell on the back seat, and besides, I wasmaking up my game. It was someadventure of yours when you were aboy."

"Capital story!" said Mr. Merryweather."Do tell it, Colonel; I want to hear itagain."

The Colonel smiled, and puffedmeditatively at his cigar.

"Story of the barrel, eh " he said."Upon my word, now, I think it ispretty hard to make me tell that storybefore all these young people. What doyou say, Gertrude you don't want tohear about your old friend's being ayoung fool, do you "

"Oh! Colonel Ferrers," said Gertrude;"a story that makes your eyes twinkle somust be one that we all want to hear.Do begin, please!"

And all the girls, who had been puttingaway the table-cloth and "tidying-up"

generally, gathered about the Colonel inan eager group.

"Well! well!" he said, glancing from onebright face to another. "After all, whatare we old fogies for, but to point amoral and adorn a tale Listen, then.This happened when I was a youngjackanapes of about my nephew's age; Iknew everything in the world then, youunderstand, and nobody else knewmuch of anything. That was my belief,as it is the belief of most young men."

"Uncle," said a voice from above, "thereare three young men up here who areprepared to drop things on your headif you slander their generation."

"Slander your generation, sir " cried theColonel, "by likening it to my own Ofall the monstrous insolence I ever heardyou may be thankful, sir, that I nameyours in the same breath with it. Begood enough to hold your tongue, sir,and attend to your business, which isthat of listening to me. Well, my dearmadam, at the period of which I speak,I was in the office of my uncle,Marmaduke Ferrers, India merchant,importer of tea, silks, that sort of thing.Learning the trade, you understand;though, as I say, I was not aware thatthere was anything in particular tolearn. This is one of the lessons I didlearn. One day I was sent to the

warehouse to count some barrels, andsee them stowed away in the vaultwhere they belonged. They were aspecial thing, barrels of minerals forsome collection museum, I forget what.Out of our own line, but we hadundertaken to store and keep them fora time. The vault was directly under thewarehouse, which was some way fromthe office. So! I went down and foundno one there; The men were at theirdinner, you understand. They may havebeen a little in a hurry, may have starteda few minutes before the bell rang; Idon't know how it was. At any rate, Iwas in a towering passion; thought thewhole business was going to the dogsfor want of discipline, wanted to

dismiss every man in the warehouse.Men who had been there before I wasborn, and knew more about tea than Iwas likely to know in my lifetime. Well,sir, it came into my ass's head that Iwould give these men a lesson, showthem that there was some one in theplace that meant to have things donewhen he wanted them done. I wouldstow those barrels myself. I was strongas a bull, you remember I beg tenthousand pardons! you and yourhusband were infants when thishappened; not out of long clothes, Iam positive. But I was uncommonlystrong, and thought Milo and Herculeswould have found me a tough subjectto tackle. Well speaking of tackle there

was the rope and pulley, all ready forlowering; block up at the ceiling, ropedangling, just over the trap that led intothe vault. There were the barrels;nothing was easier, I thought. Child'splay; I would have every one of thebarrels lowered and stowed beforethose scoundrels came back from theirdinner. I pushed the first barrel to theedge of the trap (lifted the trap-doorfirst, you understand), hooked on the'fall,' pleased as Punch with myself theonly man in the world, I give you myword; then I got a good hold on therope, and kicked the barrel over theedge."

"Oh! Colonel Ferrers!" cried the girls.

"Ha! ha! ha!" roared the boys in the tree.

"Loaded with minerals, youunderstand! stone, metal, I don't knowwhat. The barrel went down, and Iwent up."

"Oh! Colonel Ferrers!"

"Up to the ceiling, I give you my word.High room, too, great warehouse,twenty feet if it was one. There I hung,and there I swung, a spectacle for godsand men."

"What did you do " asked Mrs.Merryweather, as soon as she could

control her laughter. "Dear friend, it ismost heartless to laugh, but how canwe help it How did you ever get downdid you have to wait till the men cameback "

"No, madam. My pride would notallow that. I learned my lesson, or apart of it, while I hung there likeMahomet's coffin; I learned thatGravitation did not trouble itself aboutsuperior young men; but I did not learnall that there was to learn; that took thesequel. Well, I hung there, as I say,revolving slowly; centrifugal force, youunderstand; I was really exemplifyingthe workings of natural forces;interesting demonstration, if there had

been any one there to see. My crumb ofcomfort was that there was no one. Imust get down before those men cameback from dinner; that was the onething necessary in the world at thatmoment. I measured the space of thetrap as I swung; I prided myself on mycorrect eye; you see I was a mostcomplete ass: I have seen only a fewcompleter. I thought I could jumpdown astride of the trap, so to speak,and get no harm. I came down therope, hand over fist, till I got to the endof it; only about six feet between meand safety: then I jumped."

"And did you "

"No, my dear madam, I did not. I wentdown into the cellar, on top of thebarrel, and I carry the mark of the edgeof that barrel on my shoulders to thisday, and shall to my latest day. And themoral of this story," the Colonelconcluded, glancing up into the depthsof the great hemlock, "the moral, myyoung friends, is: wait till you knowsomething before you decide that youknow everything."

When the laughter had subsided, Mr.Merryweather said: "Your story,Colonel, reminds me of a scrape thatRoger and I once got into, years ago.No, it wasn't Roger, it was my brotherWill. My children all know it, but it may

be new to you and our other guests. Ithappened when we were out sailingone day, on this very pond. The waterwas pretty low that year, and we gotover into a cove on the north side,where we seldom went, and didn'tknow the ground thoroughly. Indeed,in very low water, one is apt to find thatone doesn't know any groundthoroughly. New ledges and rocks areconstantly cropping out as you shallhear. Well, we were sailing along in finestyle, before a fair wind, when suddenlywe ran aground."

"On the shore " asked the Colonel.

"No; on a rock. It was getting dark, and

we could not see very well, but I couldsee a nose of rock, and it looked likethe end of a ledge. 'I'll get out andshove her off!' said I. I sounded withan oar, and found the water barelyankle-deep on the ledge. So I took offmy shoes and stockings, rolled up mytrousers a little, and stepped in up tomy neck!"

"Ha! ha!" roared the Colonel. "Ho! ho!that was sport. I wish I had seen you."

"Wait a moment!" said the Chief. "Thepicture is not ready for exhibition yet.When Will had got through laughing atme, he went to work I found I couldnot stir the boat alone he went to work

and got ready. Stripped to the skin hehad on a new suit, and was somethingof a dandy in those days steppedcarefully overboard and landed in waterthree inches deep."

"Merryweather, you are making thisup!"

"Indeed I am not, my dear sir. There westood, I up to my chin, he with his toesunder water, and laughed till we wereso weak that we had to go ashore andsit down before we had strength topush that boat off. There is my Rolandfor your Oliver, Colonel. And now,Miranda, I think we are ready for yourgame. Come down, boys!"

The boys came scrambling down, stilllaughing over the stories, and soon allwere seated on the carpet of dry,fragrant pine-needles. The girls hadfound some oak-leaves ("It is mybelief," said Mr. Merryweather, "that ifBell went to a picnic in a coal-mine oron a sand-bank, she would still manageto find oak-leaves somewhere!"), andwere busily twining garlands for theheads of the company.

"Are we all ready " asked Mrs.Merryweather. "Well! my game a verysimple one is called Vocabulary. It camefrom my reading the other day anadmirable little book written by a wise

professor, in which he deplores thepoverty of our vocabularies, and makesa suggestion for our enlarging them. Headvises us to add two or three words toour list every week. The first time weuse a new word, he says, it will beembarrassing to us and, it may be,amusing to our hearers; but if we havecourage and patience, we shall be doinga good work not only for ourselves, butfor all our generation and thegenerations that are to come. Well, thisnaturally appealed to me, and I wasthinking of proposing it to you all thisevening; and then, as we were drivingover, it occurred to me that it might bemade into a rather amusing game."

"Miranda," said her husband, "is thereanything in life that you do not thinkcan be made into a rather amusinggame But go on!"

"Dear Mammy!" said Phil. "Do youremember when you and I both hadthe toothache, and you thought itmight be amusing to count the jumpsand see how many there were in aminute "

"Well, so it would have been," said hismother, "if we had only had a littlemore fortitude. Now if you are allgoing to laugh at me, you shall notlearn the game."

"Oh, we will be good!" exclaimed theMerryweathers. "We truly will."

"The game of Vocabulary," said Mrs.Merryweather, "is played thus. One I,for example begins to tell a story. I say,'I went out to walk this morning, and Imet ' there I stop short, and you, inturn, give a verb synonymous, more orless, with 'met.' This goes around thecircle till some one cannot find a verb,and that some one must continue thestory, stopping at any word he likes. Ifear this is not very clear; perhaps wecan illustrate it best playing it. I willbegin as I suggested. I went out to walkthis morning, and on my way I met "she stopped.

"Encountered!" said Mr. Merryweather.

"Approached!" said the Colonel.

"Ran up against!" said Gerald.

"Fell afoul of!" said Phil.

"Fell in with!" said Bell.

"Peggy, you come next."

"Oh! I can't!" cried poor Peggy. "Theyhave said everything; Mrs.Merryweather, I can't ever play anythingof this kind, you know. I am toostupid."

"Nonsense, my child; you are not in theleast stupid. If you cannot think of aword, go on with the story."

"But I don't know how!" cried Peggy,her eyes growing large and round, witha look that Gertrude and Margaretknew only too well. The tears were notfar behind those round blue eyes; andMargaret hastened to the rescue. "Youmet a man, dear!" she whispered. "Thatis all you need say."

"Well I met a man!" said Peggy, with agasp.

"Person!"

"Individual!"

"Anthropoid ape!"

"Masculine mortal!"

"Chump!"

"I object to the definition!" said Mrs.Merryweather. "In case of a falsedefinition, the falsifier takes up thethread. Go on, Jerry."

"This man (he was a chump, you'll see!)was so ugly that not a crow dared tostay in the same county with him, andso disagreeable that it gave one spasms

to look at him; also, he had not themanners to take off his hat " hestopped short.

"Cap!"

"Hood!"

"Helmet!"

"Bonnet!"

"Head-dress!"

"Tam-o'-shanter!"

"Mitre!"

"Tiara!"

"Fez!"

"Turban!"

"Beretta!"

"I give in!" cried the Colonel. "I cannotthink of another thing, so I continuethe tale.

"This odious person, after passing mein the unmannerly fashion described,was about to proceed further; but I,seizing him by the coat collar, lifted mystout stick, and gave him a good sound"

"Thrashing!"

"Licking!"

"Beating!"

"Chastisement!"

"Hiding!"

"Walloping!"

"Whipping!"

"Scourging!"

"Drubbing!"

"Trouncing!"

"Thwacking!"

"Lashing!"

"Flogging!"

"Caning!"

"Larruping!"

"Fustigating!"

"Basting!"

"Leathering!"

"Thumping!"

"Whopping!"

"Rib-roasting!"

"Dear me!" cried Mrs. Merryweather."This is rather terrible, I think. Thereseem to be more terms to expresspersonal violence than anything else."

"We haven't begun to give them all,either!" said Phil. "If we are allowed touse modern slang I know you preferancient, Mammy "

"I know you are a saucy boy!" said his

mother.

"My dear friends," said the Chief, rising."This is all very fine: but the simple factis, it is beginning to rain, and I think itadvisable for us to beat, fustigate,(where did you get that, Miranda ) orwallop, a retreat!"

Then there was scrambling up, andrunning to and fro, and gathering upof baskets and shawls. The good oldhorse, which had been grazingpeacefully in a clearing hard by, washarnessed, and Mr. and Mrs.Merryweather, Colonel Ferrers, and theimpedimenta bundled in and off ashastily as might be. Finally, as the rain

began to pour down in good earnest,the younger campers gathered into asolid phalanx and walked home acrossthe fields, singing in chorus, andinforming all whom it might concernthat they were

"Marching along, Fifty score strong,Great-hearted gentlemen, singing thissong!"

CHAPTER V.

KITTY AND WILLY

"MA!" said Willy Merryweather.

"Baa!" replied his mother, withoutlooking up from her writing.

Willy fidgeted, and looked over hisshoulder. "Mammy, I wish you wouldspeak to Kitty."

"Speak to Kitty certainly. How do youdo, Kitty "

Willy looked uncomfortable, but wenton.

"I spoke for the Rangeley boat, andnow she wants it. She always wants it,and it isn't fair."

"I don't always want it, Willy! I haven'tbeen in it for two days. I think you arevery unkind."

By this time Mrs. Merryweather hadfinished her sentence; she looked up,and surveyed the two children with ahalf-abstracted gaze.

"Who are you " she asked, abruptly. "Ithought Kitty and Willy were here."

Kitty took hold of the hem of herapron, and Willy felt of the knife in hispocket.

"Who are you " repeated Mrs.Merryweather in a tone of wonder.

"You should always answer a question,you know."

"We are Kitty and Willy ourselves!"murmured the children, the redbeginning to creep around their ears.

"Oh, no!" said Mrs. Merryweather,reprovingly. "Don't say such things asthat, my dears. I know Kitty and Willyperfectly well; they are brother andsister, two cheerful, affectionatechildren, who love each other. I don'tknow anything about you two; runaway, please, for I am busy."

As the children moved slowly away, shecalled after them: "If you should see

Kitty and Willy, you might send themto me, if you please!"

Round on the other side of the bigoak-tree, sheltered from the eyes thatlooked so abstractedly over theirglasses, Willy rubbed his shouldersuncomfortably against the bark, whileKitty kicked a bit of stick to and fro.

"There isn't any use in talking toMammy when she does that way!" saidWilly, half to himself, but with a sideglance at Kitty. "If she would have onlylistened to me "

"She never will!" said Kitty, respondingto the half glance. "She always says

there is no need of quarrelling, and shedoesn't see why she should have to heardisagreeable remarks."

"Other children scrap," said Willy. "Idon't see why we can't now and then."

"Well, she just won't have it, Will, sowhere's the use Never mind about theRangeley; you may have it, and I'll takethe Wobbler."

"I don't care!" said Willy. "You mayhave her."

"So may you!"

Silence. Willy rubbing his shoulders,

Kitty kicking her bit of stick.

Presently Kitty looked up brightly, andshook her curls back. "I've got overmine, Willy!" she announced. "Are yougetting over yours "

"Ye-es!" said Willy, slowly. "I s'pose Iam."

"Why don't we go together " askedKitty. "Then we can both have theRangeley."

"All right!" said Willy, brightening atonce. "Where shall we go We mightplay Pirate a bit "

"And then go for the milk! That wouldbe great!"

"All right, come on, Kit."

"Oh! but, Willy "

"Well "

"We must go and tell Mammy first."

Once more the two children presentedthemselves before their mother, whowas still writing busily. At the first"Mammy!" she looked up quickly.

"Well, dears!" she said, "I waswondering where you were. What are

you going to play this afternoon "

"We thought perhaps we might havethe Rangeley together, and play Pirate!"said Willy.

"And then go for the milk!" said Kitty.

"To be sure!" said Mrs. Merryweather."Yes, Papa said you might have the boatif you wanted it. That will be very nice,only be careful, dears. Give Mammy akiss, and have a great good time."

* * * * *

"Run her up!" said the Pirate Captain.

"Ay, ay, sir!" replied the mate.

The Jolly Roger fluttered up to themast-head: skull and crossbones blackas ink could make them, ground verynearly white; it was a splendid flag. TheCaptain was a terrible figure, clad inyellow oilskins many sizes too big forhim, with ferocious mustaches curlingup to his eyes. His belt contained aperfect armory of weapons; item, apistol that had lost its barrel; item, threewooden daggers, assorted sizes; item,one tomahawk, home-made. The matewas scarcely less terrifying, for though ablue petticoat showed beneath hisoilskin jacket, and curls flowed fromunder his sou'wester, he made up for it

by a mass of oakum beard and whiskerthat was truly awe-inspiring. Also, hehad the truncheon which used to be acurling stick, and a deadly weapon ofsingular appearance which wasunderstood to be a boomerang.

"Look out, Bill! avast there! dost see anyfoes about "

"Ay, ay, sir! I see a craft on the jib boom"

"Lee bow, Kitty! I mean Bill; not jibboom! You are always saying that."

"I meant lee bow!" said Bill, anxious toplease. "Anyhow, I see a craft, yourHonor. I think she is a plate ship fromthe Spanish Main. Shall we run herdown "

"Give me the glass!" exclaimed thePirate Captain: and through thatinstrument, which the ignorant mighthave mistaken for a battered tin horn,he scrutinized the "craft," which lay onthe water at some distance.

"'Tis not a plate ship!" he announced atlength. "I think we have had enoughplate ships lately. This is a Dutch luggerfrom Samarcand, laden with raisins andfig-paste and lichi nuts and cream dates.

I shouldn't wonder if she had narghilestoo, and scimitars, I need a newscimitar, and all sorts of things. Uphelm, and crowd on all sail in pursuit!"

"Ay, ay, sir! stunsels "

"Stunsels, balloon-jibs, topgallantspinnakers, royal skyscrapers, everythingyou can think of. Ha! we are off! Rowhard now, Bill! The lubbers are asleep,and we shall run them down easily. Arethe cutlasses ready "

"Ay, ay, sir!"

"Ho! we are gaining on them. Ho, ho!bend to your oars, my hearties!

grappling-chains ready there! ho! on tothe chase!"

Now Phil was very busy making a flyfor lake trout, and explaining themanufacture of it to Peggy; and Peggywas absorbed in watching him, and incounting the number of separate achesshe felt after her first lesson in rowing.Moreover, the bloody pirates hadconducted their conversation in a half-whisper, and the wind was the otherway. But suddenly, Peggy looked upand saw them, now at only a few yardsdistance.

"Good gracious!" she cried. "What is itDo look, Phil!"

Phil looked hastily around; chuckled,and fell into an attitude of abject terror."Mercy! mercy!" he cried; coweringdown in his seat. ("It's the kids; pleasebe frightened!) Oh! what will becomeof us We are lost!"

"Oh! save me, spare me!" cried Peggy,following suit, and clasping her handsin supplication.

The pirate bark ran alongside, andgrappling-irons were tossed aboard theill-fated merchantman. The PirateCaptain, standing in the stern of hisvessel, surveyed them with balefullooks.

"What ship is this "

"The Weeping Woodchuck, CaptainZebedee Moses of Squedunk, pleaseyour Honor's Worship!"

"Well I am Captain England, and this isthe Gory Griffin. If you have a cargo ofraisins and fig-paste and cream dates,hand them over; otherwise, prepare towalk the plank this instant!"

"Oh, spare us! spare this tendermaiden!" cried Phil. "I have no fig-paste, but wouldn't fresh doughnuts doas well, O man of blood Life is sweetand fish is needed for supper!"

At these remarks the pirate's ferociousscowl relaxed somewhat. "Hand overyour doughnuts!" he said, briefly. "Thisonce I spare ye, but cross not my pathagain! I jolly well forgot about tea," headded, as Phil tossed him somedoughnuts; "I suppose it must beabout time to go for the milk, perhaps,is it "

Phil looked at his watch. "Well, Ishould say it jolly well was!" he replied."You'd better be off, young ones Imean Scourges of the Deep!"

* * * * *

It was quite a pull over to the pointwhere the milk-cans were waiting, butKitty and Willy were both good oars,and the doughnuts were crisp andfortifying.

"Let's take the point by storm!"suggested the gallant England, who hadnot had his fill of glory. "The cansmight be treasure, you know, and wecan creep up silently."

"But there's no one to hear us besilent!" said Kitty.

"Oh, that's nothing! We can hearourselves, and, anyhow, it is goodpractice. Come on, now! Be silent as the

grave!" Leaving the boat on the shore,they crept up the beach, pounced onthe milk-can, a tall "separator" whichheld the whole provision for the familysupper and breakfast, and bore it intriumph to the boat. But, alas! for thegallant pirates! In getting aboard, oneof them slipped; the other stumbled;between the two, neither could tell justhow, the tall can toppled, and fell intothe boat; the stopper flew out "Then allthe mighty floods were out!"

* * * * *

"But where can the children be " askedMrs. Merryweather, for the tenth time.

The horn had blown for supper, thefish were fried, the campers werehungry and thirsty; and the milk hadnot come.

"Where can they be " said every one.

Mr. Merryweather put down the glasswith which he had been sweeping thelake. "They are out there!" he said. "Isee them, but they don't seem to berowing. Give me the megaphone, willyou, Jerry Thanks!"

A calm roar went out across the lake."Come in to tea!"

A faint pipe was heard in reply. "Don't

want any tea!"

The second roar was still calm, butperemptory. "Come in!"

Slowly, very slowly, the oars rose andfell, and the boat crept over the water.What could be the matter with thechildren

"Too much bloodshed has upset thegallant England!" said Phil. "When itcomes to Willy's not wanting his tea!"

"They have had some accident!" saidMr. Merryweather. "Broken an oar,probably, or lost a rowlock. No. Theyare both rowing. Well, here they come."

The whole family started for the wharf,but a piteous wail arose from the nowapproaching boat.

"Please don't everybody come down!we want just Papa and Mamma."

"Stay here, dear people, please!" saidMrs. Merryweather; and both parentshurried down to the wharf, towardwhich two dejected little figures werenow tugging a very heavy boat.

"What's the matter, Will " said Mr.Merryweather. "Speak up, son."

"We spilt the milk!" said Willy, in a

carefully measured tone.

"Oh, my dears! all of it " inquired theirmother.

"Every drop!" said Willy, grimly.

"Oh, Mammy, we are so sorry!" criedKitty. "The old can just upset! and weare so wet, and it keeps splashing allover my legs!"

"There! there! come ashore; never mindabout the milk!" said Mr. Merryweather.

"Never mind!" echoed Mrs.Merryweather, heartily. "My poorchicks, where have you been all this

time Why didn't you come straighthome "

"We were afraid!" sobbed Kitty. "Wehave been rowing around for ever andever so long, and we are so tired, andhungry, and wet "

But by this time Kitty was near enoughfor her father to bend down and lift herbodily out of the boat, and put her, alldripping milk as she was, into hermother's arms. On her mother'sshoulder she sobbed out the rest of thepitiful little story. Kitty was twelve, andnot specially small of her age; but shewas the baby, and Mrs. Merryweathersat down on the wharf and rocked to

and fro, hushing her.

"There! there!" she said, soothingly. "Mylamb! as if all the milk in the worldwere worth your crying about! andcrying into the spilt milk, too, andmaking the boat all the wetter! Hush!hush! Run along, Papa and Willy dearlittle boy, it really is only funny, so don'tfret, not one little scrap. Kitty and I willcome in about two minutes."

CHAPTER VI.

A DISCUSSION

THE morning reading was over, butthe girls lingered in the pine parlor,where the whole family had beengathered to hear some thrilling chaptersof Parkman. Margaret and Bell hadtheir sewing, Gertrude her drawing-board; Peggy was carving the handle ofa walking-stick, while Kitty struggledwith some refractory knitting-needles.

It was a pleasant place in which theywere sitting: a little clear space of pine-needles, embroidered here and therewith tiny ferns, and shut in by walls ofdusky pine, soft and fragrant. The tree-trunks made excellent (thoughsometimes rather sticky) chair-backs;the sunshine filtered in through the

branches overhead, making a goldenhalf-light which was the very essenceof restfulness.

"Oh, pleasant place!" said Margaret,breaking the silence that had followedthe departure of the rest of the family."How strange it seems, sitting here inthis green peace and quiet, to read ofall those terrible happenings. How canit be the same world "

"He was a man, that La Salle!"exclaimed Peggy. "I never heard ofsuch a man. Think of that wintervoyage! Think of that man, brought upin luxury, with every kind ofaccomplishment, and that kind of

thing, wading in snow-water up to hisknees, and sleeping on the frozenground, rolled in his blanket, while hisclothes dried and froze stiff on thetrees! think of him standing aloneagainst courts and savages, and winningevery time till he was killed by thosewretches. It is the greatest story I everread. Now, if all history were like this,Margaret, I never should complain."

"Don't you like history, Peggy " askedBell, looking up in wonder.

"I used to detest it," said Peggy,laughing. "Julius Caesar, and Williamthe Conqueror, and all those peopleused to bore me dreadfully, though

Margaret did her very best to makethem interesting; didn't you, you dear "

"I tried, Peggy," said Margaret, with asmile; "but you never would admit thatthey were real people, just as real as ifthey were alive to-day."

"Oh, well, of course I know they werealive once, but so were mummies, andyou can't expect me to be interested inthem. However, I think I really amimproving. 'Hereward' brought Williamalive for me, it truly did; and thisParkman book delights me. Oh! Ishould like to have made that voyagedown the Mississippi, girls! I think, onthe whole, I would rather be Cavalier

de La Salle than any one I ever heardof."

"In spite of all the suffering andtragedy " said Gertrude. "I could notsay that, much as I admire him."

"Who would you be, if you couldchoose Let us all say!" cried Bell. "Anew game! two minutes for reflection!"and she took out her watch with abusiness-like air.

"Oh!" cried Gertrude. "But there are somany!"

"Silence!" said Bell; and there was aninstant of absolute stillness. Taking

advantage of it, a chipmunk ran acrossthe brown carpet, and pausing midway,sat up on his haunches and surveyedthe new and singular mountain rangesthat had risen on his horizon. One ofthe mountains stirred whisk! he wasgone.

"Time's up!" said Bell. "Margaret, I willbegin with you. With all history tochoose from, who will you be "

"Oh! must I be first " cried Margaret."As Gertrude says, there are so many;and yet when you come to think themover, there is something against everyone; I mean something one would notlike to do or to suffer. But, on the

whole, I think I would be Elizabeth ofHungary."

"Our Lady of the Roses Well, she waslovely, though I should be sorry tomarry her husband. The story wouldhave been somewhat different if I had;but I am not a saint. Peggy, your turn!"

"This man we are reading about!" saidPeggy, decidedly. "La Salle!"

"Toots!"

"Bell, you know I never can decidebetween Shakespeare and Raphael. Ihave to be both; they lived quite farenough apart for separate

incarnations."

"Greedy, grasping girl!" said Bell. "Kitty,who are you "

"Jim Hawkins!" said Kitty, promptly.

"No fiction allowed this time, Missy,only history!"

"Oh, dear! well, then Francis Drake!"

"Bound to have a pirate, aren't you,Kitty " said Gertrude, mischievously.

"He wasn't a pirate!" cried Kitty,indignantly. "He was a great hero."

"L'un n'empechait pas l'autre, in thosedays!" said Bell.

"Well, now for yourself, Bell!" saidMargaret. "It is your turn."

"Oh, I didn't need any two minutes,"said Bell. "I am always William theSilent. I should be Beethoven if it werenot for the deafness, but that I couldnot have borne."

"You all want to be men, don't you "observed Margaret, thoughtfully.

"Why yes, so we do! you are the onlyone who chose a woman."

"Everybody would be a man if theycould!" cried Peggy, throwing grammarto the winds, as she was apt to do whenexcited.

"No, indeed, everybody would not!"cried Margaret, her soft eyes lighting up."Nothing would induce me to be aman."

"I don't think you would make a verygood one, to be sure!" said Peggy,looking affectionately at her cousin."But I bet I mean wager you told me Imight say 'wager,' Margaret! that noneof the other girls would hesitate aminute if they had the chance. Iwouldn't! Think of it! No petticoats, no

fuss, no having to remember to do this,and not to do that; and no hairpins, orgloves, or best hats "

"Ah!" said Bell; "that is only thesmallest part, Peggy. I don't mind thehairpin part though of course it is a joyto get out here and dispense with thembut still, that is only a trifle. The thing Ithink about is the freedom, thestrength, the power to go right aheadand do things!" and, as she spoke, Bellthrew her head back and stretched herarms abroad with a vigorous gesture."Of course we girls are all well andstrong, but it isn't the same strength as aman's. We are constantly running upagainst things we cannot, ought not to

do. I do envy the boys, I cannot help it."

"Yes!" cried Margaret, leaning forward,a soft flush rising to her cheeks. "Iknow it is glorious to see them; but,Bell, isn't the very weakness part of ourstrength Isn't it just because womenknow the the things they cannot do, thatthey are able to understand andsympathize, and and help, in ways thatmen cannot, because they do not know"

"I think Margaret is right!" saidGertrude, slowly. "And besides, there isstrength and strength, Bell. For longendurance of pain or hardship, thewoman will outlast the man nine times

out of ten, I believe; and I heardDoctor Strong say once that womenwould often bear pain quietly thatwould set a man raving. Yes, I comeover to your side, May Margaret. Iwould take Joan of Arc, if it were notfor the stake. Let me see oh, I know! Iwill be Grace Darling."

"Who was she " asked Kitty.

"The lighthouse-keeper's daughter, atLongstone, off the Yorkshire coast. Aship, the Forfarshire, was wrecked on therocks near by, and there seemed nochance of saving any of the crew; butGrace persuaded her father to try, andjust those two rowed out, in a most

terrible storm, to the reef on which thevessel had been wrecked, and saved thenine men, all that were left out of sixty-three, who were clinging to the rocks,waiting for death. Why wasn't that justas fine as commanding an army, or evenleading a forlorn hope in battle Thenthere was dear Margaret Roper I thinkshe is the one for you, May Margaret!and Cochrane's Bonny Grizzy, and oh,ever and ever so many of them. Yes, Itake up my stand once and for all onmy own side."

"Well!" said Bell, shaking her head. "Ihear what you say, Betsy, but it makesno difference, does it, Peggy though Iadmit the force of your remarks."

"Not a bit!" said Peggy. "I wouldn'thave been Mrs. La Salle for a farm."

"There wasn't any!" said Margaret.

"The principle remains the same," saidPeggy, "as Miss Russell used to say."

"There is another thing!" said Margaret."Your life out here, Bell, shows me howmuch girls can do; I mean in the active,outdoor, athletic way. More than I everdreamed they could do. It really seemsto me that, except just for the petticoats,you have very few drawbacks. Isuppose it is having all the brothers.Why, you know as much as they do

about the woods and all."

"Yes, it's partly the boys," said Bell; "butit is much more Papa. You see, from thetime we could walk, he has alwaystaken us out into the woods and fields,and made us use our eyes and ears, andtalked to us about things. We shouldnot know anything, if it were not forPapa."

"He does seem to know almosteverything!" said Margaret. "I never sawany one like him."

"There isn't any one like him," saidGertrude, decidedly. "What have yougot there, Margaret "

Margaret had drawn a letter from herpocket, and was looking it over.

"An argument on my side," she said,smiling. "May I read it aloud "

"Do! do!" cried all the girls.

Margaret smoothed out the crumpledpages affectionately. "He carried it inhis pocket two days before heremembered to post it!" she said. "Ijudge from the date, and theappearance of the envelope. There wascandy in his pocket, and" she sniffed atthe letter "yes! tar, without doubt. Nowlisten!

"'DEAR COUSIN MARGARET: Wemiss you awfully, and Uncle John says itis no kind of a house without you, andit isn't. We went a walk yesterday, SusanD. and me and the dogs, because youknow it was Sunday; Uncle John wascoming too, but he had roomatizm andcoud not. Well Cousin Margaret, wewalked over the big hill and just thenthe dogs began howling and yelling inthe most awful manner, and runninground and round like they were crazy;and we ran to see what was up, and wefound out, I tell you! It was whitehornets, about ten thousand of them,and the dogs had rolled in a nest ofthem, and they were stinging their

noses, and they flew at us with perfeckfewry, I mean the hornets did. Ihollered and ran, but Susan D. said waitshe knew what to do, so she said"Come on," and we ran down to thebrook and she took mud and put it onmy stings before she touched her own,and it took a good deal of the pane outthough not all. And then she put it onthe dogs' noses, and they understoodlike persons, and poked them into themud themselves and soon forgot theirpane. But I thought I would tell youthis Cousin Margaret, because Susan D.did really behave like a perfeck brick,and you always said girls were as braveas boys but I never thought so beforebut now I do; because I hollered right

out when they stung me which I amashamed of. You said confession wasgood for the sole, and so I think: sonow I will say good-by from

"'BASIL.'"

"What a dear boy!" cried Gertrude.

"Oh, he is!" said Margaret, the happytears springing to her eyes. "He is oneof the very dearest boys that ever lived,Gertrude; so manly and honest, and sofunny, too. Gerald knows him!" sheadded, shyly. "I wish he had been athome when you were there, Peggy."

"Yes; he must be a brick!" said Peggy.

"Now, Margaret, you know he is, andyou know that nothing but 'brick'expresses what I mean. Girls, I appealto you. Margaret wants me to talk like aprofessor all the time, and I am not aprofessor, and am never likely to beone. Bell, isn't 'brick' all right "

Bell looked conscious. "I confess I sayit, Peggy; I confess it seems muchheartier than the same thing in what mymother calls good English. Still Ibelieve it would sound very queer tome if she used it; the mother, I mean."

"Grace used to say 'a quadrangularpiece of baked clay!'" said Gertrude."Don't you remember, Peggy "

"So she did dear thing! Well, but, Bell,would you have girls talk just the waygrown-up people do It would soundawfully stiff and poky. I don't meanthat it sounds so when your mothertalks!" she cried; "of course you know Idon't mean that. But girls aren't grown-up, you know."

"But they are going to be!" saidMargaret. "If they don't learn goodEnglish now, how are they going to doit later It does seem to me a terrible pity,with all our great, glorious language, touse so little of it, and to use it so oftenwrong. You may think me priggish andprofessorial, and anything else you like,

Peggy dear, but that is what I think."

"I love you to distraction," said Peggy;"you are an angel, but I think you carryit too far. What would you say insteadof 'brick ' how would you describe thisboy who simply is a brick "

Margaret reflected. "I should say he wasa nice, manly boy!" she said, presently.

"Nice! now, Margaret! 'nice' is niminy,you know it is, and piminy too."

"The great advantage of 'brick,'" saidBell, "is that it is one word, and 'nicemanly boy' is three, and doesn't meanthe same thing then."

"There!" cried Peggy, in triumph. "Whatdo you say to that, Margaret Find oneword in your old 'good English' thatdoes express 'brick '"

"Well it isn't easy!" Margaret admitted."'Trump' is the only one I can think of,and I suppose that was slang fifty yearsago."

"The mother says that when a word hasheld its own for twenty years, it isn'tslang any more," said Gertrude. "Thequestion is "

At this moment the sound of a hornwas heard; a long, ringing blast,

followed by a second and a third.

The girls sprang to their feet. "Hurrahfor a swim!" cried Bell. "Come, bricksand trumps I'll race you all to thetents!" And off they went with a flashof petticoats, leaving the chipmunk tospeculate on the sudden upheavals ofnature.

CHAPTER VII.

WATER PLAY

THE floating wharf, as has been said,lay at the end of a long, narrow slip

that ran out on piers over the water.Down the slip, one by one, now camethe Merryweathers and their guests, inbathing array, the boys shouting andskylarking, the girls singing and tossingtheir long hair about. Jack and Philbrought out a long spring-board, andset it up at the end of the wharf; andthen the fun began. Mr. Merryweatherwas the first to run along the board,and take a sober and dignified dive. Hewas followed by Gerald, turninghandsprings, and carolling to the effectthat he was a pirate king, he was;hurrah for the pirate king! Next cameJack, who turned a back somersault,ending with a noble splash; and so, oneby one, like so many ducks, they dove

and leaped and tumbled in, andsplashed and swam about in the clearwater. Peggy was with the rest,splashing as merrily as any of them; butMargaret sat on the wharf, in her prettyblue bathing-dress, her feet tuckedunder her, looking on.

"Come on, Margaret!" cried Peggy."Come on! come in! It's perfectly great!"

"In a minute," said Margaret. "I like towatch you a bit first; it takes me a littlewhile to get my courage up."

"Come, oh, come with me!" sang

Gerald, emerging from the water, at herfeet, and clinging to the wharf, while heshook the drops from his hair and eyes."Come swim with me and be my swan!Come where the duckweed twineth!Come!"

"Oh, Gerald, yes; in just a minute. Is itvery cold "

"Cold No; just right. Liquid crystal,sparkling sapphire, perfection! Come,you must have your swimming lesson.Forget the cheerful swain, behold thestern instructor!"

He held out his hand with animperative gesture. Margaret laid hers in

it timidly.

"Let me get near the rope!" she said,rather nervously.

"Here is the rope, close by your hand.Now, then, hold fast! There we go!"

With one hand on the rope, and theother in Gerald's, Margaret slid into thewater, giving a little cry as it bubbled upabout her. "Gerald!"

"Right here, my lady. There; both handson the rope now. Take it easy! Now youare all right."

"Ye' yes, Gerald. Oh, isn't it glorious "

"Rather! It's really the element to live in,you see. A mistake was madesomewhere. If I had but gills, I shouldask no more of fate. As it is "

He dove, and came up on the otherside of the rope. "Don't you think Iwould be charming with gills, prettylittle quivering, rosy gills, instead ofside whiskers "

"I never saw you in side whiskers," saidMargaret, demurely, "so I cannot tell.You certainly don't seem to need thegills, though. How do you manage tokeep under so long Yesterday, whenyou stayed down picking up these

pebbles, I was sure something hadhappened. Really, Gerald, I was verymuch frightened."

"I ought to have been switched," saidGerald. "I never thought of yournoticing. I say, come down with me,and I'll show you the trick of it. It's justas easy!"

"Not for worlds!" cried Margaret,clutching the rope, as if she expected tobe dragged from it by force. "I nevershould come up alive. Oh, look,Gerald! what are they going to do now"

"Going to dive over the elephants. Do

you mind oh, here is the child, Toots.Toots, will you stay here by Margaret,while I take my place in the ring Youare sure you are all right, Margaret "

"Oh, yes; do go. I want to see it.Gertrude, what are they doing "

"Look and see," said Gertrude. "Putyour arms on the rope, and lift yourselfhigher. That's right."

Phil and Jack and Willy had placedthemselves side by side, on their handsand knees, at the edge of the wharf,and were calling loudly for Gerald. Hestepped back to the farther end of thefloat, then, running forward, soared

into the air, over the backs of the"elephants," and came down straight asan arrow into the water; then,scrambling out, took his place in therow, while Phil performed the samemanoeuvre. Over and over and overthey went, running, rising, plunging,rising again. Margaret grew dizzywatching them. Now Mr. Merryweatheradvanced, holding a rubber hoop,which was neither more nor less thanthe discarded tire of a bicycle. This heand Gerald held out at arm's length,and the other boys dove through it,amid the applause of the girls.

"Oh, pretty!" cried Peggy. "Do you dothat, girls "

"Gertrude does; I haven't tried it yet,"said Bell, who was floating placidly, herarms under her head, her face turned tothe sky.

"I am going to try," said Peggy. "May I,Mr. Merryweather "

"By all means!" said the Chief, heartily."Take a good run steady, Jerry. Hold itout well there! hurrah!"

For Peggy had gone through the hooplike a bird, and after a clean dive, wascoming up again, radiant and panting.

"Oh, Peggy, how splendid!" cried

Margaret, her eyes shining with pleasureand pride in her Peggy's prowess."Gertrude, didn't she do it well Such apretty, graceful thing to do."

"C'etait une corquerre!" said Gerald,heartily. "Elle est aussi une corquerre, laPeggy. You will be doing it soonyourself."

"Oh, never, never! You cannot seem tounderstand, Gerald, that I am not madefor these things. I love to see them; Iadmire them intensely, but I cannot somuch as think of trying."

"Point de stonte pour Marguerite " saidGerald. "Alas the day! Because you

really would do them so corkingly, youknow, if only you should do them.Well, see here, I am going to give you atroll. You will like that, I am sure."

"A troll I thought they were mountaingoblins. I don't want one, thank you,sir! water nixies and pixies are as muchas I can bear in the goblin line."

"Verb, not substantive!" replied Gerald.

"I troll, thou lettest thyself be trolled,he, she, or it sees you being trolled andwishes that he, she, or it had such luck.Observe!"

He climbed into one of the Rangeley

boats that lay near the float, loosed hermoorings, and, taking up the oars,brought her close to the rope. "Now,Margaret, catch hold; here, at the stern!"

"What are you going to do with me,Gerald I fear thee, ancient mariner, Ifear thy skinny hand!"

"I hold you with my glittering eye, youcannot choose but come. I am going totake you off a-trolling. Hold on tightwith your hands, and let all the rest ofyou go, as if you had nothing to dowith it."

He took a few strokes, slowly and easily.Margaret, clinging to the stern, was

drawn along without effort or motionof her own. Her long hair floatedbehind her; her white arms gleamed likeivory through the clear water; her facewas alight with pleasure.

"'Not wholly bad, Lysander Pratt '"quoted Gerald, interrogatively.

"Oh, Gerald! it is almost too perfect!no, you needn't stop, I only said almost.The water feels like silk flowing by me:no, silk is rough beside it; it feels likelike "

"Like water, possibly " said Gerald;"stranger things have been."

"Well, there isn't anything else like it, isthere Oh! are you sure you will not takecold or anything, Gerald I could go onforever, floating here trolling, I mean."

"Nothing easier," said Gerald, pullingon with long, steady strokes. "We willjust keep on; I ask nothing better. Yearspassed. A form was seen, gray and bentwith age, feebly tugging at a pair ofoars. Trailing behind the crazy boat,another figure might be distinguished Iforbear further description, Margaret: Imay grow old, but not you; please stayas you are always. Anyhow, the peoplewill flock to the shore. Ha! the Muse!the afflatus descends.

"The people thronged the rocky shore,And viewed that graybeard old andhoar; 'Oh! why thus dodderest at theoar, Unhappy soul ' The answer came:'Forever more She wished to troll!'"

"Gerald, I think we'd better go backnow."

"Wait! she hasn't finished. Neverinterrupt a Muse! it isn't the thing todo.

"And still along that rocky coast, Agibbering yet a gallant ghost, Hedodders, dodders at his post, Nor nearsthe goal; For she, the spook he cares formost, Still loves to troll."

"Gerald, take me back, please! see, weare ever so far from shore, and it is timefor me to go in, I am sure."

"Just look down, Margaret! see thebottom, all white sand; isn't thatpleasant Hi! there's a bream watchinghis nest. See him fanning about over it,never leaving the place. He'll keep thatup for hours at a time. Domestic party,the bream! this is an excellentopportunity to study the habits of "

"Gerald, I am cold!"

"We'll be there in two minutes!" saidGerald, settling to his oars. "Hold tight,

now, Margaret! troll as the wolves ofApennine were all upon your track!"and with long, powerful strokes he sentthe boat flying through the water, whileMargaret fairly shrieked with delightand excitement.

Her face had been turned away fromthe float; but now she was speedingtoward it, and looked eagerly to seewhat the others of the party weredoing. To her great amazement, no onewas in sight. The wharf lay wet andglistening in the sunshine, but no blue-clad figures leaped and pranced acrossit, no merry faces emerged from theblue, sparkling water. All was silent andsolitary.

"Why, Gerald," cried Margaret, "whereare they all have they gone in Surely Iheard their voices just a moment ago,and a great splash: where can they be "

"A stunt!" replied Gerald. "For ourbenefit, I presume, but I scorn theirlevity. I advise you to take no notice oftheir childish pranks. I myself wasyoung, once upon a time, but whatthen "

They were now at the float, andMargaret looked about her, in utteramazement. All was silent; not a voice,not a whisper; no soul was in sight. Itwas as if she and Gerald were alone in

the world. She stepped out on the float:at the instant, up from under her feetrose a sound as if the biggest giant thatever swung a club were sneezing. "Atchoo!"

Margaret screamed outright. "Gerald!what is it "

"Come out from there!" cried Gerald."They are under the float, imbecilesthat they are. The Pater has goneashore, and the others manifest theirnature, that is all. Come out, Apes ofthe Apennines! or I'll "

The threat remained unfinished, for theMerryweathers came out. Swarming up

from under the float, where they hadbeen treading water at their ease, withplenty of breathing-space, they flungthemselves with one accord uponGerald's boat, capsized it, and draggedhim into the water. A great splashingcontest ensued, with much shoutingand merriment, and they were still hardat it when "All in!" sounded from theboat-house.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE MAIL

"STILL raining, Phil " asked Mrs.

Merryweather, looking up from herwriting.

"Still, honored parent! or rather, to beexact, anything but still. Up on the hill,the wind is fierce. I had to ride roundthe blast once or twice, instead ofgoing through it. Solid old wind, that!"

He threw off his dripping oilskinjacket, and came in, unslinging theletter-bag from his shoulder as he came.

"Letters! letters!" he cried. "Who wantsletters "

Every one gathered around him,holding out eager hands.

"One for me, Phil!"

"For me, Protector of the Poor!"

"Oh! please, Phil! I want three at least."

"If there is none for me, Fergy my boy,I shudder at the consequences for you!"

Phil distributed letters and papers; thefamily subsided on chairs and bencheswith their treasures, and for someminutes nothing was heard but therustle of paper and the steadydownpour of the rain.

"Oh!" cried Peggy, presently. "Oh eee!

splendid!"

"Sapolio!" exclaimed Gerald; and "Well!well!" said Mrs. Merryweather.

The three exclamations weresimultaneous, and Bell, who had noletters, raised her hand with animperative gesture. "Exclamation mustbe followed by explanation!" she said."Law of the Medes and Persians. Weshall be glad to hear from theexclaimers."

"Who me did I " asked Peggy, lookingup with sparkling eyes. "Semiramis haseight puppies. Think of it! eight wholepuppies!"

"I never buy more than half a puppy ata time," said Gerald, "unless it is for aveal and ham pie."

"Gerald!"

"Well, it's a fact, Mater; I never do.What kind of puppies, thou ofLimavaddy "

"Gordon setters, black and tan: oh, shesays they are perfect beauties. She saysthis is Jean, you know, my sister 'theyare all like Semmy except one, and he isblue.' Who ever heard of a blue puppyYou shall have one, Snowy: I promisedyou one, don't you remember oh eee!

and the new colt is a perfect beauty too,and they have named her Peggy. Oh!"

Peggy looked down at her letter, thenlooked up again shyly. "I don't supposeyou would care to hear any of it " shesaid, interrogatively.

"Indeed we should!" said Mrs.Merryweather, heartily. "We should likeit extremely, Peggy. A letter from the FarWest; why, it will be a journey for all ofus."

"Great!" said Phil.

"Corking!" said Gerald. And one andall, in their several ways, expressed their

desire to hear the letter.

Dimpling with pleasure, her rosy facebeaming, Peggy began to read.

"'Dear old' oh, well, I won't read justthe beginning, because it is just the waywe talk to each other, you know. I wishyou knew Jean, Snowy. Let me see! oh,yes, here it is.

"'This is eight birthdays all at once, forwhat do you think, Peggy this morningwe missed Semmy at breakfast, andcould not find her anywhere. Therewere kidneys, and you know she alwaysfinishes the dish off, because she is sofond of them. Well, and so I went to

look for her, and she wasn't in her box,or in the shed, or behind the kitchenstove, or anywhere where she usually is.So I went out to the stable, and there Iheard little squeaks and squeals, thefunniest you ever heard, and then agrowl in Semmy's voice as I opened thedoor. Then the dear thing heard mystep, and was ashamed of growling,and began thumping her tail on thefloor till I should have thought shewould break it. And there she was, allcuddled down in a pile of hay, and thedear little darling things all cuddledround her. I never saw anything soperfectly dear! they were all blind, andbald all over, and pink, and squealinglike anything; you never did see anything

so lovely in all your life, at least I neverdid. Well, she let me take them up, oneby one, old darling, though I could seethat it made her nervous. Most of themare like her, beautifully marked, withpink noses, and black ears, and just theright blackness and tanness on them;but one is very queer, great splotchesof black on his nose and his hindquarters, and all the rest of him white.So they named him "Magpie," right off;but I haven't come to the names yet. Heis not very pretty, but he looks verybright, and I shouldn't wonder if hewas terribly clever, to make up for notbeing so handsome as the others. Andthe other different one is a perfectbeauty, though you may not think so

when I tell you that he is blue. Yes, trulyblue; of course I don't mean sky blue,nor navy, but the black is all mixed inthrough the white, I can't explain toyou just how it is but anyhow, at a littledistance, he does truly and honestlylook blue. Well, so I was the first tofind them, so Father said I might namethem, but of course I wanted us all todo it together; so we all thought, andeach made a list. Oh, Peggy, we didwant you; and I wanted to wait till youcould send your list too, but the othersthought you would not mind, and it isnicer to have them named quickly,because then their names seem tobelong to them more, and they looklike them. Perhaps, I mean, if you had

been called something else till you weretwo or three years old, you might nothave been so just exactly Peggy as youare, you dear old thing.'

"Perhaps I ought not to have read that,"said Peggy, looking up with a blush;"but it is as like Jean as I am like Peggy,if I am like it, whatever it is."

"You certainly are like 'it,'" saidGertrude, laughing, "and 'it' certainly isa dear old thing. Go on, please. We areall longing to hear the list."

Peggy threw her a kiss, and went on.

"'I will not give you all the lists, for that

would take up all the rest of my letter;but here is the one we finally made out.There are three females, and five males,you know: Cleopatra, Meg (Merrilies; thatwas Flora's, because she is just reading"Guy Mannering"), Diana, Guy (for thesame reason), Shot, Hector, Ajax, andMagpie.'

"Well, I do think that is a queer list,"Peggy concluded, folding up the letter."I wish they had called one 'GrayBrother,' or 'Bagheera.'"

"But they are not wolves or panthers,"objected Mr. Merryweather. "I shouldsay that was a very fair list of names,Peggy, as names go. It is always hard to

find a good name for a dog. 'Shot' is anexcellent name. We had a good old dognamed Shot, and I have always likedthe name."

"Mammy," said Bell, "are we not to hearsomething from you "

"From me, my dear " repeated Mrs.Merryweather. "What would you like tohear "

"I should think you were an amiablegramophone," replied her daughter,with affectionate disrespect. "And Ithink you really know what I mean,madam, in spite of that innocent look.On reading your letters, you and Jerry

exclaimed: 'Well, well!' and 'Sapolio!' atthe same instant, and your letters are onthe same kind of paper, I cannot helpseeing that. Have you something tobreak to us 'Sapolio' is a balefulutterance, delivered as Jerry delivered itjust now."

"Gee! I should think it was!" mutteredGerald, gloomily. He had brightened upwhile Peggy was reading her letter, butnow his usually bright face was cloudedwith unmistakable vexation.

"Oh!" said Mrs. Merryweather, withwhat seemed a rather elaboratelycheerful expression. "My letter It isfrom Cousin Anna Belleville. She tells

me that Claud has been with her at BarHarbor for some time, and that he iscoming to visit us on his way back. Hewill be here some day next week, shethinks."

A certain pensiveness stole over theaspect of the Merryweathers. Bell andGertrude exchanged a swift glance, butsaid nothing. Gerald whistled, "Wrapme up in my tarpaulin jacket!"

After a brief silence, Mr. Merryweathersaid, thoughtfully, "I was thinking oftaking the boys off on a camping tripnext week."

"You cannot, Miles," said his wife,

quickly. "It is out of the question."

"Oh, certainly," said Mr. Merryweather."I only a quite so!"

He relapsed into inarticulate murmursover his pipe. Mrs. Merryweather, aftera reproachful glance at him, turned toGerald, as she folded her letter. "Youhave a letter from Claud, Gerald " sheasked, cheerfully.

"I have, madam," said Gerald, with abrow of thunder. "He informs me thathe is looking forward with the greatestpleasure to roughing it a bit with us,and says that we must make nopreparations, but let him take things

just as they are. He's a Christian soul,that's what he is."

"What is to be the order of the evening" asked Mrs. Merryweather, addressingBell with a shade of warning in hervoice. "Are we to have games, or boat-building "

"Oh! boat-building! the regatta is to-morrow, and we are not half ready."

There was a general rush towardcupboards and lockers, and in anincredibly short space of time thewhole room was a pleasant litter ofchips, shingles, and brown paper. Therules for the regattas at Merryweather

were few and simple. All boats must bebuilt by their owners, unaided; no boatmust be over a foot long from stem tostern; all sails must be of paper. Asidefrom these limitations, the fancies ofthe campers might roam at will;accordingly, the boats were of everyshape and description, from Kitty'sshingle, ballasted with pebbles, to Phil'selaborate catamaran. Peggy wasstruggling with a stout and somewhat"nubbly" piece of wood, which wasslowly shaping itself under thevigorous strokes of her jack-knife.

"She's coming on!" Peggy declared,cheerfully. "She really begins to lookquite like a boat now, doesn't she, Mr.

Merryweather "

"Certainly!" the Chief assented. "I don'tsee why she should not make a verygood boat, Peggy. I would round offher stern a bit, if I were you. So! that'sbetter."

"What is her name, Peggy " inquiredMrs. Merryweather. "I must be enteringthe names in the Log."

"The Lovely Peggy, of course!" said Phil."What else should it be "

"It might be the Limavaddy!" saidGerald.

"Gerald, I wish you would tell me whatyou mean by 'Limavaddy,'" said Peggy."It sounds like I don't know what; tea-caddy, or something like that. Mrs.Merryweather, won't you tell me what itmeans "

"It is a compliment he is paying you,Peggy," said her hostess, smiling. "Pegof Limavaddy is the charming heroineof a charming ballad of Thackeray's.

"'This I do declare, Happy is the laddyWho the heart can share Of Peg ofLimavaddy. Married if she were, Blestwould be the daddy Of the childrenfair Of Peg of Limavaddy. Beauty isnot rare In the land of Paddy, Fair

beyond compare Is Peg of Limavaddy.'

That is not one of the prettiest stanzas,but it shows you why Gerald hasnicknamed you."

"I say with Captain Corcoran," Geraldobserved, pausing in the criticaladjustment of a sail:

"'Though I'm anything but clever, Icould talk like that forever.'

As thus!

"When she makes the tea, Brews it froma caddy, Who so blithe as she, Peg ofLimavaddy

"See her o'er the stove, Broiling of ahaddie; Thus she won my love, Peg ofLimavaddy.

"But building of a boat, Her success isshady; Bet you she won't float, Peg ofLimavaddy!"

"Wait till to-morrow," cried Peggy,laughing, "and you'll see whether shefloats or not. And anyhow, she is myfirst boat. Isn't there a special class forbeginners, Mr. Merryweather "

"No, no! no fear or favor shown; therigor of the game, little Peggy.Margaret, have you given up "

"Oh, yes, please, Mr. Merryweather!"said Margaret, looking up from herknitting with a smile. "I could not; itsimply was not possible. Gerald waspositive at first that he could teach me,but after one lesson he was equallypositive that he could not. I needed noconviction, because I knew I couldnot."

"Nobody can do absolutelyeverything," said Gerald, "except theCodger, I allude to my revered uncle,Margaret, and I have at times desired todrown him for that qualification. Youshall be the starter, Margaret; you'll dothat to perfection."

"What are the duties of a starter "asked Margaret; "I shall be very glad todo anything I really can."

"To sit still and look pretty!" saidGerald, demurely. "I think you canmanage it."

"Have I the full list " asked Mrs.Merryweather. "I'll read it aloud.

"The Principal Whale, Papa."

"I wish you would not call my fathernames!" murmured Gerald.

"Jerry, do be still!

"The Tintinnabula, Bell.

"The Jollycumpop, Gertrude.

"The Come-at-a-Body, Gerald.

"The Molasses Cooky, Phil.

"The Polly Cologne, Kitty.

"The Whopper, Willy."

"Is that all "

"All but Peggy's," said Gertrude."Peggy, you must decide on the nameof your boat."

"Oh! Gertrude, that is the hardest partof all. Margaret, you must name her forme."

"Why not Semiramis, after the happymother of the puppies " suggestedMargaret.

"The whole puppies!" echoed Gerald."Don't half name them, Margaret!"

"Why isn't that the name for the boat "cried Phil.

"It is! it is!" cried all the rest. "The WholePuppy, it is!" And Peggy laughing,submitted.

"I never was so teased in all my life!" shesaid; "but I feel it doing me good."

"That is our one object, my charmingchild!" said Gerald, gravely. "We invitedyou here in the hope that our unitedefforts might counteract the perniciousinfluences of Fernley House."

"Nobody will ever explain to me what aCome-at-a-Body is!" said Margaret."Whenever I ask, you all say, 'Oh, hush!it might come!' Mrs. Merryweather,won't you tell me "

"I will read you the description of it inthe Log," said Mrs. Merryweather,

smiling; "that is the best I can do foryou."

She turned over the pages of the bookthat lay open in her lap. "Here it is!" shesaid. "Now mark and learn, Margaret.

"'The Come-at-a-Body is found only inits native habitat, where it may beobserved at the proper season,indulging in the peculiar actions thatcharacterize it. It has more arms thanlegs, and more hair than either. It moveswith great rapidity, its gait beingsomething between a wallop and awaddle; and as it comes (one of itspeculiarities is that it always comes, andnever goes), it utters loud screams, and

gnashes its teeth in time with itsmovements.'

"Now, my dear, you know all that I do!"Mrs. Merryweather concluded with acandid smile.

"Thank you so much!" said Margaret,laughing. "I am certainly enlightened."

At this moment Phil, who was sittingnear the door, laid down his work, andheld up a warning hand. "Hark!" hesaid. "What is that "

"Only the wind!" said some one.

"Or the car rattling o'er the stony

street!" said another.

"No!" said Phil. "I heard a voice, I amsure. Listen!"

All were silent. Outside the rain waspouring, the wind wailing in longsighing gusts; but yes! mingling with thewind, a voice was certainly calling:

"Hallo! hallo, there! Merryweather!"

Gerald sprang to his feet, and struck histwin brother on the shoulder. "ThePhilistines are upon thee, Samson!" hecried. "I should know that voice in theshock of spears: it is Claud Belleville!"

CHAPTER IX.

MR. BELLEVILLE

THE Montforts and Jack Ferrerslooked up with much curiosity andsome apprehension as the twinsreturned ushering in the unexpectedvisitor. Mr. and Mrs. Merryweather andthe girls welcomed him cordially, butMargaret could not help contrastingtheir somewhat subdued cheerfulnesswith the joyous outburst that hadwelcomed herself and Peggy on their

arrival.

Mr. Claud Belleville was a tall, pallidyouth, with blond hair carefullyarranged, pale blue eyes, in one ofwhich an eyeglass was neatly fitted, anda languid air. He spoke with apronounced English accent, and, onbeing presented to the other guests, said"Oh! very, very, very!" in a most affabletone.

The Merryweathers bestirredthemselves, some bringing drygarments, some preparing a hasty meal;the guest meanwhile stood in the centreof the hearthstone, and adjured themnot to put themselves to inconvenience.

"Now, my dear people, I beg of you!"he said. "Nothing, positively nothing,but a biscuit and a cup of tea! Really,now, I cannot allow it. Thanks, Jerry!awfully good of you, don't you know!oh! very, very, very! now, my dear fellow,not your best coat! It is too absurd."

"It isn't my best, it's my worst!" saidGerald, bluntly.

"Oh! very good! very diverting! thanksawfully! don't mention it. Well, CousinMiranda, this is charming; this ispositively charming. So delightfullyprimitive, don't you know! oh, very,very, very! I told my people that before

I went back to Paris I must positivelylook you up. It is such an age since Ihave seen any of you. My little cousinsare all grown up into young ladies, andsuch charming young ladies: Icongratulate you, Cousin, de tout moncoeur!"

"Thank you, Claud!" said Mrs.Merryweather, quietly. "I trust yourmother is quite well I only received hernote, and Gerald yours, to-day. Shespoke of your coming next week; if wehad known that you were coming to-night, we would have sent to the stationfor you."

"Ah, yes; I knew that!" said Mr.

Belleville. "I know your hospitalitynever fails, Cousin Miranda. But youknow me, too a butterfly here to-day,gone to-morrow! A summons from theDunderblincks races going on at theirplace, don't you know; midsummer fetes,that sort of thing changed my plans.Mamma said, 'You will have to give upthe Camp, Cheri!' 'No!' I said. 'Theyexpect me; I have passed my word, it isall I have. I go to the Camp to-day.' Icame I saw I dare not say I conquered!"Here he bowed, and threw a killingglance at Gertrude, who was passing atthe moment, carrying the teapot.

"Can this be the little Gertrude " headded, addressing her, and lowering his

voice to a sentimental half-tone. "Shehas not forgotten Cousin Claud "

"Certainly not, Claud!" repliedGertrude, smiling. "It is only three yearssince you were with us at home for twoor three weeks. I remember youperfectly."

"Only three years!" murmured Mr.Belleville. "Is it possible but whatmomentous years! The change from thepetite fille, the charming child, to thewoman, the but I must not say toomuch!"

"You'll burn your bloom your boots, ifyou stand so near the fire!" said Gerald,

in a growl so threatening that Margaretlooked up startled.

"Your boots, dear fellow!" Mr. Bellevillecorrected him. "Right! I am a little nearthe cheerful blaze. I am a fire-worshipper, you know; oh, very, very,very!"

"Boys, you'd better see to the boatsbefore you go to bed!" said Mr.Merryweather, speaking for the firsttime since his greeting of thenewcomer.

"All right, sir!" said the twins, risingwith alacrity. "Jack, will you come along"

"Always thoughtful, Cousin Miles!"said Mr. Belleville. "Always the prop ofthe family! so unchanged!"

Mr. Merryweather's reply wasinarticulate, and its tone caused his wifeto begin hastily a series of inquiries forthe visitor's family.

The twins and Jack Ferrers walkedslowly down the slip in the rain. Noone spoke till they reached the float;then Gerald said slowly: "SapolioSaccarappa Sarcophagus Squedunk!"

"Feel better " asked his brother,sympathetically.

"There is one thing," said Gerald, stillspeaking slowly and emphatically, "thatI wish, in this connection, distinctlyunderstood. Indoors he is safe:hospitality salt Arabs that kind ofthing. But if in the immediate proximityof the cleansing flood" he waved hishand toward the lake "he continues topatronize the parents, in he goes! I havespoken!"

"I should not presume to restrain myhalf-hour elder!" said Phil. "Jack, I'mafraid we shall have to put this curleddarling in your tent. It's only for thenight, fortunately."

"Oh! of course! delighted!" said Jack,somewhat embarrassed.

"Very, very, very, eh " said Phil. "Oh!what's the use of making believe, withany one we know so well as you It's anuisance, and we don't pretend it isn't."

"Mark my words, John Ferrers!" brokein Gerald. "We mean to be civil to thisyouth. He is our second cousin, and weknow it. He is also a blooming,blossoming, burgeoning Ass, and hedoesn't know it. They seldom do. Wemean, I say, to be civil to him, barringpatronage of the parents. He has beenour thorn, and we have borne him atintervals, mercifully not too short all

our lives. But we aren't going topretend that we love him, because wedon't. No more doesn't he love us.

"The love that's lost between us Is notthe love for me; But there's a floodboth fair and broad, In which I'd duckmy charming Claud As gladly as couldbe!"

. . . . . . .

"Are you ready " asked the Chief.

"Oh! no, Pater! not just yet. My rudderhas got fouled with the cargo."

"Somebody lend me a safety-pin,

please! my mainsail is coming loose."

"Has anybody got any ballast to sparejust one pebble!"

These cries and many others resoundedfrom the float, where the campers weregathered, and were putting the lasttouches to their toy boats. Finally Mr.Merryweather declared that thereshould be no more delay. The boatswere carefully placed in the Ark, a greatwhite rowboat manned by the Chiefand Phil, who proceeded to row outleisurely to a white-flagged buoy atsome distance from the shore. Geraldand Jack in one canoe, Gertrude andPeggy in another, were stationed at

either side of the course; whileMargaret and Claud Belleville, in aRangeley boat, were so placed as to takethe time of the various boats as theycame in. This arrangement was notsatisfactory to all the campers, butwhen protests were made in the familycouncil the night before, Mr.Merryweather had calmly remarked thatit was impossible to please everybody,and that the visitors should be giventhe post of honor. Gerald mutteredthat he did not see why Margaretshould be butchered to make aClaudian holiday; to which his fatherreplied that the matter was settled, andperhaps he, Gerald, would better beseeing to the lanterns.

"Aren't you a little hard on the boy "asked Mrs. Merryweather, when sheand her husband were left alonetogether.

"He needs something to bite on!" wasthe reply. "He is going through a kindof moral teething."

This regatta was the first that Margarethad ever seen, and she was greatlyexcited.

"Tell us when we are just right!" shecried to the Chief as she passed theArk. "Oh! anchor by the red flag yes, Iremember, you told me before. Now,

Mr. Belleville, will you throw out theanchor, please "

"Must I " rejoined Mr. Belleville. "Itseems a pity! So charming to row abouta bit, don't you think oh! well, if youinsist!" as he met Margaret's horrifiedgaze. "Here goes!"

The anchor splashed overboard, andthe young man laid down his oars.

"You take this au grand serieux, I see,Miss Montfort, like my good cousinsthemselves. I confess I never can attaintheir perennial youthfulness, try how Iwill. I feel a Methuselah, I give you myword I do. Oh! very, very, very!"

"I don't understand you," saidMargaret, simply. "We are here to takethe time, as the boats pass the line.There is no other object in our beinghere."

"No other Alas! poor Claud!" sighedMr. Belleville. "Now, to me, MissMontfort, the sailing of toy boats is thesmallest possible factor in thisafternoon's pleasure. It is not, believeme, the childish sport that I shallremember when I am far away."

"Oh!" said Margaret, vaguely, her eyeson the white boat.

"You do not ask what it is that I shallcarry with me across the ocean "Claud's voice dropped to its favoritesmooth half-tone, what he was fond ofdescribing to his friends as "ma mi-voixcaressante."

"There is a glamour, Miss Montfort, amagic, that does not always put itselfinto words. The perfect day, the perfectvision, will dwell with me "

"Oh, look!" cried Margaret, startingforward, eagerly, "they are giving thesignal. Gerald repeats it. Oh, they areoff! Look, look, Mr. Belleville! What apretty sight."

It was, indeed, a pretty sight. The fairyfleet started in line, their white andbrown sails taking the breeze gallantly,their prows (where they had prows)dancing over the dancing ripples. Oneor two proved unruly, turning roundand round, and in one case finallyturning bottom side up, with hardly astruggle. But most of the little vesselskept fairly well within the course,heading, more or less, for the shore.

Margaret was enchanted.

"How wonderfully they keep together!"she said. "Oh! but now they begin toseparate. Look, there is a poor little onewobbling off all by itself. I wonder I

am afraid it is Peggy's. Yes, I am sure itis. Poor Peggy! Oh! the first three aregoing much faster than the rest. Iwonder whose they are. How prettilythey sail! Did you ever see anythingprettier "

"I see something infinitely prettier,"said Mr. Belleville, fixing his eyes on hiscompanion. But Margaret, whollyunconscious of his languishing gaze,was watching the race with an intensityof eagerness that left no room for anyother impressions.

The three forward boats came onswiftly, their prows dipping lightly, theirpaper sails spread full to the breeze.

Shouts came ringing over the water,from the other boats, and from theshore, where the rest of the camperswere gathered in an excited knot.

"Jollycumpop!"

"Come-at-a-Body!"

"Good work, Jolly! Keep it up!"

"The Whale is gaining. Hit her up,Spermaceti!"

"Jollycumpop has it! Jollycumpop!"

"The Jolly is first," cried Margaret; "butthe Come-at-a-Body is very, very close.

Which do you think will win, Mr.Belleville "

"Which do you wish to win " asked Mr.Belleville.

"Oh, how can I tell One is Gertrude's,the other Gerald's."

"There can be little doubt in that case, Iimagine," said Claud Belleville, with apeculiar smile. "As a matter of simplegallantry dear me, how unfortunate!"

As he spoke, his oar slipped from hishand, and fell with a splash into thewater. The Come-at-a-Body was nearest tothe Rangeley boat. The oar did not

absolutely touch the tiny vessel, but theshock of the disturbed water wasenough to check her gallant progress.She paused, wavered, finally recoveredherself, and went bravely on. But in thatpause the Jollycumpop crossed the linetriumphantly, amid loud acclamations.

"The little Gertrude wins!" exclaimedMr. Belleville, recovering his oar withgraceful composure. "We can hardlyregret an accident which contributeseven slightly to give the victory where itso manifestly belongs, can we, MissMontfort "

But Margaret Montfort turned uponhim, her fair face flushed with anger,

her gentle eyes full of fire.

"Mr. Belleville, you dropped that oar onpurpose!" she said, quietly.

"How can you suspect me of such athing " replied Mr. Belleville, laughing."But, quand meme! would it have beenwholly unjustifiable if I had done so "

"Wholly, to my mind!" said Margaret."In fact, I cannot imagine such a thingbeing done by any one who " shechecked herself.

"By any one who is related to these dearpeople " said Mr. Belleville, lightly. "Ah!Miss Montfort, a bond of blood does

not always mean a bond of sympathy.These dear people bore me, and I borethem. Believe me, it is reciprocal. Butdo you yourself never tire of thiseverlasting childishness, these jeuxd'enfance, on the part of persons who,after all, are mostly beyond the nursery"

"I do not!" said Margaret, concisely. "Ifyou will take in the anchor, Mr.Belleville, I think I should like to goashore, if you please."

"I have offended you!" cried ClaudBelleville. "You, to whom from the firstinstant I have felt so irresistibly drawn.I am unfortunate, indeed. But you

cannot be seriously angry. Give me achance to redeem myself, I implore you,Miss Montfort. See what a charminglittle cove opens yonder, just opposite.Delightful to drift and dream for anhour, in the company of one whounderstands oh, very, very, very."

"I do not understand," said Margaret,"and I have no desire to do so, Mr.Belleville. I beg you to take me ashoreat once, this moment."

"And if I were bold enough to delayobedience for a few moments If I feltconfident that I could overcome thisstern "

"Gertrude," called Margaret, as theowner of the victorious Jollycumpoppassed them with a triumphantgreeting, "can you give us a tow "

"Certainly," said Gertrude. "Anythingwrong "

"On the contrary, dear cousin," saidClaud, "I challenge you to a race."

And with a glance at Margaret, halfreproachful, half mocking, he bent tohis oars, with the first sign of energy hehad shown since his arrival.

CHAPTER X.

PUPPY PLAY

"BELL, may I speak to you a moment "said Margaret.

Bell looked up from a criticalinspection of the Tintinnabula, whichhad been somewhat injured in the race."Certainly, May Margaret!" she said."Do you want to know why my poorboatie did not win I have just foundout." Then, looking up, and seeingMargaret's disturbed face, she roseinstantly.

"Something is wrong " she said, quickly.

"Come this way, under the trees, whereit is quiet. You have had no bad news,dear "

"Oh, no!" said Margaret. "But Bell, Ihave something very disagreeable to tellyou. It seems terrible to say anythingthat may make trouble, but nothingmakes so much trouble as untruth, andI do think you ought to know this. Idon't think the Jollycumpop really wonthe race!"

"My dear Margaret! she came in wellahead; didn't you see "

"Listen, Bell!" and Margaret told in afew words the story of the dropped

oar.

Bell listened with keen attention, andwhen Margaret had finished, whistledtwo bars of the Siegfried motif verycorrectly before she spoke.

"The little animal!" she said at last."Well, Margaret, do you know, the bestthing to do, in my opinion, is to saynothing about it, at present."

"But Bell! Gerald really won!"

"I know! but, even as it is, Jerry canhardly keep his hands off Claud. Myone prayer is that we may be able to getthe boy off to-morrow without an

open quarrel breaking out. You see,Margaret, when they were little, it wasall right for Jerry to thrash him. He didit punctually and thoroughly, every timethey met, and it was very good for theboy; but now of course it is out of thequestion."

"Why did he come here " inquiredMargaret. "Did ever any one manage tomake so much trouble in so short atime the very air seems changed."

Bell shrugged her shoulders. "Hismother made him come, probably," shesaid. "He is really devoted to hismother; when you see him with her,you forgive a great deal. She is very

fond of my father, and is alwayshoping that he may be able to influenceClaud, and to appreciate him. After all,the boy has no father, and he has beensystematically spoiled ever since he wasborn. I wish to-morrow were over."

"Then," said Margaret, slowly, "I am tosay nothing about this matter."

"Please not!" said her friend. "My dear,I see you are troubled, because you sawthe horrid thing done; and you don'tthink it right to conceal the truth, evenfor a time. I am just as angry as you, butremember, there is 'a time to speak anda time to be silent.' This is a time to besilent, I am very sure; if we were to tell

the boys now, it would be a matchthrown into a powder-magazine. To-morrow, when Claud is safely off to hisDunderblincks, we will tell them; therewill be an explosion then, but it will dono harm; and in a day or two the twoboats can have a race by themselves,and that will decide the case. Are youconvinced, Justitia "

"Entirely!" said Margaret. "You are verywise, Bell; I suppose I was too angry tosee clearly; I have never been so angryin my life. As you say, I suppose it isbecause I saw it; and it was a horridthing to see. I too wish to-morrow wereover."

* * * * *

The morrow came, and the morningpassed peacefully enough. The wagonwas ordered which was to carry thevisitor to the evening train. The eldersbegan to breathe freely, and it was witha mind comparatively at rest that Mr.Merryweather strolled down to thefloat after dinner, to inspect a boatwhich had been hauled up for repairs.The other "menfolks" of the familyfollowed him, and all stood round afterthe fashion of their kind, saying little,but enjoying themselves in their ownway.

"I'd caulk her a bit, Jerry," said the

Chief; "and then give her a couple ofcoats of shellac. She'll do then for therest of the season."

"All right, Pater!" said Jerry.

"And if it be possible," his father wenton, "so far as in you lies, do not spillthe shellac about. Shellac is an excellentthing in its place, but I don't like it onthe seat of my chair, where I found itthis morning, nor sprinkled over thenew 'Century,' as it was last night. Andit isn't as if there were any to spare; thecan is very low."

"I know!" said Gerald, penitently. "I amawfully sorry, Pater. I threw a cushion

at Fergs, and it upset the can. I scrapedup as much as I could; I think there isenough left for this job. If not, wouldthat varnish do "

"Varnish " said Mr. Merryweather; andhe plunged into a dissertation upon theabominations of most varnishes andthe iniquities of their makers. Geraldreplied, defending certain kinds forcertain purposes; the others chimed in,and a heated discussion was going on,when Claud Belleville joined the party.In spotless gray tweeds, with a whiteManila hat and a lavender necktie, hemade a singular contrast to the campersin their flannel shirts and dingycorduroys.

At his appearance, Gerald rose from hissquatting posture at the stern of theboat, while Phil and Jack amiably madeway for the newcomer at the edge ofthe wharf, where, for some unexplainedreason, men always like to stand. Claud,finding himself between Gerald andhis father, turned toward the latter withan air of cheerful benevolence.

"Cousin Miles," he said, "you mustpromise me, you really must, to cometo us at Bar Harbor before the end ofthe summer. I gave my word to Mammathat I would induce you to come. Shelongs to see you."

"I should like very much to see her,"said Mr. Merryweather. "We werealways very good friends, your motherand I. Give her my love, and tell herthat some time when she is in NewYork I shall run on to see her; possiblythis autumn, before you sail. It wouldnot be possible for me to leave herenow."

"Oh, but yes!" cried Mr. Belleville, airily."It could be possible, Cousin Miles.Here are the boys, absolutely au fait inbog-trotting of every description; infact, suited to the life in all its aspects."He swept Gerald with a comprehensiveglance, from his mop of red hair,tanned into rust-color, to his feet, clad

in superannuated "sneakers."

"They can do all the honors of theplace as they should be done," headded. "But you, Cousin Miles, youmust positively come to Bar Harbor.You live too much the life of the fields.Mamma is constantly deploring it. Wewill show you a little life, Mamma andI. I will put you up at my Club, andtake you out in my new auto; in a week,you will not know yourself, I give youmy word. Oh, very, very, very!"

As the speaker stood beamingbenevolence at Mr. Merryweather, anddiffusing contempt among the rest ofthe party, two hands were laid on his

shoulders; hands which gripped likesteel, and propelled him forward withirresistible force. He staggered,struggled to save himself and the nextinstant disappeared with a loud splashbeneath the water.

Gerald confronted his father with aface of white fire.

"I told him, sir, plainly and distinctly,that if he patronized you I should duckhim!" he said. "He has had fair warning:this has gone on long enough."

"Gerald," said Mr. Merryweather,gravely, "you are behaving like a foolishand ill-tempered child. I am fully able

to take care of myself. We will talk ofthis later. Meantime you will apologizeto your cousin."

"Oh, certainly, sir! I intended to, ofcourse."

While this brief colloquy had beengoing on, Phil and Jack, with sparklingeyes, waited at the edge of the wharffor the reappearance of Mr. Belleville.Up he came presently, splashing andsputtering, his eyes flashing angrysparks. Phil held out a hand; a vigorouspull, a scramble, and he stood oncemore on the wharf. Gerald walked upto him at once. "I beg your pardon,Claud!" he said. "I had no business to

do it, and I apologize."

Claud gave a spiteful laugh, and shookhimself in his cousin's direction,spattering him with drops. "Don'tmention it, dear fellow!" he said,through his chattering teeth. "It servesme right for expecting civilizedmanners in the backwoods. This nodoubt appears to you an exquisitepleasantry, and its delicacy will beappreciated, no doubt, by others ofyour circle. Enfin, in the presence ofyour father, whom I respect, I can butaccept your apology. Since you aresorry "

"I did not say I was sorry!" Gerald

broke in. "I said I begged yourpardon."

"My son, will you go at once and attendto the fire " said Mr. Merryweather.

"Father "

"At once!" repeated Mr. Merryweather.

Gerald went.

"Phil, take your cousin in, and get himsome dry clothes. His own will be drybefore the wagon comes, if you hangthem by the kitchen stove. Hurry now!"

Phil and Claud went off in surly

silence, and Mr. Merryweather turnedto Jack Ferrers, who had remained anamused but somewhat embarrassedspectator of the scene.

"Puppy play, Jack!" he said, quietly."You have seen plenty of it inGermany. One puppy is a puppy, more'sthe pity, and the other has red hair.Well! well! I did hope this could havebeen avoided; but we must not let it goany further. I wish Roger were here. Iwonder if you can help me out, Jack."

"I'll do my best, sir!" said Jack, heartily.

"You see, I must go off; I ought to beat the village landing this moment, to

see about that freight that is coming.Do you think you can keep the peacetill I come back "

"I think I can," said Jack. "I'll make agood try for it, anyhow, Mr.Merryweather."

"That's a good lad!" said the Chief."You could knock both their headstogether, if you put your mind andyour biceps to it; but I hope that willnot be necessary. In any case, don't letthem fight! I promised his mother."

He nodded, and, settling himself in aboat, departed with long, powerfulstrokes.

Jack, left alone, shook his curly head,and felt of his arms.

"Ah'm fit!" he said, quoting anotherand a bigger Jock than himself. "But it'sa pity. That fellow is not only a puppy,he is a cur. I never saw anybody whoneeded a thrashing more." And he wentand coiled himself in a hammock, andprepared to keep watch.

An hour later Mr. Claud Belleville, oncemore dry, if somewhat shorn of hisglory, reappeared upon the scene. As hecame out of his tent, Gerald strolledcarelessly out of the boat-house, hishands in his pockets.

"Cousin Rowdy, a word with you, ifyou please!" said Claud.

"Cousin Cad, two, if you like!" saidGerald.

"In France, where I live," Mr. Bellevilleresumed, "when we are insulted, wefight."

"No! do you really " cried Gerald, hiseyes sparkling as he began eagerly toturn back his cuffs. "Hooray! I say,shake hands, Claud. I didn't think youhad it in you. There's a bully place upbehind the woodshed. Come on!"

Claud Belleville, who really was nocoward, started forward readily: but atthis moment Destiny intervened, in theshape of six foot four of John Ferrers.Uncoiling his length from thehammock, he took two strides forward,and lifting Gerald in his arms as if hewere an infant, carried him off bodily.Gerald, who was strong and agile as ayoung panther, fought and struggled,pouring out a torrent of angry protest;but in vain. When Jack put forth hisfull strength, there was no possibilityof resistance. He bore the furious ladto his tent, and throwing him on thecot, deliberately sat down on his feet, incalm and cheerful silence. Geraldtwisted and writhed, exhausted himself

in struggles, threats, prayers; all in vain!Jack sat like a statue. Finally the boyrelapsed into sullen silence, and laypanting, his hand clenched, his blueeyes dark with anger and chagrin.

By and by came the sound of wheels; awagon stopped in front of the camp.There were sounds of leave-taking;"Good-by, Claud!" "Our love to yourmother!" in various tones andmodulations; then the sound of wheelsonce more, rattling up the hill and awayin the distance. Then Jack Ferrers rose,and smiled down on his prostratefriend.

"Awfully sorry, old man!" he said.

Gerald was silent.

"Jerry! you're not going to cut up rough"

"I have nothing to say," said Gerald,coldly.

"You are my guest, and manners forbid.We will change the subject, if youplease."

"Manners didn't forbid your chuckingthe Charmer into the drink!" said Jack."Ho! did you see him blink when hecame up It was worth while, Jerry, evenif I have to fight you, but I don't

believe I shall. You see, your father hadto go off, and he asked me to keep thepeace, and I said I would; and I didn'tsee any other way, wildcat that you are.A sweet condition the Charmer wouldhave been in to go back to his Mamma,if I had not done as I did!"

"I might have known the Pater was atthe bottom of it!" said Gerald, his facelightening, and his voice taking on itsown kindly ring. "Fine man; but theextent to which he won't let me thrashClaud is simply disgusting. When itcomes to setting a Megatherium on aman "

"And to the Megatherium sitting on the

man " said Jack, laughing.

"No more o' that, Jack, if thou love me!There's the horn! Come on, and let thatflint-hearted parent see that we are allright."

The pair strolled in to supper, arm inarm, singing, to the tune of "Home,Sweet Home!"

"Claud, Claud, sweet, sweet Claud!There's no ass like Claud, There is noass like Claud!"

and were promptly silenced by Mrs.Merryweather.

CHAPTER XI.

MRS. MERRYWEATHER'S VIGIL

MRS. MERRYWEATHER had had abusy day. There had been a picnic atOak Island, which had taken all themorning and a good part of theafternoon; then there had been a dozenletters to write for the late mail; andfinally she had taken Kitty's turn withWilly at getting supper, as Kitty had aheadache. The sisters protested, eachone claiming her right to take the extraduty; but Mrs. Merryweather had herown reasons for being glad of the hour

of play-work with her little boy. Willyhad been rather out of spirits, whichmeant that he, as well as his sister, hadeaten too many huckleberries; thisafternoon he had been decidedly cross,and required treatment.

Coming into the kitchen at five o'clock,she found the fire lighted, and thekettle on, for Willy was a faithful soul;but he was frowning heavily over hischopping-tray.

"I wish mince-meat had never beeninvented!" he said, gloomily.

"Do you " said his mother. "I don't! Iam glad it was, even if I did not have

three helps last night."

"I was so hungry, I had to eatsomething," said Willy, in an injuredtone. "When I grow up, I mean to havebeefsteak every day, and never haveanything made over at all."

"I'll remember that, the next time wehave brown-bread brewis!" said hismother smiling.

"Oh! that's different!" said Willy.

"Most things are different," said Mrs.Merryweather, "if you look at them in adifferent way. Is that ready, son "

"As ready as it is ever going to be. I'vechopped till my arm is almost broken."

"So I see! It looks as if you had crackedit. Well, now, it isn't time yet to makethe rolls, so we can take breath a bit.Come out on the porch, and let us playsomething till the kettle boils."

"I don't feel like playing!" said Willy,dolefully; "I don't feel like doinganything, Mammy."

Mrs. Merryweather looked at him amoment; then taking his hands in hers,she said suddenly, "'For heaven's sakelet us sit upon the ground, and tell sadstories of the death of kings!' That is a

passage from Richard II., and it seemsto fit the occasion. Sit down, Willy;right here on the floor by me; I'll begin.Two minutes for composition!"

She was silent, looking out over thewater, while Willy glanced sidewise ather, half-interested in spite of himself.

"I have it!" she said, presently.

"King John put on such frightful airs,He met his death by eating pears.

"Your turn, Willy! two minutes!"

"Oh, Mammy, I can't play!"

"But you are playing. Only one minutemore."

"Well, then does it have to be the realway they died because I don't know."

"No! facts not required in this game."

"Well, then

"King Og Was lost in a bog."

"Your metre is faulty," said his mother,thoughtfully, "but the statement isinteresting. My turn; you shall hold thewatch for me."

"Time's up!" cried Willy, beginning to

kindle.

"Oh! is it What short minutes! Let mesee!

"King Xerxes Was killed by Turkses."

"Oh! I wanted Xerxes. Wait, Mammy. Ihave one!

"King David Could not be saved!"

"Good!" cried his mother. "That is thebest yet. But we might branch out alittle, I think, Willy. This condensedcouplet is forcible, but not very

graceful. How do you like this

"Tiglath-pileser, Tiglath-pileser, Hetried to buy a lemon-squeezer; But nosuch thing had e'er been seen, So in amelancholy green, Oh, very green, andvery yellow, He pined away and died,poor fellow!"

"That is splendid," said Willy, "but youtook a little more than two minutes. Myturn now!

"The great and mighty Alexander Wasbit to death by a salamander."

"Done to death is more poetic!" said hismother.

"Yes, but 'bit' is more savage. I like 'bit.'Your time's up, Mammy!"

"Oh! Willy, I am going to give you asubtle one this time; one in whichsomething is left to the imagination.

"The Emperor Domitian Consulted aphysician!"

"But you didn't kill him."

"No, but the physician did."

"Really "

"No, not really. What do you think of

this game "

"I think it's bully. Did you really justmake it up, Mammy "

"Just! Now the kettle is boiling, and wemust come in; but as we go, let meinform you that

"The Emperor Tiberius He died ofsomething serious; But now we'll stop,And make the pop- Overs before weweary us!"

Willy's gloom was effectually banished,and he continued to slaughter kings tillthe supper-horn blew.

The effect of this and other mentalexercises, added to a cup of tea, wassuch that when bed-time came, Mrs.Merryweather found herself singularlywide awake. In vain she countedhundreds; in vain she ransacked hermemory for saints, kings, and citiesalphabetically arranged; in vain shemade a list of Johns, beginning withthe Baptist and ending with JohnO'Groats; the second hundred foundher wider awake than ever, as she tossedon her narrow cot. Mr. Merryweather,in the opposite cot, was breathing deepand regularly; he was sound asleep, atleast, and that was a good thing. Otherthan this, no sound broke the perfectstillness of the night. The full moon

rode high, and lake and woodland wereflooded with silver light. A gloriousnight! Mrs. Merryweather sighed; whatwas the use of staying in bed on such anight as this, when one could not sleepIf only there were some excuse forgetting up!

Suddenly she remembered that, thenight being very warm, and the twochildren apparently entirely recoveredfrom their slight indisposition, they hadbeen allowed to sleep out on the Point,in accordance with a promise madesome days ago by their father. She hadnot been quite willing, but had yieldedto pressure, and they had gone out,very happy, with their blankets and the

india-rubber floor-cloth.

Mrs. Merryweather sat up in bed. "Iought to go and see if those chicks areall right!" she said. "After all, theycertainly were not quite well thisafternoon, whatever Miles may say."She glanced half-defiantly at the othercot, but Miles said nothing. She rosequietly, put on wrapper and slippers,and opening noiselessly the screen-door of the tent, slipped out into theopen, and stood for a moment lookingabout her. How beautiful it was! what awonderful silver world! Sleep was good,but surely, to be awake, on such a nightas this, was better.

She stole past the other tents, pausingan instant at the door of each to listenfor the regular breathing which is thesweetest music a mother can hear; thenshe made her way out to the Point,through the sweet tangle of fern andberry-bushes, under the bending treesthat dropped dew on her head as shepassed.

The Point lay like the prow of somegreat vessel in a silver sea. One tall pinestood for the mast; under this pine,rolled in scarlet blankets, their rosyfaces turned toward the moon, lay thechildren, sound asleep. Willy had curledone arm under his head, and his otherhand was locked in his sister's.

"Dear little things!" murmured theirmother. "That means that Kitty-my-pretty was a little bit frightened beforeshe went to sleep. Dear little things!"

She stood there for some time lookingdown at them.

"The moon is full on their faces!" shesaid. "My old nurse would tell me thatthey would be moonstruck 'for sartainsure!' How terrified I used to be, lest aray of moonlight should shine on mybed, and I should wake a lunatic!"

She glanced up at the moon; lookedagain, and yet again. "That is very

singular!" said Mrs. Merryweather."Something seems to be happening tothe moon."

Something was happening to the moon.It was as if a piece had been bitten outof the shining round. Was it a littlecloud no! no cloud could possibly looklike that, so black, so thick, so "Goodgracious!" said Mrs. Merryweather; "it isan eclipse!"

An eclipse it certainly was. Slowly,surely, the black shadow crept, crept,over the silver disk; now a quarter of itssurface was hidden; now it wentcreeping, creeping on toward the half.

"It is going to be a total eclipse!" saidMrs. Merryweather. "I suppose I oughtto wake some of them."

She stood a moment more, lookingirresolutely at the sleeping children. "Icannot possibly wake them!" she said atlast. "Little lambs! they are sleeping sobeautifully, and they certainly were notquite themselves this afternoon.Besides, there will be plenty moreeclipses; I'll go and wake some of theothers."

The black shadow crept on. Hardly lesssilent, Mrs. Merryweather pausedbefore the tent where her daughtersslept. Bell and Gertrude scorned cots,

and their mattresses were spread on thefloor at night, and rolled up in thedaytime. There the two girls lay, still andplacid, statue-like, save for the gentleheaving of their quiet breasts. A fairpicture for a mother to look on.Miranda Merryweather looked, anddrew a happy breath; looked again, andshook her head. "I cannot wake them!"she murmured to herself. "They areboth tired after that expedition; Bellpaddled very hard on the way back; shewas much more flushed than I like tosee her, when she came in. AndGertrude sleeps so lightly, I fear shemight not get to sleep again if I were towake her now."

The black shadow crept on; the mothercrept into the boys' tent, and stoodbeside Gerald's cot. The lad lay with hisarms flung wide apart; his curly hairwas tossed over his broad openforehead; his clear-cut features were setas if in marble.

"He has such a beautiful forehead!"said Mrs. Merryweather. "He sleeps sovery sound, that if I were to wake himhe might not be able to sleep again.Dear Jerry!"

She moved over to Phil's cot: Phil wasuneasy, and as she stopped to straightenthe bedclothes, he turned on his side,muttering something that sounded like

"Bother breakfast!"

"Poor laddie!" said Mrs. Merryweather."He looks as if he might have aheadache. I wish I had made him take anice little cup of hot malted milkbefore he went to bed. It is out of thequestion to wake him, when he issleeping so uneasily."

She left the tent, with hardly a glancetoward Jack Ferrers, who lay in thefarthest cot. The idea of waking him,and having him disturb her own boys,was too preposterous to be entertainedfor an instant.

The black shadow had crept entirely

over the moon; no silver disk now, onlya shield of dull bronze; "like some ofthe Pompeiian bronzes!" Mrs.Merryweather thought. "It is veryextraordinary. I suppose I really ought towake Miles."

She entered her own tent, and stood byher husband's cot. Miles Merryweatherwas sleeping quite as soundly as any ofhis children; in fact, he was a very statueof sleep; but his wife laid her handgently on his shoulder. "Miles!" shesaid; it must be confessed that she didnot speak very loud. "Miles, there is aneclipse!"

Mr. Merryweather did not stir.

"Miles! do you want to wake up "

No reply; no motion of the long, stillform. Mrs. Merryweather breathedmore freely. "Miles was more tired to-night than I have seen him all summer!"she said. "He cannot remember that weare not twenty-five any more. It is verybad for a man to get overtired when heis no longer young. Well, I certainly didtry to wake him; but such a very soundsleep as this shows how much heneeded it. I am sure it is much moreimportant for him to sleep than to seethe eclipse; it isn't as if he had not seenplenty of eclipses in his life. Of course,if it had been the sun, it would have

been different."

She stood at the door of the tent,watching. Slowly, slowly, the blackshadow passed; slowly, slowly, the silvercrescent widened to a broad arc, andfinally to the perfect argent round; oncemore the whole world lay bathed insilver light. Mrs. Merryweather gazedon peacefully, and murmured under herbreath certain words that she loved:

"'Queen and huntress, chaste and fair,Now the sun is gone to sleep, Seated inthy silver chair, State in wonted measurekeep. Hesperus entreats thy light,Goddess excellently bright!'

"But if Roger had been here," saidMiranda Merryweather, "I shouldcertainly have waked him, because he isa scientific man, and it would have beenonly right!"

CHAPTER XII.

"SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCEBE FORGOT "

"A wet sheet and a flowing sea, A windthat follows fast "

PHIL MERRYWEATHER was singingas he brought his boat about. "Slacken

your sheet, Peggy! easy that's right! ahalf-hitch look here, young lady! Ibelieve you have been humbugging usall; don't tell me you never sailed a boatbefore!"

"Never in all my life!" said Peggy,looking up joyously. "I have onlydreamed of it and thought about it,ever since I can remember. And I haveread the 'Seaman's Friend,' and 'TwoYears Before the Mast,' so I do know alittle bit about how things ought to go.I think every girl ought to learn how tosail a boat, if she possibly can; but outon the ranch, you see, there reallywasn't any chance. We could only makebelieve, but we used to have great fun

doing that."

"How did you make your believe Ishould like to hear about it. Ease heroff a bit so as you are!"

"Why, we made a boat out of the greatswing in the barn. It is a huge barn, andthe swing is big enough for threeelephants to swing on at once; andHugh fastened hammocks along itlengthwise, and then rigged ropes andpulleys for us, and an old canvashammock with the ends cut off for asail; so we swung, and called it sailing,and had storms and shipwrecks, and allkinds of adventures. It was great fun.Oh, I do wish some of you could come

out to the ranch some day. If there wasonly water, it would be the best place inthe world except this and Fernley."

"I'm coming some day!" said Phil. "Seeif I don't. It must be corking sport,riding about over those great plains."

"Oh! it is!" cried Peggy. "When youcome, Phil, you shall ride Monte. He isthe most beautiful creature, a Spanishjennet. Jack Del Monte sent him tobrother Jim, but he isn't up to Jim'sweight, so he lets me ride him. He islike the horses in poetry, that is the onlyway I can describe him; white as milk,with great dark eyes, and graceful oh, Ido want you to see him. No horse in

poetry was ever half so beautiful; infact, I think I take back what I said; Idon't really think poets know muchabout horses; do you "

"'Zebra-footed, ostrich-thighed,'"quoted Phil, laughing.

"I know!" said Peggy, indignantly."Now, the idea, Phil! one thinks of apoor dear horse all over ostrich feathersbehind, which is dreadful. But then, Idon't understand poetry, except aboutbattles, Macaulay and Scott. Don't youlove 'Marmion' "

"Indeed I do!" said Phil, heartily. "Hi!"

This last brief exclamation was made ina tone of some concern.

"What is it " asked Peggy. "Am Itrimming wrong "

"Right as a trivet! but have you everheard of a williwaw, Peggy "

"It's a squall, isn't it Captain Slocumtells about them in 'Sailing AloneRound the World.'"

"That's it! Well, I think we are going toget one. If you will take the helm againfor a moment, I'll take in a reef."

Peggy took the tiller in her strong little

brown hand, and looked on admiringlywhile Phil reefed the sail with creditableswiftness. Soon all was tight, and thetwo young people watched withcheerful interest the coming on of thesquall.

On it came, a line of white on thewater, a gray curtain of driving rainabove it. The wind began to sing in therigging of the sailboat; next momentshe heeled heavily over, and sped alongwith her lee rail under water.

"I'd sit pretty well up to windward if Iwere you," shouted Phil. "You'll bedryest on the gunwale, if you don'tmind!"

As Peggy seated herself with alacrity onthe gunwale, Phil looked at her withapproval. Her eyes were shining, herwhole rosy face alight with happyexcitement.

"Now, that's the kind of girl I like tosee!" said this young gentleman,forgetting that he had been seeing threeof the same kind ever since he couldremember; but sisters are different!

"Not so bad, eh " he said, as he tookanother turn on the sheet.

"Oh, Phil, it is perfectly splendid! why,we are simply flying! Oh, I wish it was

like this all the time."

"Hi!" said Phil again. "Everybodydoesn't seem to be of your opinion,Peggy. That boat over there will be introuble if she doesn't look out.Sapolio! there is something wrong.We'd better run over and see."

At a little distance a small boat wastossing violently on the water; her sailwas lowered, and a white handkerchiefwas fluttering from the stern like asignal of distress.

"Ready about!" said Phil. Peggycrouched down on the seat, the boomswung over, and the gallant little Petrel

flew swiftly as her namesake to therescue.

"Anything wrong " asked Phil, as heran alongside the crippled boat.

"Broke our rudder!" was the reply, froma pleasant-looking lad; "must have beencracked before we started. If you couldlend us a pair of oars I was very stupidto come out without a pair "

At this moment a clear, shrill voice washeard above the noise of wind andwater, crying aloud, "My Veezy Vee! myVeezy Vee! It is my Veezy Vee! Don't tellme it isn't, for it simply is!"

"Viola!" cried Peggy. "Vanity! can it beyou "

"Oh, my dear! I was once, perhaps, butwith all my crimps out, how can youhave the heart If ever I get ashore alive,"

"Don't be ridiculous, Viola!" said thelad, in a tone of brotherly tolerance."You are in no more danger now thenif you were in bed. Though I admit itmight have been rather fussy if wehadn't met you!" he added, with ameaning look at Phil.

"How far have you to go " asked Phil."Buffum's Point Well, now, look here!

that will be a long, hard pull againstthis wind. You'd much better let us towyou down to our camp, and then youcan ship a new rudder, and go homeany old time when the wind sets right."

The young man hesitated. "Why you'reawfully good," he said, "but I thinkwe'd better get home "

"Oh, do, do let us go, Tom!" cried thepretty girl who had waved thehandkerchief, and who seemed still,somehow, to be waving everythingabout her. "No, I won't be quiet! It's myVeezy Vee, I tell you; it's PeggyMontfort, and I am simply expiring totalk to her. Besides, if I am going to be

drowned, I want to be drowned withanother girl. Oh, Peggy, isn't it dreadfulDo you think we shall ever get homealive "

Here the wind caught her hat, and in afrantic effort to retain it, she very nearlyfell overboard. "There!" she cried. "Itold you so, Tommy; I knew I shouldbe drowned."

"I never said you wouldn't," replied herbrother, with some heat, "if you playsuch pranks as that. You simply must sitstill, Vi!"

"Oh, it's all very well to say I must sitstill, Tommy Vincent. If you had a hat

that was the pride of your life, insteadof a felt saucepan, perhaps youwouldn't want to have it carried offand drowned before your eyes. Myprecious hatty!"

"Why, we are all right, Viola," saidPeggy. "It is perfectly splendid, I think.Besides, the worst of it is past. Look!the sky is lightening already; the wholething will be over soon."

"But I am drenched to the skin!" criedpoor Viola. "The rain has gone throughand wet my poor bones, I know it has;I shall never be dry again, I amconvinced, never: there isn't a school-book in the world dry enough to dry

me, Peggy, not even Hallam's 'MiddleAges.'"

"Pooh! who cares for a wetting " saidPeggy, shaking herself like aNewfoundland dog. "It only adds tothe fun."

"Oh! that's all very well for you, VeezyVee!" cried poor Viola. "But if you hadon a silk waist, you would feeldifferently, I know you would. And myhat simply was the sweetest thing youever saw; wasn't it, Tom Sugar was saltbeside it; wasn't it, Tom "

Tom, who had been holding aconsultation with Phil over the broken

rudder, answered by a brief, though notunfriendly growl, and paid no furtherattention to her. The painter of his boatwas made fast to the Petrel's stern, andthe latter was soon winging her waytoward the Camp, towing the disabledboat behind her.

"Aren't you Vincent of 1903 " askedPhil, leaning over the stern, his hand onthe tiller and one eye on the clouds."Thought so! Used to see you aboutthe yard. My name is Merryweather;1902."

"Glad to know you!" said Tom Vincent."I thought it must be you; I used to seeyou rowing, of course. Your brother "

He was interrupted by excited squeaksfrom his sister, who was gazing at Philwith sparkling eyes.

"No!" she cried. "It can't be! It would betoo delicious! not Merryweather! Don'task me to believe it, Peggy, for it simplyis beyond my powers. Not the Snowy'sbrother!"

"Yes, indeed!" said Peggy, laughing asshe, too, leaned back over the stern."Let me introduce you; Mr. PhilipMerryweather, Miss Viola Vincent."

"Awfully glad!" said Phil, making amotion toward where his hat should

have been. "I've often heard my sisterspeak of you, Miss Vincent."

"Oh! Mr. Merryweather, I adore theSnowy!" cried Viola. "She is simply thedearest creature on the face of theearth. I would give the wide world Iwould give my very best frill to see her.Don't tell me she is near here, for Ishould expire with joy; simply expire!"

"I certainly will not," said Phil, smiling,"if the consequences would really be soterrible, Miss Vincent. Otherwise, Imight venture to predict that youwould see her in about ten minutes. Ifyou feel any untoward symptomsdeveloping, please consider it unsaid!"

"Oh! Tom, isn't it too thrilling " criedViola. "Oh! Tom, aren't you perfectlyrigid with excitement It makes Tomrigid, Mr. Merryweather, and it makesme flutter; we are so different. Aren'tyou rigid, Tommy "

"Viola, don't be a goose!" said herbrother, good-naturedly. "I am not inthe least rigid, though I shall bedelighted to see Miss Merryweather, ofcourse."

"You can see the camp now, throughthe trees," said Phil. "There is the flag,just over that tall pine. Flag by day;lantern by night. That is 'Merryweather.'

Ready about, Peggy, for the last tack!"

The squall had passed, and though thewater was still rough, the waves weretossing merrily in blue and white undera brilliant sun. The Petrel sped along,the silver foam bubbling up before herprow, and the Seamew, as the other boatwas named, followed as swiftly.

Peggy leaned back over the stern oncemore, and holding out her hand to herold schoolmate, gave her slenderfingers a squeeze that made her cry out.

"Dear old Vanity," said Peggy; "I forgothow soft your hands always were. But Iam so glad to see you, even if I am not

going to expire about it. Do tell mehow you came here, and where you arestaying, and all about it, now that wecan hear ourselves speak."

"How did I come here, my dear "repeated Viola Vincent. "Witchcraft!"

"What do you mean, you foolish thing"

"My dear, what I say; simply that andnothing more, just like the Raven.Witchcraft! The very minute I gethome, I am going to get a pointedblack hat and a red cloak, and a crutch-stick. I think they will be quite sweet,don't you Don't you think pointed hats

are quite sweet, Mr. Merryweather "

"Pointed hats," replied Phil, gravely,"have always seemed to me the acme ofsweetness; that is why they call themsugar-loaf hats, I suppose."

"Oh! Mr. Merryweather, you are funny!Oh, I hoped you were going to befunny," cried Viola; "you look funny,and "

"Thank you!" said Phil; and "Viola,don't be a goose!" said her brotheragain.

"I mean it as a compliment!" criedViola. "Mr. Merryweather, I mean it as

the very highest compliment I can pay, Itruly do. With such a simply entrancingname as Merryweather, it would besuch a dreadful pity to be sober as ajudge, you know; though the onlyjudge I know is too frisky for anything.Kittens, my dear, I I mean, Mr.Merryweather I beg your pardon! areactually grim beside Judge Gay; aren'tthey, Tommy Did you ever see a grimkitten, Mr. Merryweather Wouldn't it betoo horrid for anything Well, but whatI meant to say is, the only weeniestspeck of a fault I ever had to find withthe Snowy darling thing! was that shewas a little bit just the tiniest winiestscrap too serious. If your name wereTombs, you know, or Graves, or Scull, I

knew a girl named Scull, of course youwould have to be serious to live up to it;but when your name is Merryweather,you ought to live up to that, and so Ialways told the Snowy."

"I am sure the Snowy was always jollyenough," said Peggy, bluntly, "exceptwhen you wanted to get into mischief,Vanity!"

"Yes, but I always wanted to get intomischief," replied Viola; "so that madeit a little hard for me, Peggy, you mustadmit it did, especially when I adoredthe Snowy, and couldn't bear to haveher look grave at me. Mr. Merryweather,when the Snowy looked really grave at

me, it froze my young blood, just likeHamlet's; didn't it, Peggy I used to goand sit on the radiator to get thawedout, didn't I, Peggy "

"Oh, of course," said Peggy, laughing."But all this time, Vanity, we have notheard about the witchcraft that broughtyou to this part of the world."

"Oh! so you haven't. Well, now youshall. You see I am eighteen thissummer, so Puppa said I shouldchoose where we should go, whether tothe mountains, or to Newport, or tothis lake, where he knew of a camp hecould have. So I thought I would sayNewport, on account of my new frills;

I had some perfectly heavenly new frills,and of course Newport is the bestplace to show them. But just as I wasgoing to say 'Newport,' something mademe turn right round and say to comehere. I supposed it was partly becauseof course I knew Puppa hatedNewport, and he is such a perfect duckabout going there; but now I know thatit was witchcraft, and something insideme, black cats or something, made meknow, without knowing anything aboutit, that you and the Snowy were goingto be here, Peggy. So now I amperfectly happy! Oh! Oh! Why, there isthe Snowy! Oh, Snowy, you darling! It'sme! It's Vanity! How do you do Isn't thistoo perfectly entrancing for anything!"

With a graceful turn, Phil brought hisboat alongside the wharf, where agroup of campers, Gertrude amongthem, were gathered to receive them.Gertrude had Viola in her arms in amoment, and was welcoming her with awarmth that made the emotional littlecreature sob with real pleasure andaffection.

"Oh, Snowy!" she cried, "I always likedyou better than any one else, Snowy. Inever thought I was going to see youagain."

"My dear, dear little Viola!" criedGertrude. "Have you dropped from the

clouds Why, this is too good to be true.But you are wet through! Come in thismoment with me, and get on drythings!"

She hurried Viola away to the tents, andMr. Merryweather took possession ofher brother with the same hospitableintent, though Tom Vincent protestedthat he was "no wetter than was entirelycomfortable."

Phil, taking in his sail, turned anexpressive eye on his twin, who hadcome aboard to help him.

"Gee!" he said, thoughtfully. "A newvariety, Obadiah! Pollybirdia singularis,

as Edward Lear hath it."

"She's mighty pretty!" said Gerald.

"She is that!" said Phil.

CHAPTER XIII.

ABOUT VISITING

"GOOD-BY, Tommy, dear. Be sure totell Mamma that I thought she wouldnot mind my staying, when Mrs.Merryweather was so perfectly heavenlyas to ask me. Be sure to tell her that myskirt is all cockled up, so that you could

put it in your waistcoat pocket, Tom;and that the only way to save it is topress it damp, and let it dry before I putit on. Tell her that I have got on a dressof the Snowy's that is simply divine,more becoming than anything I everhad on; and that my silk waist has runoh, tell her it has run miles, Tom, so thatI can never "

"There, there, Vi!" cried Tom Vincent,pushing his boat off. "I must run,before you swamp me entirely withmessages. I'll come back for you to-morrow, and bring your toggery. Everso many thanks, everybody. You'vebeen awfully good. I've had a corkingtime. Good-by!"

The sail filled, the boat swung round,and was soon speeding along the lake,while her owner still waved his cap andlooked back to the wharf, where thecampers stood, giving back his greetingwith hearty good will.

"Nice chap!" said Gerald to Phil.

"Corker!" said Phil to Gerald.

"Nor," added Gerald, turning to lookafter the girls as they walked back alongthe slip, "nor is the sororial adjuncttotally devoid of attraction. Whatthinkest, Fergy "

He shot a quick glance at his brother,and seemed to await his reply withsome eagerness.

"I think she's as pretty as a picture,"said Phil, soberly.

"You have a nose on your face, if itcomes to that," said Gerald. "At least itpasses for one. Weiter!"

"I think she's awfully jolly, and all that,"said Phil. "Nice, jolly, good-naturedgirl."

"Granted; she's great fun."

"But," Phil went on, slowly, "oh, well!

you know what I mean. If our girlswent on like that, we should be underthe painful necessity of ducking them.Now, Peggy "

He paused and examined the mooringof the boat, critically.

"Now, Peggy," Gerald repeated, jogginghim with his elbow. "Always finish asentence when you can, son. It arguespoverty of invention to have to stop inthe middle. You can always fall back on'tooral looral lido,' if you can't think ofanything else. What about Peggy "

"Oh, nothing. Only she is just like therest of us, and that seems more natural;

that's all."

"And 'beyond a doubt we are thepeople; and wisdom will perish withus,'" quoted Gerald, his facebrightening as he spoke. "'Tis well.Come on, thou antiquated ape, and letus pump out the float."

Meantime the girls had sought theirfavorite pine parlor, and were deep intalk. High would be a more descriptiveadjective; for Viola Vincent was theprincipal talker, and her shrill, cleartreble quivered up to the very tree-tops,startling the birds in their nests, andsending the squirrels scampering to andfro with excitement.

"My dear, this is too delicious, simplytoo! I should expire, if I lived here, ofpure joy. Oh, Snowy, what a darling youare! Your nose is just as straight as ever,isn't it Rulers, my dear, are crookedbeside it, aren't they If I had a straightnose, I should pass away from sheerbliss. My nose turns up more everyyear; it's the only aspiring thing aboutme. Pothooks are straight bycomparison. Isn't it a calamity "

"Tiptilted like the petal of a flower,"said Gertrude, laughing. "I alwaysthought your nose one of yourprettinesses, Vanity, and I believe youthink so, too."

"Oh! my dear, how can you " criedViola, caressing her little nose, whichwas certainly piquant and prettyenough to please any one. "You don'treally mean it, do you You just say it tocomfort me, don't you You are such acomforting darling! Where did you getthat heavenly shade of green, Snowy Inever saw anything so lovely in my life.It is just the color of jade. My dear, Isaw some jade bracelets the other daythat were simply made for you. I wantedto tear them from the girl's arms, andsay, 'What are you doing with theSnowy's bracelets ' She was a dump,with a complexion like DoctorSomebody or other's liniment. A

person who can wear jade is simply the"

"Oh, come, Vanity!" said Peggy, good-naturedly. "Come out of the millinerybusiness, and tell us about yourself, andabout the other girls. What has becomeof Vex of Vivia Varnham "

"My dear! haven't you heard "

"Not a word! You have never written,you know, since we left school, and shewould not be likely to."

"You didn't love each other quite todistraction, did you " said Viola. "PoorV. V.! she really was the limit sometimes,

wasn't she I never minded her, ofcourse, because I never listened to whatshe said. Besides, she was like pickles,you know; you just took her with therest of your dinner, and she didn'tmake much difference. I used to tell herso. Well, poor V. V.! You never couldguess: married, my dear!"

"Married!" echoed Peggy and Gertrude.

"Married! to a missionary; widower,with four children. Gone to China! Youneed not believe it unless you like; Idon't believe it myself, though I sawthem married."

"It is hard to believe, Vi!" said

Gertrude. "How did it happen "

"My dear, the limit! positively, theboundary line, arctic circle, and thatsort of thing. Love at first sight, onboth sides. Spectacles, bald, not thespectacles, but he, snuffy to a degree!You really never did! I was the firstperson she told. I simply screamed. 'Mydear!' I said, 'you cannot mean it. Youcould not live with that waistcoat!'

"She told me I was frivolous which Inever attempted to deny and said I didnot understand, which was the truth.She looked really quite sweet in herwedding-dress, and when she wentaway she was quite softened, she truly

was, and wept a little weep, and so didI. You see, Snowy, the very first thing Ican remember in my life is V. V.'sbreaking my doll over my head. I missher dreadfully, I do indeed; nobody hasbeen well, acidulated, to me since shewent, and I need the tonic. Andspeaking of tonics, where is Beefwhere is the Fluffy You know" turningto Margaret "I used to call the Snowyand the Fluffy and the Horny my tripletonic, Beef, Wine, and Iron; and theFluffy was Beef. Steady and square, youknow, and red and brown; exactly likebeef; simply no difference except theclothes. How is she, Snowy "

"The Fluffy Bertha Haughton, you

know, Margaret is teaching in BlanktonHigh School; very busy, very happy,indeed, perfectly absorbed in her work.I have a letter from her in my pocketthis minute, that came last night. Wouldyou like to hear it "

And amid a clamor of eager assent, shedrew out the letter and read as follows.

"'Dear Snowy: It is good to hear aboutall the jolly times at Camp. I wish Icould come, but see no way to it justnow. Yes, I know school is over, butthere are the rank lists to make out, andall kinds of odd end-of-the-year choresto be done; besides, two of my boyshave conditions to work out, going to

college in the fall, and I am tutoringthem. They are two of the dearest boysthat ever were, only not very bright, andI have promised to stand by them.' Thisis the way she behaves, after teaching allthe year; she is incorrigible! 'All theothers passed without conditions, andthree of them got honors, so I am veryproud and happy. This has been thebest year of all; but then, I say thatevery year, don't I I do feel more andmore that I am doing the thing in thewhole world that I like best to do.'

"The rest is just messages, and so on;but you see how happy she is, and howutterly absorbed."

"My dear, it is too amazing!" cried ViolaVincent. "The very thought of teachingmakes me simply dissolve with terror;little drops of water, my dear, would beall that would be left of poor Vanity;not a grain of sand to hold hertogether. Hush! let me tell yousomething! Last year I tried to teach aclass in Sunday school, great, terribleboys, taller than I was, and I almostexpired, I assure you I did. They neverknew their lessons, and two of themmade eyes at me, and the rest madefaces at each other; it was simplyexcruciating. Then the rector asked meif I didn't think I could dress moresimply; said I set an example, and soon. I told him I was dressed like a

broomstick then, as far as simplicitywas concerned, and so I was, simplyand positively like a broomstick; onlymy dress it was a rose-colored foulard,the most angelic shade you ever saw,girls; just like a sunset cloud, somebodysaid happened to have ruffles to thewaist, and ribbons fluttering aboutmore or less. He said I fluttered, and Itold him I certainly did. 'I alwaysflutter, Mr. Monk,' I said. 'When I don'tflutter, I shall be dead.' Which was true.He was quite peevish, but I was firm;you know you have to be firm aboutsuch things. Only, the next Sunday hehappened to come by when one ofthose great dreadful boys asked me ifSolomon's seal was tame, and I said I

didn't think it was. Well, I didn't! But hewrote me a note next day, saying hethought teaching was not my forte, andperhaps I would like visiting better. Ifully agreed with him, so now I visit,and it is simply dandy. I just love it!"

"Tell us about your visiting, Vi!" saidGertrude. "I am going to take it up nextwinter, and I should like to know howyou do it."

"My dear! Such sport! There are somedear old ladies I go to see, perfect oldducks; in a Home, you know. I go oncea week, and I put on all my frills, andnever wear the same dress twice if I canhelp it, and I tell them all about the

parties I go to, and what I wear, andwhat my partners are like, and aboutthe suppers, and take them my Germanfavors, and they simply love it! Mr. Monkthinks it's terrible that I don't read themtracts; my dear, they abominate tracts,and so do I; we found that out at once.So I read them the gayest, frilliest littlestories I can find, that are really nice, andthey adore it. One day my dears! will youpromise never to breathe it if I tell yousomething never even to sneeze it "

"We promise! We promise!" cried all thegirls.

"Well hush! It was simply fierce; and thegreatest sport I ever had in my life.

There is one old lady in the Home whois too perfectly sweet for anything. MissBathsheba Barry; did you ever hearsuch a delicious name She is just myheight, and as pretty as a picture in hercap and kerchief. They all wear capsand kerchiefs, and little gray gowns, themost becoming costume you ever saw;I am going into the Home the veryminute my looks begin to go, because Ido look quite but wait! Hush! not aword! Well! I had been teasing MissBarry for ever and ever so long to letme dress up in her things, because Iknew they would suit me, and at last,one day, the dear old thing consented.It was the time for the matron'safternoon visit, and she is very jolly,

and I wanted to surprise her. So I puton the little gray gown, and thedelicious cap, just like Rembrandt'smother, and the white net kerchiefdon't you adore white net, Snowy itsoftens the face so! and the apron; andthen I went and sat down in MissBarry's chair by the window, with herknitting, and put on her spectacles oh!how she did laugh. Then we heardsteps, and Miss Barry went into thecloset and shut the door all but a crackto peep through, and I turned my headaway from the door, and knitted awayfor dear life. Oh, girls! The dooropened, and I heard Mrs. Poddle say,'This way, gentlemen! This is MissBarry's room.' Gentlemen! My dears, I

thought I should pass away! Then therecame great, loud men's steps, and Iheard Mr. Monk's voice 'This is one ofour most interesting inmates, Bishop!Eighty-seven years old, and as sprightlyas a girl. A most pious and exemplaryperson. Good morning, Miss Barry!How is your rheumatism to-day '

"'Simply fierce, your reverence!' said I,in a little squeaky voice, as like MissBarry's as I could make it. I kept myface turned away, and pretended to becounting stitches very hard.

"'Ahem!' said Mr. Monk. I could hear

that he was surprised, for, of course,Miss Barry wouldn't say 'simply fierce,'but it slipped out before I knew it.

"'Miss Barry,' he said, 'I have broughtBishop Ballantyne to see you. I am sureyou will be glad to receive him.'

"'Oh, I should perfectly love to see theBishop!' I said; because BishopBallantyne is simply a duck, an adorableduck; but still I did not turn round;and I could hear Miss Barry squeakingwith laughter in the closet, and it wasreally getting quite awful. But now Mr.Monk began to suspect something. Ibelieve he thought I had been drinking,or rather that Miss Barry had, poor old

dear. He said, in a pretty awful voice:'What does this mean Miss Barry, Idesire that, if you are unable to rise,you will at least turn round, and receiveBishop Ballantyne in a fitting manner. Icannot conceive I must beg you tobelieve, Bishop, that this has neverhappened before. I am beyond measuredistressed. Miss Barry, '

"And then he stopped, for I turnedround. I had to, of course; there wasnothing else to do.

"'How do you do, Bishop Ballantyne ' Isaid. 'Can you tell me whetherSolomon's seal was tame or not '

"For a minute they both stared as ifthey had seen a ghost; but then theBishop went off into a great roar oflaughter, and I thought he would laughhimself into fits, and me, too; and themore solemn Mr. Monk looked, themore we laughed; and Miss Barry wascackling like a hen in the closet oh, itwas great, girls, it truly was! At last Mr.Monk had to laugh too, he couldn'thelp it; it was simply too utter, youknow. He said I was enough to breakup an entire parish; and the Bishop saidhe would take me into his, cap and all.And then the matron came back, andMiss Barry came out, and we all stayedto tea, the Bishop and Mr. Monk and I,and had the time of our lives; at least, I

did.

"So you see, girls, visiting can be thegreatest sport in the world, if you onlyknow how to do it. But we all had topromise Mr. Monk and Mrs. Poddlenot to tell, because they said it wasenough to break up the discipline ofthe Home, and I suppose it was."

CHAPTER XIV.

MOONLIGHT AGAIN

THE evening was showery, and indoorgames were the order of it. The first

half-hour after the dishes were washed(a task performed to music, all handsjoining in the choruses of "John Peel,""Blow, ye winds of morning," etc.) wasspent quietly enough, four of the partyat parcheesi, the others busy overcrokinole and jackstraws; but by and bythere was a cry of "Boston!" andinstantly boards and counters were putaway on their shelf, and the deckscleared for action. The whole partydrew their chairs into a circle, and thefun began. A pleasant sight it was to seeMr. Merryweather blindfold in themiddle of the circle, calling out thenumbers two by two, and trying tocatch the flitting figures as theychanged places. A pleasant sight it was

to see the young people leaping,crouching, and gliding across the circle,avoiding his outstretched arms withsurprising agility.

"Two and Fourteen!" he would cry; andGerald and Bell would slip from theirplaces, like shadows. Gerald was acrossin two long, noiseless lopes, while Bellwhisked under her father's very hand,which almost closed on her flying skirt;and a shout of "All over!" greeted theaccomplishment of the exchange.

"This will never do!" said Mr.Merryweather. "You all have quicksilverin your heels, I believe. Seven andTwelve! Come Seven, come Twelve!"

Seven and Twelve were Jack Ferrers andPeggy, and they came. Jack, gatheringhis long legs under him, crept on allfours half-way round the circle, andthen made a plunge for the chair whichPeggy had just vacated. He landed onthe edge, and over went chair and Jackinto the fireplace with a resoundingcrash. This startled Peggy so that sheran directly into Mr. Merryweather'sarms, and was caught and firmly held.

"Let me see!" said Mr. Merryweather."One pigtail! But I believe all youwretched girls dress your hair preciselyalike for 'Boston.' Ha! peculiar sleeve-buttons! Now who has buttons like

these Peggy!"

Then it was Peggy's turn to beblindfolded, and a vigorous "ColinMaillard" she made, flying hither andthither, and coming within an ace ofcatching Gerald himself, who was rarelycaught. Finally she seized a flyingpigtail belonging to Kitty; and so themerry game went on till all were out ofbreath with running and laughing.

Phil went to the door to breathe thecool air, and came back with theannouncement, "All clear overhead,perfectly corking moonlight. Why dowe stay indoors "

"Canoes!" cried the youngerMerryweathers; and there was a rushfor the door; but the Chief stoppedthem with a gesture. "Too late!" he said."It is nine o'clock now; time you werein bed, Kitty."

"We might sit on the float and sing alittle," suggested Mrs. Merryweather.

"The float! The float!" shouted the boysand girls. There was a snatching up ofpillows and wraps, and the wholefamily trooped down to the float,where they established themselves in avariety of picturesque attitudes. Againit was a wonderful night; the late moonwas just rising above the dark trees, no

longer the full round, but still brilliantenough to fill the world with light.

"This has been a wonderful moon!"said some one.

"Yes," said Gerald; "it is quite the lastthing in moons, not the ordinary articleat all. We don't have ordinary moonson this pond. Who made that highlyintellectual remark "

"It was I," said Bell, laughing; "and Imaintain, Jerry, that this moon has beena very long, and a very well, a verysplendid one. Just think! not a singlecloudy evening till this one; and now itclears off in time to give us our

moonlight hour before bed-time."

"The harvest moon is always long," saidMr. Merryweather. "Bell is perfectlyright, Jerry."

"Strike home!" said Gerald, baring hisbreast with a dramatic gesture. "Strikehome!

"'There's no more moonlight for poorUncle J., For he's gone whar desnubbed niggers go.'"

"I was just going to propose singing,"said his mother; "but before we begin,suppose we do honor to this goodmoon, that has treated us so well. Let

every one give a quotation in her honor.I will begin:

"'That orbed maiden with white fireladen, Whom mortals call the moon,Glides glimmering o'er my fleece-likefloor, By the midnight breezes strewn.'

Shelley. I am a cloud, be it understood!"

"I should hardly have guessed it," saidMr. Merryweather. "My turn I'll goback to Milton:

"'Now glowed the firmament Withliving sapphires; Hesperus, that led Thestarry host, rode brightest, till themoon, Rising in clouded majesty, at

length Apparent queen, unveiled herpeerless light, And o'er the dark hersilver mantle threw.'"

"Oh, I say!" murmured Gerald; "that isa peach!"

"Jerry," said his mother, plaintively,"have you no adjectives, my poordestitute child I can imagine few thingsless peach-like than that gloriouspassage. But never mind! Jack, it is yourturn."

"'The gray sea and the long black land,And the yellow half-moon large andlow '"

said Jack, half under his breath.

"It isn't yellow, and it isn't half," saidGerald. "But never mind, as the Matersays. Margaret, you come next."

Margaret looked up, her face full oftranquil happiness.

"I was thinking," she said, "of somelines from 'Evangeline,' that I havealways loved. I say them over to myselfevery night in this wonderful moon-time:

"'Beautiful was the night. Behind theblack wall of the forest, Tipping itssummit with silver, arose the moon. On

the river Fell here and there through thebranches a tremulous gleam of themoonlight, Like the sweet thoughts oflove on a darkened and devious spirit.'"

"Peggy, what have you for us " askedMrs. Merryweather.

"Oh!" cried poor Peggy, "you know Inever can remember poetry, Mrs.Merryweather. I shall have to take to'Mother Goose.' I know I am terriblyprosy well, prosaic, then, Margaret;what's the difference But I can't thinkof anything except:

"'The Man in the Moon Came downtoo soon,'

and that doesn't go with all these lovelythings you have all been saying."

"It gives me mine, though!" said Phil.And he sang, merrily:

"'The Man in the Moon was lookingdown, With winking and with blinkingfrown, And stars beamed out bright Tolook on the night; The Man in theMoon was looking!'"

"Phil!" cried Gertrude. "How can youComic opera is an insult to a moon likethis."

"Oh, indeed!" said her brother. "Sorry I

spoke. Next time I'll sing it to someother moon, one of Jupiter's; or thebrick one in Doctor Hale's story. Goon, Toots, since you are so superior. It'syour turn."

"'Lady, by yonder blessed moon Iswear, That tips with silver all the fruit-tree tops,'"

said Gertrude. "I can't remember thenext line."

"What I miss in this game," saidGerald, in a critical tone, "is accuracy.There isn't a fruit-tree on the Point."

"And the moon, of course, limits

herself strictly to the point!" saidGertrude, laughing.

"It's more than you do!" retorted herbrother. "But a truce to badinage! I goback to prose and 'Happy Thoughts.' 'Isay "O moon!" rapturously, but nothingcomes of it.'"

"But something shall come of it thistime, Jerry," said his mother. "Perhapswe have had enough quotations now.Give us the 'Gipsy Song.'"

Nothing loth, Gerald sang the wild,beautiful song, his sisters humming theaccompaniment. Then one song andanother was called for, and the night

rang with ballad and barcarole, glee andround. There never seemed to be anylimit to the Merryweather repertoire.

Presently Bell whispered to Gertrude;the latter passed the whisper on toMargaret and Peggy. Silently all fourgirls rose and slipped away, with a wordbreathed into Mrs. Merryweather's ear,begging her to keep up the singing.

"Where are the girls going " asked theirfather.

"They will be back in a moment," saidMrs. Merryweather. "Give us 'PrinzEugen,' boys; all of you together!"

And out rolled, in booming bass andsilvery tenor, the glorious old campsong of the German wars:

"Prinz Eugen, der edle Ritter, Woll'tdem Kaiser wied'rum kriegen Stadt undFestung Belgerad."

This was a favorite song of theMerryweather boys, and they neverknew which verse to leave out, so theygenerally sang all nine of them. Theydid so this time, and finally ended witha prolonged roar of:

"Liess ihm bringen recht zuPeterwardein."

A moment of silence followed. Indeed,none of the singers had any breath left.

"'And silence like a poultice falls, Toheal the blows of sound!'"

quoted Mr. Merryweather. "Hark! whatis that "

Again the sound of singing was heard.This time it came from the direction ofthe tents. Girl's voices, thrilling clearand sweet on the stillness. The air waseven more familiar than that of "PrinzEugen," one of the sweetest airs thatever echoed to moonlight and thenight:

"Ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten,Dass ich so traurig bin;"

The girls came singing out into themoonlight, hand in hand. They were inbathing-dress; their long hair floatedover their shoulders; their white armsshone in the white light. Instead ofcoming back to the float, they plungedinto the water, and swam, still singing,to a rock that reared a great roundedback from the water. Up on this rockthey climbed, and sat them down,shaking off the water in diamondspray; and still their voices rang out,clear and thrilling on the quiet air:

"Die schoenste Jungfrau sitzet Dort

oben wunderbar; Ihr goldnesGeschmeide blitzet, Sie kaemmt ihrgoldenes Haar."

"Gee!" muttered Gerald to himself.

"Pretty!" said Mr. Merryweather, takinghis pipe from between his teeth."Miranda, I don't know that I ever sawanything much prettier than that."

His wife made no reply, but her eyesspoke for her. None of the lads couldlook more eagerly or more joyfully atthat lovely picture. Were not two of themaidens her very own

Gertrude was facing them as she sang.

Her red-gold hair fell like a mantle ofglory about her, far below her waist; herarms, clasped behind her head, werelike carved ivory; her face was lifted,and the moon shone full on its pureoutlines and candid brow. Bell's rosyface was partly in shadow, but hernoble voice floated out rich and strong,filling the air with melody. There wasno possibility of doubt, to Mrs.Merryweather's mind, which two of thequartette were most attractive. Yet whenshe said softly to the son whohappened to be next her: "Aren't theylovely, Jerry " he answered, abstractedly,"Isn't she!" and his eyes were fixed, noton stately Gertrude, or stalwart Bell,but on a slender figure between them,

that clung timidly to the rock, one handclasped in Peggy's. Also, it is to benoted that, when the song was over,and Peggy made an exceptionally cleanand graceful dive off the rock, Philexclaimed, "Jove! that was a corker!" towhich John Ferrers replied, "Yes; thesweetest contralto I ever heard."

* * * * *

"I never heard you sing better than youdid last night," said Jack to Bell. It wasnext morning, and he was stirring theporridge industriously, while she mixedthe johnny-cake.

"So glad!" said Bell, simply. "I aim toplease. I'd put in a little more water,Jack, if I were you; it's getting too stiff."

Jack poured in the water, and stirred forsome minutes in silence. Presently hesaid: "I heard from those people lastnight."

"From the Conservatory Oh, Jack! dotell me! I have been thinking so muchabout it. Is it all right "

"I think so," said Jack, slowly. "Theyoffer me two thousand, and there is anexcellent chance for private pupilsbesides; I have decided to accept it."

"Oh, Jack, how splendid! Oh, I am soglad! I knew it would come the chanceif you only had patience, and yousurely have had it. How happy Hildawill be!"

"Yes," said Jack, soberly. "I owe it toHilda, every bit of it, as I owe severalother things. This, for example."

"This " repeated Bell. "Meaning theporridge "

She spoke lightly, yet there was anundertone of feeling in her voice.

"The porridge, and all the rest of it,"

said Jack. "The place, the life, thefriends, the happiness, and you all!"

It might have been noted that the "all"was added after a moment's pause, as ifit were an afterthought.

"Dear Hilda!" said Bell, softly. "We allowe her a very great deal."

"If it had not been for HildegardeGrahame," said Jack, "I should havegrown up a savage."

"Oh! no, you would not, Jack."

"Yes, I should, Bell. When I first cameto Roseholme, I was just at the critical

time. I adored my father, who was anangel, too much of one to understanda mere human boy. I came to pleasehim, and at first I didn't get hold ofUncle Tom at all, nor he of me. Hethought me an ass, well, he was rightenough there, and I thought him a bearand a brute. I was on the point ofrunning away and starting out on myown account, my fiddle and I againstthe world, when I met Hilda, and shechanged life from an enemy into afriend."

Bell was silent for a moment; then, "Ihave often wondered " she said, andbroke off short.

"So have I!" said Jack. "I don't knownow why I didn't. Yes, I do, too."

"Why " asked Bell, her eyes on hermixing-bowl.

"It's hard to put it into words," saidJack, with a queer little laugh. "Isuppose I felt that I never should havehad a chance; but but yet, I am not surethat I should not have tried my luck,even then, if if something else had nothappened to me."

Bell asked no more questions: thejohnny-cake seemed to be at a criticalpoint; she stirred assiduously, and Jack,turning to look at her, could see only

the tip of a very rosy little ear under thebrown, clustering hair.

There was another silence, broken onlyby the singing of the teakettle and thesoft, thick "hub-bubble" of the boilingporridge.

"Bell!" said Jack, presently.

"Yes, Jack."

"I had another letter last night, that Ihaven't told you about yet."

"From Hilda "

"No. From the manager of the Arion

Quartette. They want me to go on atour with them in the autumn, beforethe Conservatory opens. It's a greatchance, and they offer me twice what Iam worth."

"Oh, Jack!" cried Bell, turning her face,shining with pleasure, full on him."How glorious! how perfectly glorious!Oh! this is great news indeed."

"There is only one difficulty," said Jack."I have to provide my ownaccompanist."

"But you can easily do that!" said Bell.

"Can I " cried Jack Ferrers, dropping

the porridge spoon and comingforward, his two hands held out, hisbrown face in a glow. "Can I, Bell Thereis only one accompanist in the worldfor me, and I want her for life. Can Ihave her, my dear "

"Oh, Jack!" cried Bell, and anotherspoon was dropped.

* * * * *

"Children, you are letting that porridgeburn!" cried Mrs. Merryweather, as shehurried into the kitchen a few minuteslater.

"Oh, Mammy, I am so sorry!" said Bell,

looking up,

"All kind o' smily round the lips, Andteary round the lashes."

"Oh, Mammy, I am so glad!" cried JackFerrers; and without more ado hekissed Mrs. Merryweather. "I like burntporridge!" said this young gentleman.

CHAPTER XV.

CONCERNING VARIOUS THINGS

"WHERE are you going, Margaret "asked Willy.

"Up to the farm. Bell lost one of herknitting-needles, and thought she mighthave dropped it there; she is up therenow, hunting for it, and here it was inmy tent all the time. Would you like tocome with me, Willy "

Willy twinkled with pleasure, and fellinto step beside her, and the twowalked along the pleasant grassy roadthrough the fields, talking busily. Theyhad become great friends, and Willywas never tired of hearing about Basil,who, he declared, "must certainly be acorker."

"I suppose he is, Willy," said Margaret,

with resignation. "There seems nothingelse for any nice person to be. Did I tellyou how brave he was when a greatsavage dog attacked our poor puppiesOh, you must hear that."

The recital of Basil's heroism lasted tillthey reached the farmhouse, both in astate of high enthusiasm, and Willyfilled with ardent longings for attacksby savage dogs, that he might showqualities equal to those of the youthfulhero. (N. B. Basil, honest, freckled, andpractical, would have been muchsurprised to hear himself held up as ayouthful embodiment of Bayard andthe Cid in one.)

"I'll wait for you out here, Margaret,"he said, when they came to the door."No, I don't want to come in; they willtell me how I've grown, and I do get sotired of it. I'll sit on the fence andthink; I like to think."

Margaret nodded sympathetically andwent in. The door opened directly intoa wide, sunny kitchen, as bright assunshine and cleanliness could make it.An elderly woman was standing beforea great wheel, spinning wool; besideher, Bell, Gertrude, and Peggy stoodwatching with absorbed attention. Alllooked up at Margaret's entrance, andthe woman, who had a kind, strongface and sweet brown eyes, laid down

her shuttle with a smile of welcome.

"I want to know if this is you," shesaid. "You're quite a stranger, ain't you Ikind o' looked for you when the galscome in."

"I meant to come, Mrs. Meadows, Itruly did; but I was tidying up the tent,and I am so slow about it."

"Mrs. Meadows," said Peggy, laughing,"she wipes every nail-head three times aday, and goes over the whole with amicroscope when she has finished, tosee if she can find a speck of dust."

"Doos she so " inquired Mrs. Meadows.

"I don't hardly dare to ask her to setdown in this room, then. What with thewool flyin' and all, it's a sight, mosttimes."

"Now, Mrs. Meadows!" exclaimedGertrude. "When you know you arealmost as particular as she is! But,Margaret, do you see what we are doingWe are having a spinning lesson. It is soexciting! Come and watch."

"I came to bring your knitting-needle,"said Margaret. "Look! it was in my tent,just the end of it sticking out of acrack in the floor. If I had not tidiedup, in the way you reprobate, Bell, youmight never have got it again."

"Oh! yes, somebody would havestepped on it," laughed Bell. "But Iconfess I am very grateful for thisspecial attack of tidying. Now, Mrs.Meadows, I shall be all ready for thatnew yarn as soon as you have it spun."

"My land! don't you want I shouldcolor it I was callatin' to color all thislot."

"No, I like this gray mixture so much; itis just the color for the boys' stockings.By the way, have you seen the boys,Mrs. Meadows I was looking for themeverywhere before I came up."

"Let me see, where did I see them boys" Mrs. Meadows pondered, drawing theyarn slowly through her fingers. "Gerildand Phillup, you mean They passedthrough the yard right after dinner, Ishould say it was, on their velocipedies;going at a great rate, they was. Here'sJacob, mebbe he'll know."

Jacob, massive and comely, in hiscustomary blue overalls, entered,beaming shyly. "Good mornin', ladies!"he said. "Mother treatin' you well "

"Very well, Jacob!" said Bell. "We arehaving a spinning lesson, and find itvery interesting."

"I want to know. Well, I allers got onwithout that branch of edicationmyself," said Jacob. He was standingnear the door, and the girls noticed thathe kept his hands behind him.

"Mother, ain't you give the girls noapples " he said.

"There!" cried Mrs. Meadows,apologetically. "I never thought on't."

"Now, ain't that a sight!" said Jacob,reprovingly. "I thought I could trustyou not to let 'em starve, mother, butyet someways I felt I ought to bring theapples myself. I dono's they're fit to eat,though."

Still beaming shy benevolence, hebrought from behind him a basket ofbeautiful rosy apples, every one ofwhich had evidently been polished withcare and the sleeve of his coat.

"Oh, what perfect beauties!" cried thegirls. "Oh, thank you, Jacob!"

"What kind are they " asked Peggy."They are good!" Peggy never lost amoment in sampling an apple, and herteeth now met in the firm, crisp fleshwith every sign of approval.

"Benoni! about the best fall apple thereis, round these parts; that is, for any one

as likes 'em crips. Some prefer a sweetapple, but I like a fruit that's got somesperit in it, same as I do folks. Well, Iwish you all good appetite; I must begoin' back to my hoein' lesson, I guess."

"Oh! Jacob, have you seen Jerry andPhil, lately " asked Gertrude.

"No, I ain't. Yes I hev, too. They wentrocketin' past me this noon, and giveme some sarse as they went, and I giveit 'em back. I ain't seen 'em sence.They're up to mischief, wherever theybe, you can count on that."

Jacob diffused his smile again, andwithdrew. The girls, still eating their

apples, turned eagerly to Mrs. Meadows."Now, Mrs. Meadows," they said, "wemust go on with our lesson. Margaret,sit down and learn with us; you knowyou want to learn."

"Indeed, I do!" said Margaret. "But Idon't think I'd better now, girls. Willycame up with me, and he is waiting forme outside; I promised to look at a nesthe has found, and I don't like todisappoint him. May I come someother day, please, Mrs. Meadows "

"Well, I guess you may!" said Mrs.Meadows. "Sorry to have ye go now,but glad to see ye next time, and soyou'll find it nine days in the week,

Miss Montfort. Good day to ye, if yemust go."

Margaret shook the good woman'shand, nodded gaily to the girls, andwent out, to find Willy sitting patientlyon the fence.

"Was I a very long time, Willy " sheasked. "I thought you might have gotout of patience and gone home."

"No!" said Willy, soberly. "You were agood while, but then, girls always are.When a fellow has sisters, you know, hegets used to waiting."

"Oh! indeed!" said Margaret, much

amused.

"Yes," said Willy. "I don't think girlshave much idea of time, do you "

"Why, Willy, I don't know that I haveever considered the question. You see, Ihave always been a girl myself, soperhaps I am not qualified to judge.But do you think boys have so verymuch more idea It seems to me I knowsome one who has been late for teaseveral times this week."

Willy looked conscious. "Well," he said,"I know; but that is different. Whenyou are late for tea, I mean when a boyis, he is generally doing something that

he wants very much indeed to getthrough with, fishing, or splicing a bat,or something that really has to be done.Besides, he knows they won't wait teafor him, so it doesn't make anydifference."

"I see!" said Margaret. "And girls arenever doing anything important. Aren'tyou rather severe on us, Willy "

Willy was about to reassure her kindly,for he was extremely fond of her; butat this moment a cheery "Hallo!" washeard, and the twins rode up on theirbicycles, bright-eyed and flushed after afine spurt.

"Neck and neck!" said Gerald."Margaret, I hope you don't object tobeing a winning-post. That was a greatrun."

"Where have you been " askedMargaret, as the two dismounted andwalked along on either side of her.

"Over to the Corners, to send atelegram for the Pater. And therebyhangs a tale."

"May we hear it We love a tale, don'twe, Willy "

Willy did not look particularlyenthusiastic, but he murmured

something, which Gerald did not waitto hear.

"Well, the Pater desired to send atelegram, even winged words, to thatman who has been trying to send usshellac for the last three weeks, andwho has, we fear, broken down fromthe strain. A neat despatch it was: 'Sendto-morrow, or not at all. M.Merryweather.' Well, we had just sent it,when we heard some one behind ussay, 'Oh, gosh!' in a tone of such despairthat we turned round to see if it wasthe shellac man in person. It was littleBean, the pitcher of the Corners team,all dressed up in his baseball togs,scarlet breeches and blue shirt, quite the

bird of paradise, and reading a yellowtelegram, and his face black as thunder.He was an impressionist study, wasn'the, Fergy We asked what was up, orrather down, for elevation had no partin him. It appeared that a match was onfor this afternoon, between the BakedBeans and the Sweet Peas, the Cornersand the Spruce Point team. The Beanswere all here except the pitcher andfirst-baseman, brothers, who were tocome over by themselves, as they livedat some distance from the rest of theteam; and this telegram conveyed thecheering information, that, instead ofcoming over, they had come down withmumps, and were, in point of fact, intheir little beds."

"Oh, what a shame!" said Margaret."Poor lads! and mumps are such adistressing thing."

"I rejoice to see that you also get yoursingular and plural mixed in regard tomumps," said Gerald. "You are human,after all. But to tell the truth, I don'tknow that sympathy with the mumperswas the prevailing sentiment at theCorners."

"Gee! I should think not," said Phil."This was the match of the season, yousee, Margaret. The farmers had comefrom far and near, and brought theirwives and babies; and the Corner

fellows had got this gorgeous uniformmade, and bought out all the redflannel in the county; and here werethese two wretched chumps down withmumps."

"Oh! but Phil," cried Margaret, "theydidn't do it on purpose, poor things;and think how they were suffering! Youare heartless, I think."

"They would have suffered more if theBaked Beans had got hold of them,"said Phil, with a grin; "or the otherfellows either, for that matter. But as itturned out, it was the best thing thatcould have happened for the Beans. Hewasn't much of a pitcher."

"What do you mean " asked Willy,beginning to be interested. "Did theyget another pitcher "

"Did they Well, I should remark! I leton in a casual way that the formerpitcher of a certain college team wasnot more than a hundred miles fromthe spot at that moment. You shouldhave seen that fellow's face, Margaret. Itreally was a study. Perfect bewildermentfor a minute, and then well, I believe hewould have gone down on all foursand carried Jerry to the field if hewould not have gone in any other way."

"Oh! please, Phil. I am bewildered, too.

Is Gerald a a pitcher "

"Is he My child, he is the great originalNorth American jug."

"Oh, pooh!" said Gerald. "Don't be anass, Ferguson! You are as good a first-baseman as I am pitcher, any day. Ofcourse we were glad to help them out,though I drew the line at scarletbreeches. My mother's angry shadehovered above me and forbade.

"'Go fight in fortune's deepest ditches,But oh, avoid the scarlet breeches!'

I could hear her say it. So I told himthat my hair and my temper were the

only red I ever wore, and he submitted,though sadly. So we played; and it was agreat game. And we smote them hipand thigh, even to the going down ofthe sun; or would have, if the day hadbeen shorter. Phil made three runs,Will."

"Jerry made three more Will," said Phil;"and pitched like one o'clock, I tell you.I never saw you play better, Obadiah.Those last balls were perfect peaches. Iwish you had seen the game, Margaret."

"So do I," said Margaret. "I have neverseen a game of baseball."

"Oh! I say!" cried Phil and Willy. "What

a shame!"

"Where do you live " asked Willy, insuch open wonder and commiserationthat the others all laughed.

"She lives in an enchanted castle, Willy,"said Gerald; "with a magician whokeeps her in chains of roses and pearls.He has two attendant spirits who helpto keep her in durance that is notprecisely vile. How is Mrs. Cook,Margaret Do you know, you havehardly told me anything about Fernleyall this time I want to know ever somany things. What became of thepretty lady whose house was burnedDo you remember that I never shall

forget it as long as I live."

"Indeed, I do!" said Margaret, blushing."She is still abroad, Gerald. I doubt ifshe ever returns, or at least not for along time. She is well, and really happy,I think. Isn't it wonderful "

"You didn't see Miss Wolfe come downthe ladder!" said Gerald. "That was themost wonderful thing I ever saw. Just asshe stepped out on the window-sill, thefire caught the hem of her skirt. Ithought she was gone that time. I wasjust going to drop you and run, whenshe stooped and squeezed the skirtstogether woollen skirts, fortunately andput it out; and then came swinging

down that rope to the ladder, anddown the ladder to the ground, as ifshe had been born in a circus. I tell you,that was something to see. Pity youmissed it."

"Why did she miss it " asked Willy."And what do you mean by droppingher, Jerry "

Gerald, whose eyes were shining withthe excitement of recollection, turnedand looked down at his small brotheras if suddenly recalling his existence.

"Margaret was busy!" he said, briefly."And, I say, Father William, don't youwant to take my biky down and give

him a feed of oats he is hungry. Seehim paw the ground!" and he gave thebicycle a twirl.

"I must go," said Phil, remounting hisown. "Come along, Willy, and I'll raceyou to Camp."

But for once Willy held back. "I wasgoing to take Margaret to see aredwing's nest," he said. "I promisedher I would."

"Oh! Margaret will excuse you," saidPhil. "Won't you, Margaret Redwings'nests always look better in the morning,besides. Come on, boy, and I'll tell youall about the game."

Willy still hesitated, looking atMargaret; and she in her turn hesitated,blushing rosy red. "Don't let me keepyou, Willy dear," she said. "If youwould like to hear about the game "

"Go on, young un!" said Gerald, in atone of decision so unlike his usualbantering way, that Willy stared, thenyielded; and slowly mounting thebicycle, started off with Phil along theroad.

They rode for some time in silence, Philbeing apparently lost in thought.

"Well!" said Willy at last, in an injured

tone.

"Well, what is it, Belted Will "

"I thought you were going to tell meabout the game," said Willy, moodily. "Isay, Phil! I think it was awfully rude ofyou and Jerry to yank me off that way,when I had promised Margaret to takeher somewhere, and we were goingstraight there when you came along andbroke in. I don't think that's any kindof way to do, and I am sure Ma wouldsay so, too. What do you supposeMargaret thinks of me now "

"Ri tum ti tum ti tido!" carolled Phil."What do I suppose she thinks of you,

Belted One Why, she thinks you are oneof the nicest boys she ever saw; and soyou are, when not in doleful dumps.See here, old chap! you'll be olderbefore you are younger, and some dayyou will know a hawk from a handsaw,or hernshaw, according to whichreading of 'Hamlet' you prefer. Andnow as to this game!"

He plunged into a detailed account ofthe great match, and soon Willy's eyeswere sparkling, and his cheeks glowing,and he had forgotten all aboutMargaret and the redwing's nest.

But as they crested the hill, which onthe other side dipped down to the

camp, Phil glanced back along the road.Margaret and Gerald were walkingslowly, deep in talk, and did not see thewave of his hand. "Heigh, ho!" saidPhil; but he smiled even while hesighed.

CHAPTER XVI.

ON THE DOWN

ONE afternoon, when most of thecampers were off fishing, Margaretwandered alone up to the top of thegreat down behind the camp.Thoroughly in love with the camp life

as she was, in most of its aspects, shecould not learn to care for fishing. Tosit three, four, five hours in a boat, onthe chance of killing a harmless andbeautiful creature, did not, sheprotested, appeal to her; and many alively argument had she had on thesubject with Bell and Gertrude, whowere ardent fisher-maidens.

"But, Margaret, it is the sport!" Bellwould cry. "It isn't just killing, it issport!"

"But, Bell, if the sport does not amuseme!" Margaret would answer. "If Iwant to kill something, I would ratherkill spiders, though I am trying not to

be so afraid of them or mosquitoes."

Then the girls would cry out that shewas hopeless, and would gather uptheir reels and rods and leave her to herown peaceful devices, having even thegenerosity not to twit her withinconsistency when she enjoyed herdelicately-fried perch at supper.

These solitary afternoons were sure tobe pleasant ones for Margaret. Sheloved the merry companionship of thecampers, but she loved, too, to wanderthrough the woods, among the greatstraight-stemmed pines and darkfeathery hemlocks, or to track the littleclear brook through its windings, from

the great bog to its outlet into the lake;or, as now, to stroll about over the greatdown, looking down on the blue waterbelow.

It was a perfect afternoon. Little whiteclouds drifted here and there over thetops of the wooded hills, but they onlymade the sky more deeply and intenselyblue. There was just enough breeze toripple the water so that it caught everysunbeam, and set it dancing on thetremulous surface. Below her a fish-hawk poised and dipped, seeking hisdinner; far out, two black specksshowed where her friends were at their"sport." Margaret drew a long breathof content.

"Oh, pleasant place!" she said. "Howglad I am that I am not in that boat.Oh, pleasant place!"

She looked about her with happy eyes.Before her, the earth fell away in anabrupt descent to the lake, steepenough to be dignified by the name ofprecipice; but behind and on eitherhand it rolled away in billowy slopes ofgreen, crowned here and there withpatches of wood, and crossed byirregular lines of stone wall.

"Oh, pleasant place!" said Margaret athird time. "How many beautiful placesI know! What a wonderful world of

beauty it is!"

Her mind went back to Fernley House,the beloved home where she lived withher uncle John Montfort: to the rose-garden, where they loved to worktogether, the sunny lawns, the shadyalleys of box and laurel, the arbors ofhoneysuckle and grape-vine. She couldalmost see the beloved uncle, pruning-knife in hand, bending over his roses;if only he did not cut back theRamblers too far! She could almost seeher little cousins, her children, as shecalled them, Basil and Susan D.,running about with their butterfly-nets,shouting and calling to each other. Didthey think of her, as she hourly thought

of them Did Uncle John miss her Shemust always miss him, no matter howhappy she might be with other friends.A wave of homesickness ran throughher, and brought the quick tears to hereyes; but she brushed them away withan indignant little shake of her head.

"Goose!" she said. "When will youlearn that it is a physical impossibility tobe in two places at once You don't wantto leave this beautiful place and thesedear people yet Of course, you don't!Well, then, don't behave so! But all thesame, it would be good to hear UncleJohn's voice!"

At this moment she heard, not the

beloved voice for which she longed,but certainly a sound, breaking thestillness of the afternoon; a soundmade neither by wind nor water. It didnot sound like a bird, either; nor a beast

"Oh, to be sure!" thought Margaret. "Itmay be a sheep. I saw the flock up therethis morning. Of course, it is a sheep."

The sound came again, louder thistime, and nearer; something between asnorting and a blowing; it must be avery large sheep to make such a loudnoise.

Margaret turned to look behind her;but it was not a sheep that she saw.

Just behind the rock on which she wassitting the land rose in a high, greenshoulder, on the farther side of whichit sloped gradually down to a littlevalley. Over this shoulder now appeareda head! A head five times as big as thatof the biggest sheep that ever borefleece; a head crowned by long, sharp,dangerous-looking horns. And now, asMargaret sat transfixed with terror,another head appeared, and another,and still another; till a whole herd ofcattle stood on the ridge looking downat her.

Jet black, of colossal size, withgleaming eyes and quivering nostrils,

they were formidable creatures to anyeyes; but to poor Margaret's they weremonsters as terrible as griffin ordragon. All cattle, even the mildest oldBrindle that ever stood to be milked,were objects of dire alarm to her, butshe had never seen animals like these.Tales of the wild cattle of Chillingham,of the fierce herds that roam theWestern prairies and the pampas of theSouth, rushed to her mind. She felt fearstealing over her, a wild, unreasoningpanic which neither strength nor reasoncould resist. She dared not move; shedared not cry out for help; indeed, whowas there to hear if she did cry She satstill on her rock, her hands claspedtogether, her eyes, wide with terror,

fixed on the enemy.

The leader of the herd met her gazewith one which to her excited fancyseemed threatening and sinister. For amoment he stood motionless; then,tossing his head with its gleaminghorns, and uttering another loud snort,he took a step toward her; the restfollowed. Another step and another.Margaret glanced wildly around her. Onone side was the precipice, on eitherhand a wide stretch of open meadow;no hope of escape. She must meet herdeath here, then, alone, with no humaneye to see, no human hand to help herin her extremity. She crouched down onthe rock, and covered her eyes with her

hands. The cattle drew nearer. Snuffingthe air, tossing their horns, withoutstretched necks and eager eyes, stepby step they advanced. Now they wereclose about her, their giant formsblocking the sunlight, their gleamingeyes fixed upon her. Margaret felt hersenses deserting her; but suddenly hark!another sound fell on her ear; a soundclear, resonant, jubilant; the sound of ahuman voice, singing:

"I'm an honest lad, though I be poor,And I niver was in love afore "

"Gerald!" cried Margaret. "Gerald, help!"and she dropped quietly off the rock,under the very feet of the black cattle.

When she came to herself, she waspropped against the rock, and Geraldwas fanning her with his cap andgazing at her with eyes of anxiety andtenderness, which yet had a twinkle intheir depths.

"Better " he asked, as he had askedonce before under somewhat similarcircumstances. "Do say you are better,please! The house isn't on fire this time,and neither is the Thames."

Margaret struggled into a sittingposture. "Oh! Gerald," she said, "I amso ashamed! You will think I am alwaysfainting, and, indeed, I never have in all

my life except these two times. But theywere so terrible ah! there they are still."

Indeed, the herd of cattle was standingnear, still gazing with gleaming eyes;but, somehow, the look of ferocity wasgone. She could even see with Geraldbeside her that they were noble-lookingcreatures.

"Oh, no!" said Gerald. "Don't call themterrible; you will hurt their poor oldfeelings. I know them of old, Horatio;fellows of infinite jest."

"Are they are they tame " askedMargaret, in amazement.

"Tame I should say so. Look at thisfellow! I have known him from a calf.Did um want um's nosy rubbed " headded, addressing the huge leader, whowas snuffing nearer and nearer. "Comealong, then, Popolorum Tibby, and tellum's prettiest aunt not to be afraid ofum any more."

"But but they came all around me!" saidpoor Margaret.

"Small blame to them! Showed theirgood sense, not to say their taste. But tobe wholly candid, they came for salt."

"For salt Those great monsters "

"To be sure! Ellis, the farmer, makesregular pets of them, and I always put alump of salt in my pocket when I amcoming their way. I never saw them inthis pasture before, though; the fencemust be broken. I believe I have somegrains of salt left now. See him take itlike a lady!"

He held out his hand, with a little heapof salt in it. The huge ox came forward,stepping daintily, with neckoutstretched and nostrils spread; putout a tongue like a pink sickle, andneatly, with one comprehensive lick,swept off every particle of salt, andlooked his appreciation.

Gerald patted the great muzzleaffectionately.

"Good old Blunderbore!" he said. "Ialmost carried you when you were aday old, though you may not believe it.Come, Margaret, give him a pat, and sayyou bear no malice."

Margaret put out a timid hand andpatted the great black head.Blunderbore snuffed and blew, andexpressed his friendliness in every wayhe could.

"Why, he is a dear, gentle creature!" saidthe girl. "I shall never be afraid of himagain. And yet oh, Gerald, I am so glad

you came!"

"So am I!" said Gerald.

"Because," Margaret went on, "ofcourse, I see how silly and foolish Iwas; but all the same, I was terriblyfrightened, and I really don't knowwhat would have become of me if youhad not come, Gerald."

"But I did come, Margaret! I will alwayscome, whenever you want me, if it isacross the world."

"But you must think me so very silly,Gerald!"

"Do you wish to know what I think ofyou " asked Gerald.

Margaret was silent.

"Because, for the insignificant sum oftwo cents, I would tell you," he wenton.

"I haven't two cents with me," saidMargaret. "I think it is time to go homenow, Gerald."

"Generosity is part of my nature," saidGerald; "I'll tell you for nothing.Margaret sit down, please!"

Margaret had risen to her feet. The

words had the old merry ring, but adeep note quivered in his voice. The girlwas afraid, she knew not of what;afraid, yet with a fear that was half joy."I I must go, Gerald, indeed!" she said,faintly.

"You must not go," said Gerald,gravely. "It is not all play, Margaret,between you and me. My cap and bellsare off now, and you must hear what Ihave to say."

Margaret, still hesitating, looked up inhis face, and saw something there thatbrought the sweet color flooding overher neck and brow, so swift and hotthat instinctively she hid her face in her

hands.

But gently, tenderly, GeraldMerryweather drew the slender handsaway, and held them close in his own.

"My dearest girl," said the young man,"my dearest love, you are not afraid ofme Sit down by me; sit down, myMargaret, and let me tell you what myheart has been saying ever since the dayI first saw you."

So dear Margaret sat down, perhapsbecause she could hardly stand, andlistened. And the black cattle listened,too, and so did the fish-hawk overhead,and the little birds peeping from their

nest in the birch wood close at hand;but none of them ever told whatGerald said.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE SNOWY OWL

"I THINK it is a horrid bother, if youwant to know!" said Willy.

"Willy Merryweather! aren't youashamed of yourself I never heardanything so odious, when we are all sohappy, and everything is so perfectlylovely. I don't see what you mean."

"I don't care, it is a bother. Nothing isthe way it used to be; it's all nothing butspooning, all over the lot."

"I should not think you would usevulgar expressions, anyhow, Willy."

"'Spooning' isn't vulgar," said Willy,sulkily. "I've heard Pa say it, so there!And look here, Kitty! Of course, it's allcorking, and so on, and anyhow, girlslike that kind of fuss; but it does spoileverything, I tell you. Why, Pa couldn'tget a crew for the war canoe yesterday.He wanted to go to Pine Cove at least Idid, awfully, and he said all right, so wewould; and then Jerry was off with

Margaret in the Keewaydin, and Bell andJack were out in the woods fiddling,and Peggy and Phil I say, Kitty! Youdon't suppose they are going to getspoony, do you "

Kitty looked very wise, and pursed herlips and nodded her head with an airof deep mystery.

"You don't!" repeated Willy, lookingaghast.

"Hush, Willy!" said Kitty. "Don't say aword! don't breathe it to anybody! Ihope I think they are!"

"What a mean, horrid shame!" cried

Willy, indignantly. "I do think it isdisgusting."

His sister turned on him with flashingeyes. "It is you that is the shame!" shecried. "It is you who ought to beashamed, Willy. Do you want poor Philto be all alone when Jerry is marriedDo you know that twins sometimespine away and die, Willy Merryweather,when the other of them dies "

"Jerry isn't going to die," said Willy,uncomfortably. "What nonsense youtalk, Kitty."

"Well, marries. I should think verylikely they would, then, if they didn't

get married themselves. I think you areperfectly heartless, Willy. And dearPeggy, too, so nice and jolly! and if shegoes away back out West without fallingin love with Phil, we may never, neversee her again; and she has promised mea puppy of the very next litterSimmerimmeris has. So there!"

Willy was silent for a moment, kickingthe pebbles thoughtfully.

"Do you think she is that " he asked atlength, shamefacedly.

"Of course I don't know!" said Kitty,judicially. "Of course very likelynothing is positively decided yet; but I

am sure she likes him very, very much,and he takes her out whenever he has achance."

"There's nobody else for him to takeout," put in Willy; "the others are allspoon "

"Willy, don't be tiresome! and justthink! if they should get married andgo to live out West, then you and Icould both go out to see them, and rideall the ponies, and punch the cows, andhave real lassoes, and and "

The children were coming homethrough the wood. Kitty's voice hadgradually risen, till now it was a shrill

squeak of excitement; but at thismoment it broke off suddenly, forthere was a rustling of branches, andthe next moment Gertrude stoodbefore them with grave looks.

"My dear chicks," she said, "you mustnot talk so loud. I was in the pineparlor, and could not help hearing thelast part of what you were saying. Andanyhow, I would not talk about suchthings, if I were you. Suppose Peggyhad been with me! How do you thinkshe would have felt Mammy would notlike to have you gossiping in thisfoolish way."

The children hung their heads.

"Oh! Toots," said Kitty, "I am sorry! Ididn't realize that we were gettinganywhere near the house. We were onlythinking at least I was how lovely itwould be if Peggy and Phil should "

"Kitty dear, hush!" said Gertrude,decidedly. "You would better not think,and you certainly must not talk, aboutanything of the kind. There are enoughreal love-affairs to interest you, youlittle match-maker, without yourbuilding castles in the air. Let Peggyand Phil alone!"

"I should think there were!" said Willy."That's just what I was saying, Toots;

it's nothing but spooning, all over theplace. There's no fun anywhere; thiswretched love-making spoilseverything. I think it's perfectlychildish."

"Do you, Willy dear " said his sister;and her smile was very sweet as she laidher hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yes, I do. Here are the white perchrising like a house afire, and I can't get asoul to go with me. It was just the sameyesterday, and it's like that almost everyday now."

"Oh, Willy! I'll go with you," criedKitty, eagerly. "Why didn't you tell me

the perch were rising Let's come rightalong this minute. Toots will help uswith the boat, won't you, Toots "

"Yes, I'll help!" said the Snowy Owl.

Ten minutes later the white boat wasspeeding on her way to the fishing-ground, the little rowers bending totheir oars, chattering merrily as theywent.

"That's one comfort!" Willy was saying."We've got Toots. Nobody will get heraway from us."

"I should hope not," said Kitty."There's nobody good enough, in the

first place; and besides, of coursesomebody must stay with Papa andMamma."

"I suppose you will be grown upyourself some day!" said Willy, gruffly.

"I shall be likely to marry very young,"said Kitty, seriously. "I heard AuntAnna say so."

Gertrude stood on the wharf, lookingafter the retreating boat. "Poor Willy!"she said, with a smile; "it is hard onhim!"

She looked around her. It wasafternoon, a still, golden day. The lake

was as she loved best to see it, a sheetof living crystal, here deep blue, hereglittering in gold and diamonds, heregiving back shades of crimson andrusset from the autumn woods thatcrowded down to the water's edge. Farout, her eye caught a white flash, thegleam of a paddle; there was another,just at the bend of the shore; and wasthat dark spot the prow of a thirdcanoe, moored in the fairy cove ofBirch Island Gertrude smiled again,and her smile said many things.

Presently she raised her arms above herhead, and brought them down slowly,with a powerful gesture. "How good itwould be to fly!" she said, dreamily. "To

fly away up to the iceberg country,where the snowy owls live!"

She stood for a long time silent, gazingout over the shining water. At last sheshook herself with a little laugh, andturned away. The white canoe, her ownespecial pet, was lying on the wharf. Shelaunched it carefully, then taking herpaddle, knelt down in the bow. A fewlong, swift strokes, and the canoe shotout over the lake, and rested like a greatwhite bird with folded wings, thenglided slowly on again. It was a pitythere was none to see, for the picturewas a fair one: the stately maidenkneeling, her golden hair sweepingabout her, her white arms rising and

falling slowly, rhythmically, in perfectgrace.

"Tu-whoo!" said the Snowy Owl.

But only the loon answered her.

THE END.

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Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

Page 10, "Bellville" changed to"Belleville" (Mr. Claud Belleville)

Page 11, "282" changed to "281" (Seepage 281)

Page 45, "develope" changed to"develop" (symptoms develop which)

Page 78, double word "and" removed(must go and tell) Original read (mustgo and and tell)

Page 132, "Limavady" changed to"Limavaddy" (Peg of Limavaddy!")

THE END