MARJORIE AT SEACOTE CAROLYN WELL d < / MARJORIE AT SEACOTE jfiNIY, OF CALIF. LIBRARY. I.O ANGELES BY THE SAME AUTHOR PATTY SERIES PATTY FAIRFIELD PATTY AT HOME PATTY IN THE CITY PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS PATTY IN PARIS \. i PATTY'S FRIENDS PATTY'S PLEASURE TRIP PATTY'S SUCCESS PATTY'S MOTOR CAR PATTY'S BUTTERFLY DAYS MARJORIE SERIES MARJORIE'S VACATION MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND MARJORIE IN COMMAND MARJORIE'S MAYTIME MARJORIE AT SEACOTE MARJORIE AT SEACOTE 'BY CAROLYN WELLS AUTHOR OF THE "PATTY" BOOKS GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY CONTEXTS CHAPTER PAGE I KITTY'S DINNER ... 1 II TOM, DICK, AND HARRY . . 16 III THE SAND CLUB ... 30 IV SAND COURT .... 44 V " THE JOLLY SANDBOY " .58 VI Two WELCOME GUESTS . . 72 VII THE GLORIOUS FOURTH . . 86 VIII A REVELATION . . . 101 IX THE SEARCH . . . - 115 X JESSICA BROWN . . 129 XI THE REUNION . . . .144 XII A LETTER OF THANKS . .158 XIII THIRTEEN! . . . .174 XIV QUEEN HESTER . . .189 XV A MOTOR RIDE . . . 204 XVI RED GERANIUMS . . . 218 XVII WHAT HESTER DID . . . 232 XVIII A FINE GAME .... 247 XIX MORE FUN . . . .263 XX A CELEBRATION 275 2132541 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE CHAPTER I KITTY'S DINNER " Kitty-Cat Kitty is going away, Going to Grandma's, all summer to stay. And so all the Maynards will weep and will bawl, Till Kitty-Cat Kitty comes home in the falL" THIS affecting ditty was being sung with great gusto by King and Marjorie, while Kitty, her mood divided between smiles and tears, was quietly appreciative. The very next day, Kitty was to start for Morristown, to spend the summer with Grandma Sherwood, and to-night the " Farewell Feast " was to be celebrated. Every year one of the Maynard children spent the summer months with their grandmother, and this year it was Kitty's turn. The visit was al- ways a pleasant one, and greatly enjoyed by the small visitor, but there was always a wrench at parting, for the Maynard family were affectionate and deeply devoted to one another. 2 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE The night before the departure was always cel- ebrated by a festival of farewell, and at this feast tokens were presented, and speeches made, and songs sung, all of which went far to dispel sad or gloomy feelings. The Maynards were fond of singing. They were willing to sing " ready-made " songs, and often did, but they liked better to make up songs of their own, sometimes using familiar tunes and sometimes inventing an air as they went along. Even if not quite in keeping with the rules for classic music, these airs were pleasing in their own ars, and that was all that was necessary. So, when King and Midget composed the touch- ing lines which head this chapter and sang them to the tune of " The Campbells are Coming," they were so pleased that they repeated them many times. This served to pass pleasantly the half-hour that must yet elapse before dinner would be an- nounced. "Well, Kit," remarked Kingdon, in a breath- ing pause between songs, " we'll miss you lots, o' course, but you'll have a gay old time at Grandma's. That Molly Moss is a whole team in herself." " She's heaps of fun, Kitsie," said Marjorie, " but she's chock-a-block full of mischief.. But you KITTY'S DINNER 3 won't tumble head over heels into all her mis- chiefs, like I did! 'Member how I sprained my ankle, sliding down the barn roof with her?" " No, of course I wouldn't do anything like that," agreed the sedate Kitty. " But we'll have lots of fun with that tree-house ; I'm going to sit up there and read, on pleasant days." " H'm, lucky, you know what, King ! " " H'm, yes ! Keep still, Mops. You'll give it away." " Oh, a secret about a present," cried Kitty ; " something for the tree-house, I know ! " " Maybe 'tis, and maybe 'tain't," answered King, with a mysterious wink at Marjorie. " Me buyed present for Kitty," said Rosamond, smiling sweetly ; " gold an' blue, oh, a bootiful present." " Hush, hush, Rosy Posy, you mustn't tell," said her brother. " Presents are always surprises. Hey, girls, here's Father ! " Mr. Maynard's appearance was usually a signal for a grand rush, followed by a series of bear hugs and a general scramble, but to-night, owing to festive attire, the Maynard quartette were a little more demure. "Look out for my hair-ribbons, King!" cried Midget, for without such warning, hair-ribbons 4 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE usually felt first the effects of the good-natured scrimmage. And then Mrs. Maynard appeared, her pretty rose-colored gown of soft silk trailing behind her on the floor. " What a dandy mother ! " exclaimed King ; " all dressed up, and a flower in her hair ! " This line sounded singable to Marjorie, so she tuned up: " All dressed up, and a flower in her hair, To give her a hug, I wouldn't dare; For she would feel pretty bad, I think, If anything happened to that there pink!" Then King added a refrain, and in a moment they had all joined hands and were dancing round Mrs. Maynard and singing: " Hooray, hooray, for our mother fair ! Hooray, hooray, for the flower in her hair! All over the hills and far away, There's no one so sweet as Mothery May ! " Being accustomed to boisterous adulation from her children, Mrs. Maynard bore her honors grace- fully, and then they all went out to dinner. As Maiden of Honor, Kitty was escorted by her father; next came Mrs. Maynard and King- don, and then Marjorie and Rosy Posy. The table KITTY'S DINNER 5 had extra decorations of flowers and pink-shaded candles, and at Kitty's place was a fascinating looking lot of tissue-papered and ribbon-tied parcels. " Isn't it funny," said sedate and philosophical Kitty, " I love to go to Grandma's, and yet I hate to leave you all, and yet, I can't do one without doing the other ! " " 'Tis strange, indeed, Kit ! " agreed her father ; " as Mr. Shakespeare says, ' Yet every sweet with sour is tempered still.' Life is like lemonade, sour and sweet both." " It's good enough," said Kitty, contentedly, looking at her array of bundles. " I guess I'll open these now." " That's what they're there for," said Mrs. Maynard, so Kitty excitedly began to untie the ribbons. " I'll go slowly," she said, pulling gently at a ribbon bow, " then they'll last longer." "Now, isn't that just like you, Kit!" ex- claimed Marjorie. " I'd snatch the papers off so fast you couldn't see me jerk." " I know you would," said Kitty, simply. The sisters were very unlike, for Midget's ways were impulsive and impatient, while Kitty was slow and careful. But finally the papers came off, and revealed the lovely gifts. 6 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE Mrs. Maynard had made a pretty silk work- bag, which could be spread out, or gathered up close on its ribbon. When outspread, it showed a store of needles and thread, of buttons, hooks, tapes, everything a little girl could need to keep her clothes in order. "Oh, Mother, it's perfect!" cried Kitty, ec- statically. " I love those cunning little pockets, with all sewy things in them ! And a darling silver thimble! And a silver tape measure, and a silver-topped emery! Oh, I do believe I'll sew all the time this summer ! " "Pooh, / wouldn't!" said Marjorie. "The things are lovely, but I'd rather play than sew." " Sewing is play, I think," and Kitty fingered over her treasures lovingly. " Grandma will help me with my patterns, and I'm going to piece a silk teachest quilt. Oh, Mother, it will be such fun!" "Call that fun!" and Marjorie looked dis- dainfully at her sister. " Fun is racing around and playing tag, and cutting up jinks generally ! " " For you it is," Kitty agreed, amiably, " but not for me. I like what I like." " That's good philosophy, Kitty," said her father. " Stick to it always. Like what you like, and don't be bothered by other people's com- KITTY'S DINNER 7 ments or opinions. Now, what's in that smallish, flattish, whitish parcel? " The parcel in question proved to be a watch, a dear little gold watch. Kitty had never owned one before, and it almost took her breath away. " Mine? " she exclaimed, in wonder. " All mine?" " Yes, every bit yours," said Mr. Maynard, smiling at her. " Every wheel and spring, every one of its three hands, every one of its twelve hours are all, all yours. Do you like it? " " Like it ! I can't think of any words to tell you how much I like it." " I'll think of some for you," said the accom- modating Marjorie. " You could say it's the grandest, gloriousest, gorgeousest, magnificentest present you ever had ! " " Yes, I could say that," Kitty agreed, " but I never should have thought of it. I 'most always say a thing is lovely. Now, what in the world is this?" " This " proved to be a well-stocked portfolio, the gift of King. There were notepaper and en- velopes and a pen and pencils and stamps and everything to write letters with. " I picked out all the things myself," King explained, " because it's nicer that way than the ready furnished ones. Do you like it, Kit? " 8 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Yes, indeedy ! And I shall write my first let- ter to you, because you gave it to me." "Oh, Kitty-Cat Kit, a letter she writ, And sent it away, to her brother one day," chanted Marjorie, and, as was their custom, they all sang the song after her, some several times over. "Now for mine," Midget said, as Kitty slowly untied the next parcel. It was two volumes of Fairy Tales, which literature was Kitty's favorite reading. " Oh, lovely ! " she exclaimed. " On summer afternoons you can think of me sitting out in the tree-house reading these. I shall pretend I'm a Fairy Princess. These are beautiful stories, I can see that already." Kitty's quick eye had caught an interesting page, and forgetting all else, she became absorbed in the book at once. In a moment, the page was turned, and Kitty read on and on, oblivious to time or place. " Hi, there, Kitsie ! Come out o' that ! " cried King. '' You can read all summer, now you must associate with your family." " I didn't mean to," said Kitty, shutting the book quickly, and looking round apologetically; KITTY'S DINNER 9 " but it's all about a fairy godmother, and a lovely princess lady, oh, Mopsy, it's fine! " A pair of little blue enamelled pins was Rosa- mond's present, and Kitty pinned them on her shoulders at once, to see how they looked. All pronounced the effect excellent, and Rosy Posy clapped her little fat hands in glee. " Mine's the prettiest present ! " she said. " Mine's the booflest ! " " Yes, Babykins," said Kitty, " yours is the booflest, but they're all lovely." The Farewell Feast included all of Kitty's favorite dishes, and as most of them were also favorites with the other children, it was satis- factory all round. " You must write to us often, Kit," said King ; " I gave you those writing things so you'd be sure to." " Yes, I will ; but I don't know yet where you're all going to be." " I don't know yet myself," said Mr. Maynard, " but it will be somewhere near the sea, if possible. Will you like the seashore, Kiddies, you that are going? " "I shall," said Marjorie, promptly. "I'll love it. May we go bathing every day? And can I have a bathing suit, red, trimmed with white?" 10 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " I 'spcct you can," said her mother, smiling at her. .""What color do you want, King? " 'jh,'-I think dark blue would suit my manly beauty ! What are you going to have, Father? '* " I think dark blue will be our choice, my boy. It swims better than anything else. But first we must find a roof to cover our heads. I've about decided on one, if I can get it. It's a bunga- low." "What's a bungalow?" asked Marjorie. "I never heard of such a thing." " Ho, ho ! Never heard of a bungalow ! " said King. " Why, a bungalow is a, is a, " " Well, is a what ? " asked Midget, impatiently. "Why, it's a bungalow! That's what it is." " Fine definition, King ! " said his father. " But since you undertook to do so, see if you can't give its meaning better than that. What is a bunga- low?" " Well, let me see. It's a house, I guess it's a low, one-storied house, and that's why they call it bungalow. Is that it ? " ; ' You're right about the one story ; the rest is, I think, your own invention. Originally, the bun- galow was the sort of a house they have in India, a one-storied affair, with a thatched roof, and verandas all round it. But the ones they build now, in this country, are often much more elab- KITTY'S DINNER 11 orate than that. Sometimes they have one story, sometimes more. The one I'm trying to get for the summer is at Seacote, and it's what they call a story and a half. That is, it has an upper floor, but the rooms are under a slanting roof, and have dormer windows." " Sounds good to me," said King. " Do you think you'll catch it, Dad?" " I hope so. Some other person has the re- fusal of it, but he's doubtful about taking it. So it may yet fall to our lot." "I hope so!" cried Marjorie. "At the sea- shore for a whole summer ! My ! what fun ! Can we dig in the sand? " " Well, rather, my child ! That's what the sand is there for. Kitty, you were at the seashore last summer. Did you dig in the sand? " " Yes, every day ; and it was lovely. But this year I'm glad I'm going to Grandma's. It's more restful." They all laughed at Kitty's desire for rest, and Marjorie said: " 7 didn't have such a restful time at Grandma's. Except when I sprained my ankle, I rested enough then! But you won't do anything like that, Kit ! " " I hope not, I'm sure. Nor I won't fall down the well, either ! " 12 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Oh, we didn't fall down the well. We just went down, to get cooled off." " Well, I'm not going to try it. I shall sit in the tree-house and read every afternoon, and sew with Grandma in the mornings." " Kit, you're a dormouse," said Kingdon ; " I believe you'd like to sleep half the year." " 'Deed I wouldn't. Just because I don't like rambunctious play doesn't mean I want to sleep all the time! Does it, Father? " " Not a bit of it. But you children must * like what you like ' and not comment on others' ' likes.' See?" " Yes, sir," said King, understanding the kindly rebuke. " Hullo, Kit, here's one of your best * likes ' ! Here's pink ice-cream coming ! " This was indeed one of Kitty's dearest " likes," and as none of the Maynards disliked it, it rapidly disappeared. " Now, we'll have an entertainment," said King as, after dinner, they all went back to the pleasant living-room. " As Kitty is the chief pebble on the beach this evening, she shall choose what sort of an entertainment. Games, or what? " "No, just a real entertainment," said Kitty; " a programme one, you know. Each one must sing a song or speak a piece, or something like KITTY'S DINNER 13 that. I'll be the audience, and you can all be per- formers." "All right," said King; "I'll be master of ceremonies. I'll make up the programme as I go along. Ladies and gentlemen, our first number will be a speech by the Honorable Edward May- nard. Mr. Maynard will please step forward." Mr. Maynard stepped. Assuming a pompous air, he made a low bow, first to Kitty, and then to the others. " My dear friends," he said, " we are gathered here together this evening to extend our fare- wells and our hearty good wishes to the lady about to leave us. Sister, thou art mild and lovely, and we hate to see thee go ; but the best of friends must sever, and you'll soon come back, you know. Listen now to our advices. Kitty, dear, for pity's sake, do not tumble in the river, do not tumble in the lake. Many more things I could tell you as I talk in lovely rhyme, but I think it is my duty to let others share the time." Mr. Maynard sat down amid great applause, and Kitty said, earnestly, " You are a lovely poet, Father. I wish you'd give up your other business, and just write books of poetry." " I'm afraid, Kitsie, we wouldn't have enough money for pink ice-cream in that case," said Mr. Maynard, laughing. 14 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE "The next performeress will be Mrs. May- nard," announced the master of ceremonies. Mother Maynard rose, smiling, and with all the airs and graces of a prima donna, went to the piano. Striking a few preliminary chords, she began to sing: "Good-bye, Kitty; good-bye, Kitty; good-bye, Kitty, You're going to leave us now. Merrily we say good-bye, Say good-bye, say good-bye; Merrily we say good-bye To sister Kitty-Kit." This had a pleasant jingle, and was repeated by the whole assembly with fine effect and a large volume of noise. "Miss Marjorie Maynard will now favor us," was the next announcement. "This is a poem I made up myself," said Midget, modestly, " and I think it's very nice: "When Kitty goes to Grandma's I hope she win be good; And be a lady-girl and do Exactly as she should. 'Cause when 7 go to Grandma's, I act exceeding bad; I track up IJza's nice clean floor, And make her hopping mad!" Marjorie's poem was applauded with cheers, as they all recognized its inherent truth. KITTY'S DINNER 15 " We next come to Miss Rosamond Maynard," King went on, " but as she has fallen asleep, I will ask that the audience kindly excuse her." The audience kindly did so, and as it was get- ting near everybody's bedtime, at least, for chil- dren, the whole quartette was started bedward, and went away singing: " Good-bye, Kitty, you're going to leare 05 now" CHAPTER II TOM, DICK, AND HARRY " JUMPING Grasshoppers ! What a dandy house ! " The Maynards' motor swung into the driveway of a large and pleasant looking place, whose lawn showed some sand spots here and there, and whose trees were tall pines, but whose whole effect was delightfully breezy and seashorey. " Oh, grandiferous ! " cried Marjorie, echoing her brother's enthusiastic tones, and standing up in the car, better to see their new home. Seacote, the place chosen by Mr. Maynard for his family's summering, was on the southern shore of Long Island, not very far from Roclcaway Beach. It was a sort of park or reservation in which building was under certain restrictions, and so it was made up of pleasant homes filled with pleasant people. Fortunately, Mr. Maynard had been able to rent the bungalow he wanted, and it was this picturesque domicile that so roused King's ad- miration. The house was long and low, and surrounded 16 TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 17 by verandas, some of which were screened by vines, and others shaded by striped awnings. But what most delighted the children was the fact that the ocean rolled its crested breakers up to their very door. Not literally to the door, for the road ran between the sea and the house, and a boardwalk was between the road and the sea. But not fifty feet from their front windows the shining waves were even now dashing madly to- ward them as if in tumultuous welcome. The servants were already installed, and the open doors seemed to invite the family to come in and make themselves at home. " Let's go straight bang through the whole house," said King, " and then outdoors after- ward." " All right," agreed Marjorie, and in their usual impetuous fashion, the two raced through the house from attic to cellar, though there really wasn't any attic, except a sort of low-ceiled loft. However, they climbed up into this, and then down through the various bedrooms on the second floor, and back to the first floor, which contained the large living-room, a spacious hall, and the dining-room and kitchen. " It's all right," said King, nodding his head in approval. " Now outside, Midget." Outside they flew, and took stock of their sur- 18 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE roundings. Almost an acre of ground was theirs, and though as yet empty of special interest, King could see its possibilities. " Room for a tennis court," he said ; " then I guess we'll have a big swing, and a hammock, and a tent, and " " And a merry-go-round," supplemented Mr. Maynard, overhearing King's plans. "No, not that, Father," said Marjorie, "but we can have swings and things, can't we? " " I 'spect so, Mopsy. But with the ocean and the beach, I doubt if you'll stay in this yard much." " Oh, that's so ; I forgot the ocean ! Come on, Father, let's go and look at it." So the three went down to the beach, and Mar- jorie, who hadn't been to the seashore since she was a small child, plumped herself down on the sand, and just gazed out at the tumbling waves. " I don't care for the swings and things," she said. " I just want to stay here all the time, and dig and dig and dig." As she spoke she was digging her heels into the fine white sand, and poking her hands in, and burying her arms up to her dimpled elbows. " Oh, Father, isn't it gee-lorious ! Sit down, won't you, and let us bury you in sand, all but your nose! " TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 19 " Not now," said Mr. Maynard, laughing. " Some day you may, when I'm in a bathing suit. But I don't care for pockets full of sand. Now, I'm going back to home and Mother. You two may stay down here till luncheon time if you like." Mr. Maynard went back to the house, and King and Marjorie continued their explorations. The beach was flat and smooth, and its white sand was full of shells, and here and there a few bits of seaweed, and farther on some driftwood, and in the distance a pier, built out far into the ocean. "Did you ever see such a place? " cried Mar- jorie, in sheer delight. " Well, I was at the seashore last year," said King, " while you were at Grandma's." " But it wasn't as nice as this, was it? Say it wasn't ! " " No ; the sand was browner. This is the nicest sand I ever saw. Say, Mops, let's build a fire." "What for? It isn't cold." " No, but you always build fires on the beach. It's lots of fun. And we'll roast potatoes in it." "All right. How do we begin?" " Well, we gather a lot of wood first. Come on." Marjorie came on, and they worked with a 20 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE will, gathering armfuls of wood and piling it up near the spot they had selected for their fire. "That's enough," said Mar j one, for her arms ached as she laid down her last contribution to their collection. " You'll find it isn't much when it gets to burn- ing. But never mind, it will make a start. I'll skin up to the house and get matches and pota- toes." " I'll go with you, 'cause I think we'd better ask Father about making this fire. It might do some harm." " Fiddlesticks ! We made a fire 'most every day last summer." And, owing to King's knowledge and experi- ence regarding beach fires, his father told him he might build one, and to be properly careful about not setting fire to themselves. Then they procured potatoes and apples from the kitchen, and raced back to the beach. "Why, where's our wood?" cried Marjorie. Not a stick or a chip remained of their care- fully gathered wood pile. " Some one has stolen it ! " said King. " No, there's nobody around, except those peo- ple over there, and they're grown-ups. It must have been washed away by a wave." TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 21 " Pooh, the waves aren't coming up near as far as this." " Well, there might have been a big one." " No, it wasn't a wave. That wood was stolen, Mops ! " " But who could have done it ? Those grown- up people wouldn't. You can see from their looks they wouldn't. They're reading aloud. And in the other direction, there are only some fishermen, they wouldn't take it." " Well, somebody did. Look, here are lots of footprints, and I don't believe they're all ours.'* Sure enough, on the smooth white sand they could see many footprints, imprinted all over each other, as if scurrying feet had trodden all around their precious wood pile. " Oh, King, you're just like a detective! " cried Marjorie, in admiration. " But it's so ! These aren't our footprints ! " She fitted her spring-heeled tan shoes into the prints, and proved at once that they were not hers. Nor did King's shoes fit exactly, though they came nearer to it than Marjorie's. " Yes, sir ; some fellows came along and stole that wood. Here are two or three quite different prints." " Well, where do they lead to? " said practical Marjorie. 22 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " That's so. Let's trace them and get the wood back." But after leading away from them for a short distance the footprints became fainter, and in a softer bit of sand disappeared altogether. " Pshaw ! " said King. " I don't so much care about the wood, but I hate to lose the trail like this. Let's hunt, Mopsy." " All right, but first, let's bury these apples and potatoes, or they'll be stolen, too." " Good idea ! " And they buried their treasures in the nice, clean sand, and marked the place with an inconspicuous stick. Then they set out to hunt their lost wood. The beach, though flat and shelving at the water's edge, rose in a low bluff farther back, and this offered among its irregular projections many good hiding-places for their quarry. And, sure enough, after some searching, they came suddenly upon three boys who sat, shaking with laughter, upon a pile of wood. The two Maynards glared at them rather angrily, upon which the three again went off in peals of laughter. " That's our wood ! " began King, aggressively. " Sure it is ! " returned the biggest boy, still chuckling. " What did you bring it over here for? " TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 23 "Just for fun!" " H'm, just for fun! And do you think it would be fun to carry it back again? " "Yep; just's lieve as not. Come on, kids!" And that remarkable boy began to pick up the sticks. " Oh, hold on," said King. " If you're so will- ing, you needn't do it! Who are you, anyway? " " Well," said the biggest boy, suddenly straight- ening himself up and bowing politely to Mar- jorie, " we're your neighbors. We live in that green house next to yours. And we're named Tom, Dick, and Harry. Yes, I know you think those names sound funny, but they're ours all the same. Thomas, Richard, and Henry Craig, at your service! I'm Tom. This is Dick, and this is Harry." He whacked his brothers on the shoulder as he named them, and they ducked forward in polite, if awkward salutation. "And did you really take our wood?" said Marjorie, with an accusing glance, as if surprised that such pleasant-spoken boys could do such a thing. " Yes, we did. We wanted to see what sort of stuff you were made of. You know Seacote peo- ple are sort of like one big family, and we wanted to know how you'd behave about the wood. 24 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE You've been fine, and now we'll cart it back where we found it. If you had got mad about it, we wouldn't touch a stick to take it back, would we, fellows ? " " Nope," said the other two, and the Maynards could see at once that Tom was the captain and ringleader of the trio. " Well," said King, judicially, " if you hadn't been the sort you are, I should have got mad. But I guess you're all right, and so you may take it back. But we don't help you do it, see? I'm Kingdon Maynard, and this is my sister Mar- jorie. You fellows took our wood, and now you're going to return it. Is that right? " " Right-o ! " said Tom. " Come on, fellows." The three boys flew at it, and King and Midget sat on the sand and watched them till the wood was restored to its original position. "All right," said King; "you boys'll do. Now, come on and roast potatoes with us." Thus, all demands of honor having been com- plied with, the five proceeded to become friends. The boys built the fire, and gallantly let Mar- jorie have the fun of putting the potatoes and apples in place. The Craig boys had nice instincts, and while they were rather rough-and-tumble among them- selves, they treated King more decorously, and TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 25 seemed to consider Marjorie as a being of a higher order, made to receive not only respect, but rev- erent homage. " You see, we never had a sister," said Tom ; " and we're a little bit scared of girls." " Well, I have three," said King, " so you see I haven't such deep awe of them. But Midget won't hurt you, so don't be too scared of her." Marjorie smiled in most friendly fashion, for she liked these boys, and especially Tom. " How old are you ? " she asked him, in her frank, pleasant way. " I'm fourteen," replied Tom, " and the other kids are twelve and ten." " King's fourteen, 'most fifteen," said Mid- get ; " and I'll be thirteen in July. So we're all in the same years. I wish our Kitty was here. She's nearly eleven, but she isn't any bigger than Harry." Harry smiled shyly, and poked at the potatoes with a stick, not knowing quite what to say. " You see," King explained, " Midget is the best sort of a girl there is. She's girly, all right, and yet she's as good as a boy at cutting up jinks or doing any old kind of stunts." The three Craigs looked at Marjorie in speech- less admiration. " I never knew that kind," said Tom, thought- 26 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE fully. " You see, we go to a boys' school, and we haven't any girl cousins, or anything ; and the only girls I ever see are at dancing class, or in a summer hotel, and then they're all frilled up, and sort of airy." " I love to play with boys," said Marjorie, frankly, " and I guess we'll have a lot of fun this summer." " I guess we will! Are you going to stay all summer? " " Yes, till September, when school begins." " So are we. Isn't it funny we live next door to each other? " "Awful funny," agreed Marjorie, pulling a very black potato out of the red-hot embers. " This is done," she went on, " and I'm going to eat it." " So say we all of us," cried King. " One done, all done! Help yourselves, boys!" So they all pulled out the black, sooty potatoes, with more delighted anticipations than would have been roused by the daintiest dish served at a table. "Ow!" cried Marjorie, flinging down her potato, and sticking her finger in her mouth. " Ow ! that old thing popped open, and burned me a\* fully ! " ' Too bad, Mops ! " said King, with genuine TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 27 sympathy, but the Craig boys were more solici- tous. " Oh, oh ! I'm so sorry," cried Tom. " Does it hurt terribly? " " Yes, it does," said Midget, who was not in the habit of complaining when she got hurt, but who was really suffering from the sudden burn. " Let me tie it up," said Dick, shyly. " Yes, do," said Tom. " Dick is our good boy. He always helps everybody else." " But what can we tie it up with ? " said Mar- jorie. " My handkerchief is all black from wip- ing off that potato." " I, I've got a clean one," and Dick, blushing with embarrassment, took a neatly folded white square from his pocket. "Would you look at that!" said Tom. "I declare Dicky always has the right thing at the right time! Good for you, boy! Fix her up." Quite deftly Dick wrapped the handkerchief round Marjorie's finger, and secured it with a bit of string from another pocket. " You ought to have something on it," he said, gravely. " Kerosene is good, but as we haven't any, it will help it just to keep the air away from it, till you go home." " Goodness ! " exclaimed Midget. " You talk like a doctor." B MARJORIE AT SEACOTE ** Fm going to be a doctor when I grow up, w said Dick. ** He is," volunteered Harry ; " he cured the cat's broken leg, and he mended a bird's wing " Yes, I did," admitted Dick, modestly blushing at his achievements. " Are you going right home because of your finger? " "No, indeed! We never stop for hurts and things, unless they're bad enough for us to go to bed. Give me another potato, and you open it for me, won't you, Dick? " "Yep," and Marjorie was immediately supplied with the best of the potatoes and apples, carefully prepared for her use. "Aren't there any other girls in Seacote? " she inquired. ** There's Hester Corey," answered Tom ; " but -we don't know her very well. She isn't nice, like you are. And I don't know of any others, though there may be some. Most of the people in the cot- tages haven't any children, or else they're grown ap, big girls and young ladies. And there's a few little babies, but not many of our age. So that's why we're so glad you came." ** And that's why you stole our wood ! " "*Yes, truly. We thought that'd be a good "*wy to test jour temper." TOM, DICK, AND HARRY 2 " It was a risky way," said King, thinking ft over. " Oh, I don't know. I knew, if you were the right sort, you'd take it all right; and if you weren't the right sort, we didn't care how took it." " That's so," agreed Mar j one. CHAPTER III THE SAND CLUB LIFE at Seacote soon settled down to its groove, and it was a very pleasant groove. There was always plenty of fun to be had. Bathing every day in the crashing breakers, digging in the sand, building beach fires, talking to the old fishermen, were all delightful pursuits. And then there were long motor rides inland, basket picnics in pine groves, and excursions to nearby watering-places. The Craig boys turned out to be jolly play- fellows, and they and the Maynards became in- separable chums. Marjorie often wished one of them had been a girl, but at the same time, she enjoyed her unique position of being the only girl in the crowd. The boys deferred to her as to a princess, and she ruled them absolutely. Of course the senior Craigs and Maynards be- came good friends also, and the two ladies espe- cially spent many pleasant hours together. Baby Rosamond rarely played with the older children, as she was too little to join in their vigorous games, often original with themselves, And decidedly energetic. The beach was their 30 THE SAND CLUB 31 favorite playground. They never tired of dig- ging in the sand, and they had a multitude of spades and shovels and hoes for their various sand performances. Some days they built a fort, other days a castle or a pleasure ground. Their sand- works were extensive and elaborate, and it often seemed a pity that the tide or the wind should destroy them over night. " I say, let's us be a Sand Club," said Tom one day. " We're always playing in the sand, you know." " All right," said Marjorie, instantly seeing de- lightful possibilities. " We'll call ourselves Sand Crabs, for we're always scrambling through the sand." "And we're jolly as sandboys!" said King. " I don't know what sandboys really are, but they're always jolly, and so are we." " I'd like something more gay and festive," Marjorie put in; "I mean like Court Life, or something where we could dress up, and pretend things." " I know what you mean," said Dick, grasping her idea. " Let's have Sand Court, and build a court and a throne, and we'll all be royal people and Marjorie can be queen." " Well, let's all have sandy names," suggested Tom. " Marjorie can be Queen Sandy. And MARJORIE AT SEACOTE call our court Sandringham Palace. You looow there is one, really." **You can be the Grand Sandjandrum! " said King, laughing. ** No, you be that," said Tom, unselfishly. **No, sir; you've got to. I'll be a sand piper, and play the court anthems." ** All right," said Marjorie, " and Harry can IK a sand crab, for he just scuttles through the sand all the time. What'll Dick be? " King looked at Dick. "We'll call him San- lcw," he suggested, and they all laughed, for Dick was a frail little chap, without much mus- alar strength. But the name stuck to him, and they always called him Sandow thereafter. ** I wish we could make our palace where it would stay made," said Marjorie. " We don't *want to make a new one every day." "That's so," said Tom. "If we only could find a secret haunt." " I know a kind of a one," said Dick ; " 'way back in our yard, near where it joins yours, is a deepy kind of a place, and it's quite *"Just the thing!" cried Marjorie. "I know that place. Come on ! " She was off like a deer, and the rest followed. JL few moments' scamper brought them to the THE SAND CLUB place, and all declared it was just the verj for a palace. " I'd like beach sand better, though," said Mar- jorie. " We'll bring all you want," declared TOOL. " We'll take a wheelbarrow, and bring heaps up> from the beach." The Sand Club worked for days getting thebr palace in order. The two big boys wheeled many loads of sand up from the beach, and Marjorie and the two other boys arranged it in shape. Dick was clever at building, and he planned * number of fine effects. Of course, their palace had no roof or walls, but the apartments we*e partitioned off with low walls of sand, and there were sand sofas and chairs, and a gorgeous throne*. The throne was a heap of sand, surmounted by a legless armchair, found in the Craigs' attic*, and at court meetings draped with pink cheese- cloth and garlands of flowers. The whole palace was really a " secret haunt," for a slight rise of ground screened it from view on two sides awl trees shaded the other side. The parents of both families were pleased witk the whole scheme, for it kept the children occupied^ and they could always be found at a moment's, notice. Sand tables were built, and on them were bits. 34 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE of old dishes and broken vases, all of which were desirable because they could stay out in the rain and not be harmed. Moreover, they were handy in case of a feast. At last preparations were complete and they decided to open the court next day. "We must have a flag," said Marjorie. "I'll make it. The court colors are red and yellow, and our emblem will be, what shall our emblem be?" " A pail of sand," suggested Tom. " Yes ; I can cut out a pail of red flannel, and sew it on to a yellow flag. I'll make that this afternoon, and we'll hold court to-morrow morn- ing at ten o'clock. We must all wear some red and yellow. Sashes will do for you boys, and I'll have, well, I'll fix up a rig of some kind." Marjorie was a diligent little worker when she chose to be, and that afternoon she made a very creditable flag, showing a pail, red; on a field, yellow. She made also sashes for them all, of red and yellow cheesecloth, and she made herself a court train of the same material, which trailed grandly from her shoulders. Next morning the Sand Club assembled on the Maynards' veranda, to march to Sandringham Palace. Mrs. Craig had helped out the costumes of her THE SAND CLUB 35 royal children, and the Grand Sandjandrum was gorgeous in a voluminous yellow turban, with a red cockade sticking up on one side. Sandow and the Sand Crab had soldier hats made of red and yellow paper, and big sailor collars of the same colors. The Sand Piper wore his sash jauntily with a huge shoulder knot, and he, too, had a cockaded headgear. Marjorie, as Queen Sandy, wore her trailing court robe and a crown of yellow paper with red stars on it. She had a sceptre, and Sandow carried the flag. The Sand Piper marched ahead, playing on a tuneful instrument known as a kazoo. Next came the Grand Sandjandrum, then the Queen, then the Sand Crab, and finally, Sandow with the flag. Slowly and with great dignity the procession filed out toward the palace. King was playing the Star Spangled Banner, or thought he was. It sounded almost as much like Hail Columbia, but it didn't really matter, and they're both difficult tunes, anyway. Blithely they stepped along, and prepared to enter the palace with a flourish of trumpets, as it were, when King's music stopped suddenly. " Great Golliwogs ! " he cried. " Look at that!" 36 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Look at what? " said Tom, who was absorbed in the grand march. But he looked, and they all looked, and five angry exclamations sounded as they saw only the ruins of the beloved Sandringham Palace. Somebody had utterly demolished it. The low walls were broken and scattered, the sand tables and chairs were torn down, and the throne was entirely upset. "Who did this?" roared Tom. But as nobody knew the answer, there was no reply. " It couldn't have been any of your servants, could it?" asked King of the Craigs. "I know it wasn't any of ours." " No ; it wasn't ours, either," said Tom. " Could it have been your little sister ? " "Mercy, no!" cried Marjorie. "Rosy Posy isn't that sort of a child. Oh, I do think it's awful ! " and forgetting her royal dignity, Queen Sandy began to cry. " Why, Mops," said King, kindly ; " brace up, old girl. Don't cry." " I'm not a cry baby," said Midget, smiling through her tears. " I'm just crying 'cause I'm so mad! I'm mad clear through! How could anybody be so ugly ? " " I'm mad, too," declared Tom, slowly, " but THE SAND CLUB 37 I know who did it, and it's partly my fault, I s'pose." "Your fault!" exclaimed Midget. "Why, Tom, how can it be? " " Well, you see it was this way. Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Corey came to call on my mother, and she brought Hester with her." " That red-headed girl? " " Yes ; and she has a temper to match her hair! Mother made me talk to her, and, as I didn't know what else to talk about, I told her about our Sand Club, and about the Court to-day and everything. And she wanted to belong to the club, and I told her she couldn't, because it was just the Maynards and the Craigs. And she was madder'n hops, and she coaxed me, and I still said no, and then she said she'd get even with us some- how." " But, Tom," said King, " we don't know that girl to speak to. We hardly know her by sight." " But we do. We knew her when we were here last summer, but, you see, this year we've had yon two to play with, so we've sort of neglected her, and she doesn't like it." " But that's no reason she should spoil our palace," and Marjorie looked sadly at the scene of ruin and destruction. " No ; and of course I'm not sure that she did 38 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE do it. But she said she'd do something to get even with you." " With me? Why, she doesn't know me at all." " That's what she's mad about. She says you're stuck up, and you put on airs and never look at her." " Why, how silly ! I don't know her, but some- how, from her looks, I know I shouldn't like her." " No, you wouldn't, Marjorie. She's selfish, and she's ill-tempered. She flies into a rage at any little thing, and, well, she isn't a bit like you Maynards." " No! and I'm glad of it I I wouldn't want to be like such a stuck-up thing ! " These last words were spoken by a strange voice, and Marjorie looked round quickly to see a shock of red hair surmounting a very angry little face just appearing from behind the small hill, beneath whose overhanging shadow they had built their palace. " Why, Hester Corey ! " shouted Tom. " What are you doing here? " " I came to see how you like your old sand- house ! " she jeered, mockingly, and making faces at Marjorie between her words. Marjorie was utterly astonished. It was her first experience with a child of this type, and she didn't know just how to take her. ' THE SAND CLUB 39 The newcomer was a little termagant. Her big blue eyes seemed to flash with anger, and as she danced about, shaking her fist at Marjorie and pointing her forefinger at her, she cried, tauntingly, " Stuck up ! Proudy ! " Marjorie grew indignant. She had done noth- ing knowingly to provoke this wrath, so she faced the visitor squarely, and glared back at her. " I'd rather be stuck up than to be such a spiteful thing as you are ! " she declared. " Did you tear down this palace that we took such trouble to build? " " Yes, I did ! " said Hester. " And if you build it again, I'll tear it down again, so, there, now ! " " You'll do no such thing ! " shouted Tom. " Huh, Smarty ! What have you got to say about it? " The crazy little Hester flew at Tom and pounded him vigorously on the back. " I hate you ! " she cried. " I hate you ! " As a matter of fact, her little fists couldn't hurt the big, sturdy boy, but her intense anger made him angry too. " You, Hester Corey ! " he cried. " You leave me alone ! " King stood a little apart, with his hands in his pockets, looking at the combatants. 40 " Say, we've had about enough of this," he said, speaking quietly, and without excitement. " We Maynards are not accustomed to this sort of thing. We squabble sometimes, but we never get really angry." " Goody-goody boy ! " said Hester, sneeringly, and making one of her worst faces at him. For some reason this performance struck King as funny. " Do it again," he said. " How do you ever squink up your nose like that ! Bet you can't do it three times in succession." The audacious Hester tried it, and the result was so ludicrous they all laughed. " Now look here," went on King, " we're not acquainted with you, but we know you're Hester Corey. We know you spoiled our Sand Palace, just out of angry spite. Now, Hester Corey, you've got to be punished for that. We're peace- able people ourselves, but we're just, also. We were about to have a nice celebration, but you've put an end to that before it began. So, instead, we're going to have a trial. You're the prisoner, and you've pleaded guilty, at least, you've con- fessed your crime. Queen Sandy, get into that throne, never mind if it is upset, set it up again. Grand Sandjandrum, take your place on that mussed up sand heap. You two other chaps, THE SAND CLUB 41 stand one each side of the prisoner as sentinels. I'll conduct this case, and Queen Sandj will pro- nounce the sentence. It's us Maynards that Hes- ter Corey seems to have a grudge against, so it's up to us Maynards to take charge of the case. Prisoner, stand on that board there." " I won't do it ! " snapped Hester, and the red locks shook vigorously. " You will do it," said King, quietly, and for some reason or other Hester quailed before his glance, and then meekly stood where he told her to. " Have you anything to say for yourself? " King went on. " Any excuse to offer for such a mean, hateful piece of work ? " Hester sulked a minute, then she said: " Yes, I was mad at you, because you all have such good times, and wouldn't let me in them." " What do you mean by that ? You never .asked to come in." " I did. I asked Tom Craig yesterday, and he wouldn't ask you." " Then why are you mad at us ? " " Because you're so proud and exclusive. You think yourselves so great; you think nobody's as good as you are ! " " That isn't true, Hester," said King, quite 42 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE gently ; " and even if it were, are you proving yourself better than we are by cutting up this mean, babyish trick? If you want us to like you, why not make yourself likeable, instead of horrid and hateful?" This was a new idea to Hester, and she stared at King as if greatly interested. " That's right," he went on. " If people want people to like them, they must be likeable. They must be obliging and kind and pleasant, and not small and spiteful." " You haven't been very nice to me," muttered Hester. " We haven't had a chance. And before we get a chance you upset everything by making us dislike you! What kind of common sense is that?" " Maybe you could forgive me," suggested Hes- ter, hopefully. " Maybe we could, later on. But we're for fair play, and you treated us unfairly. So now, you've got to be punished. Queen Sandy, Grand Sandjandrum, which of you can suggest proper punishment for this prisoner of ours ? " Tom thought for a moment, then he said: " Seems 's if she ought to put this palace back in order, just as it was when she found it, but that's too hard work for a girl." THE SAND CLUB 4S " I'll help her," said Harry, earnestly. " I'm sorry for her." " Sorry for her ! " cried Tom, with blazing eyes. " Sorry for the girl that spoiled our palace ! " " Well, you see," went on Harry, " she's sorry herself now." SAND COURT 'WiTH one accord, they all looked at Hester. Sure .enough, it was easily to be seen that she was .sorry. All her anger and rage had vanished, and she stood digging one toe into the sand, and twisting from side to side, with her eyes cast down, and two big tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. Marjorie sprang up from her wabbly throne, and running to Hester, threw her arms round her. her. " Don't cry, Hester," she said. " We'll all for- give you. I think you lost your temper and I think you're sorry now, aren't you? " " Oh, yes, yes, I am ! " sobbed Hester. " But I envied the good times you had, and when Tom wouldn't let me into your club, I got so mad I didn't know what to do." " There, there, don't cry any more," and Mid- get smoothed the tangled red mop, and tried to comfort the bad little Hester. Tom looked rather disappointed. " I say," he began, " she did an awful mean -.thing, and she ought to be " 44 SAND COURT 45 " Hold on a minute, Tom," said Marjorie. " I'm Queen of this club, and what I say goes ! Is that right, my courtiers ? " She looked round at the boys, smiling in a wheedlesome way, and King said, " Right, O Queen Sandy! Right always and ever, in the hearts of your gentlemen-in-waiting." " You bet you are ! " cried Tom, quick to follow King's lead. " Our noble Queen has but to say the word, and it is our law. Therefore, O Queen, we beg thee to mete out a just punishment to this prisoner within our gates." " Hear ye ! Hear ye ! " said Midget, with great dramatic fervor. " I hereby forgive this prisoner of ours, because she's truly sorry she acted like the dickens. And as a punishment, I condemn her to rebuild this royal palace, but, following Harry's example, we will all help her with the work." Then King burst forth into song: " Hooray, Hooray, for our noble Queen, The very best monarch that ever was seen. There's nobody quite so perfectly dandy, As our most gracious, most noble Queen Sandy!" They all repeated this chorus, and the Queen bowed and smiled at her devoted court. " And also," her Royal Highness went on, " we 46 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE hereby take into our club Miss Hester Corey as A new member. I'm glad to have another girl in it, and what I say goes ! " This time Tom made up the song: " What she says, goes ! She's sweet as a rose, From head to toes, So what she says, goes ! " " Miss Hester Corey is now a member," said Midget, " and her name is, is " " Sand Witch," suggested Tom. " Yes," said King ; " you expect witches to cut up tricks." "All right," said Hester. "Call me Sand Witch, and you'll see there are good witches as well as bad." " Come on, then," said Marjorie, " and show us how you can work. Let's put this palace back into shape again as quick as scat ! " They all fell to work, and it didn't take so very long after all. Hester was conquered by the power of Marjorie's kindness, and she was meek as a lamb. She did whatever she was told, and was a quick and willing worker. " Now," said Midget, after it was all in order once more, " now we'll have our celebration. You ee, we have six in our court now, instead of five, SAND COURT 47 and I think it's nicer. I'll give the Sand Witch my sash to wear, and she can be my first lady-in- waiting." This position greatly pleased Hester, and she took her place at the side of the enthroned Queen, while Tom stood at her other side. King played a grand tune, and they all sang. The song was in honor of the flag-raising, and was hastily composed by Marjorie for the occa- sion: "Our Flag, our Flag, our Sand Club Flag! Long may she wave, long may she wag! And may our Sand Club ever stand A glory to our Native Land." Tom persisted in singing " a glory to our na- tive sand," and King said strand, but after all,- it didn't matter. Then Sandow, bearing the flag, stepped gravely forward, and the boys all helped to plant it firmly in the middle of Sand Court, while the Queen and her lady-in-waiting nodded approval. " Ha, Courtiers ! I prithee sit ! " the Queen 1 commanded, when the flag was gaily waving in the breeze. Her four courtiers promptly sat on the ground at her feet, and the Queen addressed them thus : " Gentlemen-in-waiting of Sandringham Palace;,. 48 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE there are much affairs of state now before us. First must we form our club, our Sand Club." " Most noble Queen," and Tom rose to his feet, " have I your permission to speak? " " Speak ! " said the Queen, graciously, waving her sceptre at him. " Then I rise to inquire if this is a secret organization." " You bet it is ! " cried King, jumping up. " The very secretest ever ! If any one lets out the secrets of these secret meetings, he shall be excommunicated in both feet ! " "A just penalty!" said Tom, gravely. " Is all well, O fair Queen ? Do you agree ? " " Yes, I agree," said the Queen, smiling. " But I want to know what these secrets are to be about." " That's future business," declared King. " Just now we have to elect officers, and all that." " All right," said Marjorie, " but you must be more courtly about it. Say it more, you know how I mean." " As thus," spoke up the lady-in-Avaiting, drop- ping on one knee before the Queen. " What is the gracious will of your Royal High- ness in the matter of secretary and treasurer, O Queen ! " SAND COURT 49* "Yes, that's better. Well, my court, to tell you the truth, I don't think that we need a sec- retary and such things, because it isn't a regular club. Let us content ourselves with our present noble offices. Grand Sandjandrum, what are the duties of thy high office? " " No duties, but all pleasures, when serving thee,- O noble and gracious Queen ! " " That's fine," said Midget, clapping her hands. " Hither, Sir Sand Piper ! What are thy duties at court? " " Your Majesty," said King, bowing low, " it is my humble part to play the pipes, or to lay the pipes, as the case may be. I do not smoke pipes, but, if it be thy gracious wish, I can blow fair soap bubbles from them." " Sand Piper, I see you know your business," said the Queen. " Ha ! Sand Crab, what dost thou do each day? " " Just scramble around in the sand," replied Harry, and suiting the action to the word, he gave such a funny scrambling performance that they all applauded. " Right well done, noble Sand Crab," commented^ the smiling Queen. " And thou, O Sandow? " " I do all the strong-arm work required in the' palace," said Dick, doubling up his little fist, and trying to make it look large and powerful. 50 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Now, thee, my fair lady-in-waiting, what dost thou do in this, my court? " Hester shook back her mop of red curls, and her eyes danced as she answered, gaily : " I am the Court Sand Witch ! I cut up tricks of all sorts, as doth become a witch. Aye, many a time will I cause enchantments to fall upon thee, one and all ! I am a magic witch, and I can cast spells ! " Hester waved her arms about, and swayed from side to side, her eyes fixed in a glassy stare, and her red curls bobbing. "Good gracious!" cried Marjorie. "You're like a witch I saw on the stage once in a fairy pantomime. Say, Hester, let's have a pantomime entertainment some day." "All right. My mother'll help us. She's al- ways getting up private theatricals and things like that. She says I inherit her dramatic talent." " All right," said Tom, warningly ; " but don't you turn your dramatic talent toward tearing down our palace again." " Of course I won't, now I'm a member/' " Of course she won't," agreed Marjorie. " Now, my courtiers, and lady-in-waiting, there's another subject to come before your royal atten- tion. We must have a Court Journal." "What's that?" inquired Harry. SAND COURT 51 " Why, a sort of a paper, you know, with all the court news in it." "There isn't any." " But there will be. We're not fairly started yet. Now who'll write this paper? " " All of us," suggested Tom. "Yes; but tbere must be one at the head of it, sort of editor, you know." " Guess it better be King," said Tom, thought- fully. " He knows the most about writing things." " All right," agreed King. " I'll edit the paper, only you must all contribute. We'll have it once a week, and everybody must send me some con- tribution, if it's only a little poem or some- thing." " I can't write poems," said Harry, earnestly, " but I can gather up news, and like that." "Yes," said Marjorie, "that's what I mean. But it must be news about us court people, or maybe our families." " Can't we make it up? " asked Hester. " Yes, I s'pose so, if you make it real court like and grand sounding." " What shall we call our paper? " asked King. " Oh, just the Court Journal," replied Midget. " I don't think so," objected Hester. " I think it ought to have a name like The Sand Club" 52 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " The Jolly Sandboy," exclaimed Tom. " How's that?" "But two of us are girls!" said Marjorie. " That doesn't matter, it's just the name of the paper, you know. And it sounds so gay and jolly." " I like it," declared King, and so they all agreed to the name. " Now, my courtiers and noble friends," said their Queen, " it's time we all scooted home to luncheon. My queen-dowager mother likes me to be on time for meals. Also, my majesty and my royal sand piper can't come back to play this afternoon. But shall this court meet to-morrow morning? " "You bet, your Majesty!" exclaimed Tom, with fervor. " That isn't very courtly language, my Grand Sandj andrum." "I humbly beg your Majesty's pardon, and I prostrate myself in humble humility ! " And Tom sprawled on his face at Marjorie's feet. " Rise, Sir Knight," said the gracious Queen, and then the court dispersed toward its various homes. " Well, we had the greatest time this morning you ever heard of!" announced Marjorie as, divested of her royal trappings and clad in SAND COURT 53 a fresh pink gingham, she sat at the luncheon table. " What was it all about, Moppets ? " asked Mrs. Majnard. So King and Marjorie together told all about the intrusion of Hester on their celebration, and how they had finally taken her into the Sand Club as a member. " I think my children behaved very well," said Mrs. Maynard, looking at the two with pride. " I did get sort of mad at first, Mother," Mar- jorie confessed, not wanting more praise than was her just due. " Well, I don't blame you ! " declared King. " Why, that girl made most awful faces at Mops, and talked to her just horrid! If she hadn't calmed down afterward we couldn't have played with her at all." " I've heard about that child," said Mrs. May- nard. " She has most awful fits of temper, I'm told. Mrs. Craig says that Hester will be as good and as sweet as a lamb for days, and then she'll fly into a rage over some little thing. I'm glad you children are not like that." "I'm glad, too," said King. "We're not angels, but if we acted up like Hester did at first we couldn't live in the house with each other!" 54 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Her mother is an actress," observed Marjorie. " Oh, no, Midget, you're mistaken," said her mother. " I know Mrs. Corey, and she isn't an actress at all, and never was. But she is fond of amateur theatricals, and she is president of a club that gives little plays now and then." " Yes, that's it," said King. " Hester said her mother had dramatic talent, and she had inherited it. Have you dramatic talent, Mother? " " I don't know, King," said Mrs. Maynard, laughing. " Your father and I have joined their dramatic club, but it remains to be seen whether we can make a success of it." "Oh, Mother!" cried Marjorie. "Are you really going to act in a play? Oh, can we see you?" " I don't know yet, Midget. Probably it will be an entertainment only for grown-ups. We've just begun rehearsals." "Have we dramatic talent, Mother?" " Not to any astonishing degree. But, yes, I suppose your fondness for playing at court life and such things shows a dramatic taste." "Oh, it's great fun, Mother! I just love to sit on that throne with my long trail wopsed on the floor beside me, and my sceptre sticking up, and my courtiers all around me, oh, Mother, I think I'd like to be a real queen ! " SAND COURT 55 " Well, you see, Midget, you were born in a country that doesn't employ queens." "And I'm glad of it!" cried Marjorie, patri- otically. " Hooray ! for the land of the free and the home of the brave! I guess I don't care to be a real queen, I guess I'll be a president's wife instead. Say, Mother, won't you and Father write us some poems for The Jolly Sandboy? " "What is that, Midget?" "Oh, it's our court journal, and you and Father do write such lovely poetry. Will you, Mother?" " Yes, I 'spect so." " Oh, goody ! When you say ' I 'spect so,' you always do. Hey, King, Rosy Posy ought to have a sandy kind of a name, even if she doesn't come to our court meetings." " 'Course she ought. And she can come some- times, if she doesn't upset things." " She can't upset things worse'n Hester did." " No ; but I don't believe Hester will act up like that again." " She may, Marjorie," said Mrs. Maynard. " I've heard her mother say she can't seem to curb Hester's habit of flying into a temper. So just here, my two loved ones, let me ask you to be kind to the little girl, and if she gets angry, 4on't flare back at her, but try * a soft answer.' " 56 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " But, Mother," said King, " that isn't so awful easy! And, anyway, I don't think she ought to do horrid things, like tumbling down our palace, and then we just forgive her, and take her into the club!" " Why not, King? " King looked a little nonplussed. " Why," he said, " why, because it doesn't seem fair." " And does it seem fairer for you to lose your temper too, and try what children call * getting even with her '? " " Well, Mother, it does seem fairer, but I guess it isn't very, very noble." " No, son, it isn't. And I hope you'll come to think that sometimes nobility of action is better than mere justice." " I see what you mean, Mother, and somehow, talking here with you, it all seems true enough. But when we get away from you, and off with the boys and girls, these things seem different. Were you always noble when you were little, Mother?" " No, Kingdon dear, I wasn't always. But my mother tried her best to teach me to be, so don't you think I ought to try to teach you ? " " Sure, Mothery ! And you bet we'll do our bestest to try to learn. Hey, Mops ? " SAND COURT 57 " Yes, indeedy ! I want to do things right, but I seem to forget just when I ought to remember." " Well, when you forget, come home and tell Mother all about it, and we'll take a fresh start. You're pretty fairly, tolerably, moderately good children after all! Only I want you to grow a little speck better each day." " And we will! " shouted King and Marjorie together. CHAPTER V " THE JOLLY SANDBOY " THE Sand Club was not very strict in its methods or systems. Some days it met, and some days it didn't. Sometimes all the court was present, and sometimes only three or four of them. But everything went on harmoniously, and there were no exhibitions of ill temper from the Sand Witch. In fact, Hester was absorbed in doing her part toward the first number of The Jolly Sand- boy. The child was quite an adept at drawing and painting, and she was making several illustrations for their court journal. One, representing Mar- jorie seated on her sand throne, was really clever, and there were other smaller pictures, too. Kingdon worked earnestly to get the paper into shape. He had contributions from all the club, and from Mr. and Mrs. Maynard also. He had a small typewriter of his own, and he laboriously copied the contributions on fair, white pages, and, with Hester's pictures interspersed, bound them all into a neat cover of red paper. 58 "THE JOLLY SANDBOY" 59 This Hester ornamented with a yellow sand- pail, emblem of their club, and tied it at the top with a yellow ribbon. Altogether, the first number of The Jolly Sandboy was a strikingly beautiful affair. And the court convened, in full court dress, to hear it read. The court wardrobes had received various addi- tions. Often a courtier blossomed out in some new regalia, always of red or yellow, or both. The several mothers of the court frequently donated old ribbons, feathers, or flowers, from dis- carded millinery or other finery, and all these were utilized by the frippery loving courtiers. Hester had contrived a witch costume, which was greatly admired. A red skirt, a yellow shawl folded cornerwise, and a very tall peaked hat of black with red and yellow ribbons, made the child look like some weird creature. Marjorie's tastes ran rather to magnificent attire, and she accumulated waving plumes, arti- ficial flowers, and floating gauze veils and drap- eries. The boys wore nondescript costumes, in which red jerseys and yellow sashes played a prominent part, while King achieved the dignity of a mantle,,, picturesquely slung from one shoulder. Many badges and orders adorned their breasts, and! 60 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE lances and spears, wound with gilt paper, added to the courtly effect. " My dearly beloved Court," Marjorie began, beaming graciously from her flower decked throne, " we are gathered together here to-day to listen to the reading of our Court Journal, a noble paper, published by our noble courtier, the Sand Piper, who will now read it to us." " Hear ! Hear ! " cried all the courtiers. " Most liege Majesty," began King, bowing so low that his shoulder cape fell off. But he hastily swung it back into place and went on. " Also, most liege lady-in-waiting, our noble Sand Witch, we greet thee. And we greet our Grand Sand- jandrum, and our noble Sandow, and our beloved Sand Crab. We greet all, and everybody. Did I leave anybody out of this greeting? " " No ! No ! " " All right ; then I'll fire away. The first article in this paper is an editorial, I wrote it myself because I am editor-in-chief. You're all editors, you know, but I'm the head editor." "Why not say headitor? " suggested Tom. " Good idea, friend Courtier ! I'm the headitor, then. And this is my headitorial. Here goes! 'Courtiers and Citizens: This journal, called The Jolly Sandboy, shall relate from time to time the doings of our noble court. It shall tell of THE JOLLY SANDBOY " 61; the doughty deeds of our brave knights, and relate the gay doings of our fair ladies. It shall mention news of interest, if any, concerning the inhabitants of Seacote in general, and the families of this court in particular. Our politics are not confined to any especial party, but our platform is to grow up to be presidents ourselves.' This ends my headitorial." Great applause followed this i^.asterpiece of journalistic literature, and the Sand Piper pro- ceeded : " I will next read the column of news, notes, and social events, as collected by our energetic and capable young reporter, the Sand Crab: " * The Queen and her lady-in-waiting went bath- ing in the ocean this morning. Our noble Queen was costumed in white, trimmed with blue, and the Sand Witch in dark blue trimmed with red. Both noble ladies squealed when a large breaker knocked them over. The whole court rushed to their rescue, and no permanent damage Resulted. " Three gentlemen courtiers of this court, who reside in the same castle, had ice-cream for dinner last night. The colors were pink and white. It was exceeding good. " A very young princess, a sister of our be- loved Queen, went walking yesterday afternoon 62 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE imlh her maid of honor. The princess wore a big visile hat with funny ribbon bunches m it. Also white shoes. **Mr. Sears has had his back fence painted. {We don't know any Mr. Sears, and he hasn't any back fence, but we are making up now, as cor real news has given out and our column isn't full) "Mrs. Black spent Sunday with her mother- in-law, Mrs. Green. (See above.) ^Mr. Van Winkle is building a gray stone mansion of forty rooms on Seashore Drive. We flunk it is quite a pretty house. ^This is all the news I can find for this time. Tears truly. THE SAND CRAB.' " ** Noble Sand Crab, we thank you for your fine contribution to our midst," announced the Queen, and the Sand Crab burrowed in the sand and locked in sheer delight at such praise. m The next," announced the Sand Piper, " is * original poem by our most liege majesty, the Qaeen. It's pretty fine, I think. "Most noble Court, I greet you now, From Grand Sandjandrum to small Sandow. From old Sand Piper, and gay Sand Witch, To Sand Crab, with hair as black as pitch. 1 hope our Court will ever be Renowned for its fun and harmony. "THE JOLLY SANDBOY " 6S And as I gaze on this gorgeous scene, I'm glad I am your beloved Queen." " Jinks ! that's gay ! " exclaimed Tom. " How do you ever do it, Marjorie? I did a poem, bufc it doesn't run nice and slick like yours." " I'll read it next," said King. " I think pretty good. " I love the people named I like to play in their back yard. We have a jolly Sand Court, Which makes the time fly very short. Except going in the ocean bathing, There's nothing I like so much for a plaything." " That's rery nice, Tom," said Marjorie, for- getting her role. " No, it isn't. It seems as if it ought to but right, and then somehow it isn't. Bathing ami plaything are 'most alike, and yet they sound awful different." " That's so. Well, anyway, it's plenty good enough, and it's all true, Tom." " Yes, it's all true." " Then it must be right, 'cause there's a quo- tation or something that says truth is beauty* We wouldn't want all our poems to be just you know." " No, I s'pose not," and Tom felt greatly couraged by Marjorie's kind criticism. 64 " Next," said King, " is our Puzzle Depart- ment. It's sort of queer, but it's Sandow's con- tribution, and he said to put it in, and he'd explain about it. So here it is. " * SANDY PEIZE PUZZLE. Prize, a musical top, donated by the author. Question: Is the num- ber of sands on the seashore odd or even? Any- body in this court who can answer this question truthfully will receive the prize. Signed, SAX- DOW.' ' " That's nonsense," cried Hester. " How can anybody tell whether we answer truthfully or not?" " I can tell," said Sandow, gravely. " Who- ever first answers it truthfully will get the prize." " But it's ridiculous," said King. " In the first place, how much seashore do you mean? Only that here at Seacote, or all the Atlantic shore? Or all the world? " Dick considered. " I mean all the seashore in all the world," he said, at last. " Then that's silly, too," said Tom, " for how far does the seashore go? Just to the edge of the ocean, or all the way under? " " All the way under," replied Dick, solemnly. "THE JOLLY SANDBOY" 65 " Then you really mean all the sand in all the world ! " " Yes ; that's it. Of course, all the sand in all the world numbers a certain number of grains. Now, is that number odd or even? " " You're crazy, Dick ! " said Hester, but Mar- jorie said, " No, he isn't crazy; I think there's a principle there somewhere, but I can't work it out." " I guess you can't ! " said King. " I give it up." " So do I ! " declared Tom, and at last they all gave it up. " Now you must answer it yourself, Dick," said King. " Then nobody gets the prize," objected San- dow. " No, you keep it yourself. Have you got one, anyhow? " " Yes, a nice musical top Uncle John sent to me. I've never used it much, it's as good as new. I wish somebody would guess." Nobody did, and Dick sighed. " Bet you can't answer your old puzzle, your- self," said Hester. " Yes, I can," averred Dick, " but you must ask it to me." " All right," said King. " Mr. Sandow, honor- 66 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE able and noble courtier of Sand Court, is the umber of sea sands odd or even? Answer truth- folly now." *' I don't know," replied Dick, " and that's the troth!" How they all laughed! It was a quibble, of course, but the Maynard children were surprised at themselves that they hadn't seen through the catch. Dick sat on the sand, rocking back and forth "with laughter. ** The witch ought to have guessed it," he cried ; " or else the Queen ought to." "Yes, my courtier, we ought," Marjorie ad- mitted. " You caught us fairly, and we hereby give you the post of wizard of this court. Sand Piper, what's next in your journal? " "* The next is a poem by the Honorable Edward Maynard. That is, he wrote part of it, and then, as he had to go to New York on business, his lionorable wife finished it. Here it is: "Royal Courtiers, great and grand, Ruling o'er your court of sand, Take this greeting from the pen Of an humble citizen. Mny you, each one, learn to be Filled with true nobility; 'Gentle, loving, brave, and kind, Strong of arm and pure of mind. "THE JOLLY SANDBOY" 67 May you have a lot of fun, And look back, when day is done. O'er long hours of merry play Filled with laughter blithe and gay. May your court of mimic rule Teach you lore not learned in school; Rule your heart to think no ill, Rule your temper and your will." " Gee, that's real poetry, that is ! " exclaimed Tom. " Say, your people are poets, aren't they?" ** Why, I think they are," said Marjorie, " but Father says they're not." " I'd like a copy of that poem," said Hester, looking very serious. " All right," said King, catching the witch's glance. " I'll make you a nice typewritten copy of it to-morrow." " And now, my royal Sand Piper, is there any more poetic lore for us to listen to? " " Aye, my liege Queen, there is one more poem. This is a real poem also, but it is of the humorous variety. It was composed by the mother of our royal Sand Witch, and was freely contributed to our paper by that estimable lady. Methinks she mistook our club for a debating club, and yet, perhaps not. This may be merely a flight of fancy, such as poets are very fond of, I am told. I will now read Mrs. Corey's contribution: 68 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " There once was a Debating Club, exceeding wise and great ; On grave and abstruse questions it would eagerly debate. Its members said : ' We are so wise, ourselves we'll herewith dub The Great Aristophelean Pythagoristic Club.' And every night these bigwigs met, and strove with uonost pains To solve recondite problems that would baffle lesser brains. They argued and debated till the hours were small and wee; And weren't much discouraged if they didn't then agree. They said their say, and went their way, these cheerful, pleasant men, And then came round next evening, and said it all again. Well, possibly, you'll be surprised; but all the winter through The questions they debated on numbered exactly two. For as they said : ' Of course we can't take up another one, Till we have solved conclusively the two that we've begun.' They reasoned and they argued, as the evenings wore along; And each one thought that he was right, and deemed the others wrong. They wrangled and contended, they disputed and discussed, They retorted and rebutted, they refuted and they fussed; But though their wisdom was profound, and erudite their speech, A definite conclusion those men could never reach. And so the club disbanded, and they read their last report, Which told the whole sad story, though it was exceeding short: 'Resolved We are not able to solve these problems two: "Does Polly want a cracker?" and "What did Katy do?"'" "Well, isn't that fine!" cried Marjorie. " Why, Hester, your mother is more a poet than ours." "THE JOLLY SANDBOY * 69 " She does write lovely poetry," said Hester, " but I like your mother's poem, too, because it, well, you know what I mean." Somehow the children all understood that tem- pestuous Hester appreciated the lines that so gently advised the ruling and subduing of an unruly temper and will, but nobody knew just how to express it. So King broke a somewhat awkward silence by saying, heartily, " Yep, we know ! " and all the others said " Yep " in chorus. " I think, O Royal Court," the Queen began, " that our first paper is fine. How often shall we issue The Jolly Sandboy? " " 'Bout once a week, I think," said Tom. " All right," agreed King ; " and you fellows get your stuff in a little earlier next week so's I can typewrite it in time." " And now, my beloved court," resumed Mid- get, " I think we have sat still long enough, and I decree that we have a game of Prisoner's Base. And what I say goes ! " There was no dissenting voice. The Queen un- pinned her court train from her shoulders, the Sand Witch laid aside her tall, peaked hat, and the courtiers discarded such details of their cos- tumes as seemed likely to impede progress in the game. Prisoner's Base was followed by Hide and 70 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE Seek, and then it was time for the court to repair to its several homes. " It's all so lovely, Marjorie," said Hester. " I'm so glad you let me play with you." " That's all right, Hester, as long as you don't smash things or make faces at us." " Oh, I never will again; truly, Marjorie. I'm going to learn that poem of your mother's by heart, and I know I'll never lose my temper again. Good-bye." " Good-bye, Hester," and after an affectionate kiss the two girls parted. " Goo'-bye, Queenie Sandy," called Tom, as they separated at the turn of the path. " Good-bye, Tom, you old Grand Sandjan- drum ! " and then the Maynards ran into their own house. " Gently, my lad and lassie ; gently ! " warned Mrs. Maynard, as her two young hopefuls flung themselves upon her. " Oh, Mothery," cried Marjorie, " we had such a good time! And our court journal was lovely! Want to see it? And King fixed it up so beauti- fully, and Hester made such dear pictures for it! Oh, Mother, isn't it splendid to have so much fun?" " Yes, dearie," and Mrs. Maynard stroked the flushed brow of her energetic and excitable daugh- " THE JOLLY SANDBOY * 71 ter. " But when you come in from your play, you must be a little bit quieter and more lady- like. I don't want to think that these merry companions of yours are making you really bois- terous." " They are, though," said King. " I like the Craigs and Hester Corey, but they sure are the noisy bunch ! " " Oh, King, not quite so much slang ! " " No, Mother, we won't get gay ! We'll try to please you every way! But we're feeling rather spry to-day! So please excuse us, Mothery May!" CHAPTER VI TWO WELCOME GUESTS JT was Saturday afternoon. The Maynard chil- dren had been told that guests were expected to dinner, and they must put on festival array. And so when King and Marjorie, in white serge and white pique respectively, wandered out on to the front veranda, they found their parents and a very dressy-looking Rosamond there before them. "Who are coming to dinner, Mother?" asked Midget. " Ask your father, my dear." " Why, don't you know, Mother ? Well, who are they, Daddy? " " Somebody and somebody else," replied Mr. Maynard, smiling. " Oho, a secret ! " exclaimed Midget. " Then it must be somebody nice! Let's guess, King." " All right. Are they kids or grown-ups, Father?" " Grown-ups, my son." "Oh!" and Marjorie looked disappointed. " Do we know them ? " 72 TWO WELCOME GUESTS 73 " You have met them, yes." " Do they live at Seacote? " " They are here for the summer." " Where do they live winters ? " asked King. " Under the Stars and Stripes." " Huh ! that may mean the Philippines or Alaska!" " It may. Have you met many people who reside in those somewhat removed spots ? " " Not many," said King, " and that's a fact. Well, are they a lady and gentleman ? " " They are." "Oh, I know!" cried Marjorie. "It's Kitty and Uncle Steve ! He said they'd come down here some time while we're here! Am I right, Father?" '* Not quite, Mopsy. You see, I said they are grown-ups." "Both of them?" " Both of them." " Well, I don't care much who they are, then," declared King. " I don't see anything in it for us, Mops." " No, but we ought to guess them if they're spending the summer here and we've met them. Of course, it couldn't be Kitty ! She isn't spend- ing the summer here. Is it the Coreys or Craigs, Father? " 74 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " No, neither of those names fit our expected guests." " Then it must be some of those people the other side of the pier. I don't know any more on this side except the fishermen. Is it any of them?" " Well, no. I doubt if they'd care to visit us. But never mind our guests for the moment; I want you two children to go on an errand for me." " Right-o ! " said King. " Where ? " " Walk along the shore road three blocks, then turn inland and walk a block and a half. Do you know that place with lots of vines all over the front of the house? " " Yes, I do," said Marjorie, " but nobody lives there." " All right. I want you to take a message to Mr. Nobody." " Oh, Father, what do you mean ? " " Just what I say. You say nobody lives there, and that's the very man I mean." "All right," said King. "We'll go, if you tell us to. Hey, Mops?" " 'Course we will ! What shall we say to Mr. Nobody, Father?" " First you must ring the doorbell, and if No- body opens the door, walk in." TWO WELCOME GUESTS 75 " Ho ! If Nobody opens the door, how can we walk in?" " Walk in. And then if Nobody speaks to you, answer him politely, and say your father, one Mr. Maynard, desires his advice and assist- ance." " Oh, Father, I do believe you're crazy ! " ex- claimed Marjorie. " Never mind," said King, " if Father's crazy, we'll be crazy too! What next, for orders?" " After that, be guided by your own common sense and good judgment. And, you wouldn't be frightened at Nobody, would you? " "No!" declared King. "Nobody could frighten me ! " "Oh, he could, could he? Well, you are a foolish boy if Nobody could frighten you ! " King looked a little confused, and then he laughed and said, " Well, I'd just as lieve fight Nobody, if he attacks me." " There'll be no cause to fight, my boy. Now, skip along, and remember your message." " Yes, Mr. Edward Maynard wants advice and assistance from Nobody! Well, I guess that's right, Father, but it all sounds to me like an April Fool joke. Come on, Midget." As the two children skipped away, King said, thoughtfully, " What does it all mean, Mops ? " 76 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " I dunno, King. But it means something. It isn't a wild-goose chase, or an April-fool sort of joke. I know Father has some nice surprise for us the way his eyes twinkled." " Well, but this empty house business seems so silly! I know nobody lives there, for I passed there a few days ago, and it was all shut up." " Well, we'll soon find out," and the children turned the corner toward the house in question. Sure enough, the blinds were closed and there was no sign of habitation. " Mr. Nobody lives here, all right ! " said King as they entered the gate. " And such a pretty place, too," commented Marjorie, looking at the luxuriant vines that ran riot over the front veranda. King rang the bell, feeling half-angry and half- silly at the performance. In a moment the door swung open, but no person was seen. " Well ! " exclaimed King. " Nobody opened that door ! " " We must walk in," said Midget. " Father said so." " Oh, I hate to ! We really haven't any right to go into a strange house like this ! " "But Father said to! Come on!" And grasping King's hand, Midget urged him inside. They stood in the middle of a pretty and attrac- TWO WELCOME GUESTS 77 tively furnished hall, but saw or heard no people. "Hello, Mr. Nobody!" said Marjorie, still clasping King's hand tightly, for the situation was a little weird. " Hello, yourself ! " responded a cheery voice,, but they couldn't see any one. The voice reassured King, and he said, humor- ously, " I see Nobody! How do you do, sir? " " Quite well," answered the same voice, but it was a bit muffled, and they couldn't judge where it came from. Also it sounded very gay and laughing, and Marjorie thought it seemed a bit familiar, though she couldn't place it. " My father sent a message," went on King, sturdily. " He says he wants Nobody's advice and assistance." " What a self-reliant man ! " said the voice, and then from behind a portiere a laughing face ap- peared, followed by a man's active body. At the same time, from an opposite portiere, a lady sprang out and took Marjorie in her arms. " Cousin Ethel ! " "Cousin Jack!" And the children laughed in glee as they recog- nized Mr. and Mrs. Bryant. " You dear things ! " the lady exclaimed. " T think it's awful to startle you so, but it's the joke 78 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE of your father and your Cousin Jack. I was afraid it would scare you. Did it? " " Not exactly," said Marjorie, cuddling in Cousin Ethel's arms, but King protested: " No, indeed ! " he declared. " I wasn't scared, but I felt a little queer." "You're two Ducky Daddies!" Cousin Ethel cried, and Cousin Jack slapped King on the shoulder and said, " You're a trump, old man ! " and King felt very grown-up and manly. "What's it all about?" he inquired, and Mr. Bryant replied: " Well, you see, if you've room for us here in Seacote, we're going to stay here for a while. In fact, we've taken this shack with such an in- tention." "Oh!" cried Marjorie. "You've taken this house for the summer, and Father knew it, and sent us over here to be surprised ! " " You've sized up the situation exactly, Mehita- bel," said Cousin Jack, who loved to call Midget by this old-fashioned name. " And now, if we were properly invited, and very strongly urged, we might be persuaded to go home to dinner with you." " Oh," cried Marjorie, a light breaking in upon her, " you're the dinner guests they're expect- ing I TWO WELCOME GUESTS 79 " We sure are ! " said Cousin Jack. " And as this is the first time we've been invited out to dinner in Seacote, we're impatient to go." So they set off for the Maynard house, and Midget led the way with Cousin Ethel. " When did you come ? " she inquired. " Only this morning, dear. We're not quite set to rights yet, though I brought my own serv- ants, and they'll soon have us all comfy." " And how did you and Father fix up thi* plan?" " He was over here this afternoon, and he and Cousin Jack planned it. Then, as soon as you left your house, your father telephoned over here, and we prepared to receive you in that crazy fashion. Of course, Jack opened the door and stayed behind it. You weren't frightened, were you? " " No, not really. But it seemed a little, a little creepy, you know." " Of course it did ! " cried Cousin Jack from behind them. " But that house is so overhung with creepers it makes you feel creepy anyway. I'm going to call it Creeper Castle." " Oh, don't! " said Marjorie. " It sounds hor- rid! Makes you think of caterpillars and things like that ! " " So it does ! Well, Mehitabel, you name it 80 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE for us. I can't live in a house without a name." " I'd call it Bryant Bower. That sounds flowery and pretty." " Just the ticket ! You're a genius for names ! Bryant Bower it is. What's the name of your house, Maynard Mansion? " " Maynard Manor is prettier," suggested Cousin Ethel. " So it is ! Maynard Manor goes ! I don't know anybody with prettier manners than the Maynards, especially the younger generation of them," and though Cousin Jack spoke laughingly, there was an earnest undertone in his voice that greatly pleased King and Marjorie. " Hooray ! " cried that hilarious gentleman, as they reached the Maynards' veranda. " Hello, Ed. How d'ye do, Helen? Here we are! We're returning your youngsters right side up with care. Why, look who's here ! " and catching up Rosy Posy, he tossed her high in the air, to the little girl's great delight. Dinner was a festive occasion indeed, and after- ward they all sat on the wide veranda and listened to the roar of the waves. " This is a restful place," said Cousin Ethel, as she leaned back comfortably in her wicker rocker. TWO WELCOME GUESTS 81 " So it is," agreed her husband, " but, if you ask me, I think it's too restful. I like a place with some racket to it, don't you, Hezekiah? " This was his pet name for King, and the boy replied : " There's fun enough here, Cousin Jack, if you make it yourself." "That's so, is it? Well, I guess I'll try to make some. Let's see, isn't Fourth of July next week?" " Yes, it is," said Marjorie. " Next week, Wednesday." " Well, that's a good day to have fun ; and an especially good day for a racket. What shall we do, kiddies ? " " Do you mean for us to choose ? " asked Mar- jorie. " No, Mehitabel ; you suggest, and I'll choose. You think of the very nicest sort of celebrations you know, and I'll select the nicest of them all." " Well," said Midget, thoughtfully, " there's a party or a picnic. How many people do you mean, Cousin Jack? And do you mean children or grown-ups ? " " Now I feel aggrieved, and insulted, and cha- grined, and many other awful things ! " Cousin Jack looked so woebegone that they almost 82 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE thought him in earnest. " You know, Mehitabcl, that I'm but a child myself ! I'm not a grown-up, and I never will be ! " " That's so ! " laughed his wife. " And so, us children will have a celebration of the children, for the children, and by the chil- dren ! How many perfectly good children do you know down here? " " Not many," said King ; " hardly any, in fact, except the Sand Club." "The Sand Club! That sounds interesting. Tell me about it." So King and Mar j one told all about the Sand Club and its six members, and Cousin Jack de- clared that was just enough for his idea of a Fourth of July celebration. " Now for the plan," he went on. " How about a picnic in the woods, which I see sticking up over there, and then come back to Bryant Bower for some fireworks later? " " I think that sounds beautiful ! " said Mar- jorie, and King entirely agreed. "Why not have the fireworks here?" said Mr. Maynard. " You're too good to these children, Jack." " Not a bit of it. We can have a celebration here some other night. But I've picked out the glorious Fourth for my own little racketty- TWO WELCOME GUESTS 83 packetty party. You see, on that day we can make all the noise we like and not get arrested." " Can we dress up, Cousin Jack? " asked Mar- jorie. " Sure, child ; wear your best bib and tucker, if j'ou like, but I like you better in your play- clothes." " I don't mean that. I mean costumes." " Midget is great for dressing up," explained King. " She always wants some cheesecloth wobbed around her, and veils and feathers on her head." " Oh, I see ! Why, yes, I rather guess we can dress up." " I'll wear a red, white, and blue sash, and a liberty cap," said Midget, her eyes dancing. " Oh, we can do better than that," responded Cousin Jack. " Let's see ; we'll make it a sort of reception affair, and you, Mehitabel, can be the Goddess of Liberty, or Miss Columbia, whichever you like. Hezekiah, you can be Uncle Sam! Your respected Cousin Ethel and I will guarantee your costume." " I want to be a somefin'," spoke up Rosamond, who had been allowed to stay up later than usual, in honor of the guests. " So you shall, Babykins. I guess we'll let Sister be Miss Columbia, and vou shall be a dear 84 MARJOHIE AT SEACOTE little Goddess of Liberty all your own self ! How's that? " and Cousin Jack beamed at the smiling Rosy Posy. " Now, where shall the picnic be? " asked Cousin Ethel, ready to help along the plans. " There's a lovely grove over beyond the pier," said Midget ; " we might go there." " The very place ! " said Cousin Jack ; " and we'll have a sand-pail picnic. Didn't you say your coat-of-arms was a sand-pail? " " Yes, that's the Emblem of the Club." " And a fine emblem for a picnic. We'll have pails of sandwiches and cakes, and a pail of lemon- ade, and a pail of ice cream. How's that for emblems ? " "Fine!" said King. "Shall I invite the guests ? " " Yes, my boy. Tell them to assemble here at three o'clock, and we'll depart at once. Tell them all to wear red, white, and blue in honor of the day." " And do we catch firecrackers ? " " Little ones, and torpedoes. But no cannon crackers or cap-pistols or bombs or any fire- arms. I'm not going to have a hospitalful of gunpowder victims on my hands the next day." " And now," said Mrs. Maynard, " as these wonderful affairs of the nation seem to be all TWO WELCOME GUESTS 85 settled, I think you young patriots must skip to bed. Your father and I would like a few words ourselves with these guests of ours." " Guests of ours," corrected Midget, gayly. *' Cousin Jack says he's never going to grow up ! " But after lingering good-nights, the brother and sister, arm in arm, went into the house. " Aren't they dandies ! " exclaimed King, as they went upstairs. "Gay!" agreed Marjorie. "Won't we have fun on the Fourth ! Oh, I was so surprised to see them, weren't you, King? " " Yep. The Craigs will like Cousin Jack, won't they?" " Yes, indeed, and Hester, too. Good-night, King." " Good-night, Mopsy Midget. Here ! " and as a final compliment, King pulled off her hair-ribbon and handed it to her with a dancing-school bow. Marjorie gave his hair an affectionate tweak, and with these good-natured attentions they parted. CHAPTER VII THE GLORIOUS FOURTH THE sun rose early on Fourth of July morn- ing-. For he knew many patriotic young hearts were beating with impatience for the great day to begin. Moreover, he rose clear and bright, and yet he didn't shine down too hotly for the com- fort of those same young people. In fact, it was a perfect summer day. Marjorie sprang out of bed and began to dress, with glad anticipations. The Bryants were to spend the day at Maynard Manor, until time for the afternoon picnic, and after the picnic came the reception at Bryant Bower. Midget put on a fresh white pique, and tied up her mop of curls with wide bows of red, white, and blue ribbon. When all ready she went dancing down- stairs, pausing on her way to tap at King's door. "All ready, Kinksie? " she called out. "In a minute, Mops. Wait for me!" Midget sat down on the staircase window-seat, and in a moment King joined her there. 86 THE GLORIOUS FOURTH 87 " Hello, Mopsy-Doodle ! Merry Fourth of Ju New Year's ! " " Hello, yourself ! Oh, King, isn't it a gor- geous day? What shall we do first? " " I dunno ! We can't shoot things or make much noise, until Father and Mother get up. It would be mean to wake them." " Oh, pshaw ! they can't be asleep through all this racket that is going on. Hear the shooting all around." " Well, we'll see. Let's get outdoors, anyhow." The children opened the front door, and there, sitting on the veranda steps, his head leaning against a pillar, sat Cousin Jack, apparently sound asleep. " Will you look at that ! " said King, in a whisper. " Has he been here all night, do you s'pose? " " No, 'course not. But I s'pose he's been here some time. Do you think he's really asleep? " " He looks so. What shall we do with him ? " " Dress him up," commanded Marjorie, promptly, and pulling off her wide hair-ribbons, she proceeded to tie one around Cousin Jack's neck, and one around his head, giving that gentle- man a very festive appearance. After she had arranged the bows to her satis- faction, Cousin Jack obligingly woke up, 88 though, as a matter of fact, he hadn't been to sleep ! " Why, if here isn't Mehitabel ! " he exclaimed ; " and Hezekiah, too ! What a surprise ! " " How do you like your decorations ? " asked Marjorie, surveying him with admiration. " Oh, are these ribbons real? I thought I was dreaming, and had a Fourth of July nightmare." " How long have you been here, Cousin Jack? " asked King. " Well, I was waking, so I called early ; I don't know at what hour, but I've been long enough alone, so I'm glad you two young patriots came down to help me celebrate. Polly want a fire- cracker? " He held out a pack of small ones to Marjorie, but she declined them. " No, thank you ; give those to King. I'd rather have torpedoes." " All right, my girlie, here you are ! And here's a cap to replace the ribbons you so kindly gave me." Cousin Jack drew from his pocket a tissue- paper cap, that had evidently come in a snapping- cracker. Then he produced another one for King, and one which he laid aside for Rosy Posy. They Were gay red, white, and blue caps, with cockades and streamers. " Now, we'll be a procession," he went on. THE GLORIOUS FOURTH 89 From a nook on the veranda, where he had hid- den them, he produced a drum, a tambourine, and a cornet. The cornet was his own, and he presented the drum to King, and the tambourine to Marjorie. " Form in line ! " he ordered ; " forward, march ! " He led the line, and the two children followed. Being a good cornet player, Cousin Jack made fine martial music, and King and Midget had suf- ficient sense of rhythm to accompany him on the drum and tambourine. After marching round the house once, Cousin Jack went up the steps and in at the front door. Upstairs and through the halls, and down again. Nurse Nannie and Rosamond appeared at the nursery door, and were instructed to fall in line behind the others. Then Sarah, the waitress, was discovered, looking on from the dining-room, and she, too, was told to march. At last Mr. and Mrs. Maynard appeared, laughing at this invasion of their morning nap. They sat in state in the veranda-chairs, as on a reviewing-stand, while the grand parade marched and countermarched on the lawn in front of them. " All over ! " cried Cousin Jack, at last. " Break ranks ! " 90 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE The company dispersed, and Sarah returned, giggling, to her duties. " Such a foine man as Misther Bryant do be ! " she said to the cook. " Shure, he's just like wan of the childher." And so he was. Full of patriotic enthusiasm, Cousin Jack set off bombs and firecrackers, until the elder Maynards declared that their ears ached, and the roisterers must come in to break- fast. " I must go home," announced their guest. " I have a wife and six small children dependent on me for support." As a matter of fact, the Bryants had no chil- dren, and Mrs. Maynard declared she should tele- phone for Cousin Ethel to come to breakfast, too, so Cousin Jack consented to sta} T . The breakfast party was an unexpected addi- tion to the day's festivities, but Mrs. Maynard was equal to the occasion. She scurried around and found flags to decorate the table, and tied a red, white, and blue balloon to the back of each chair, which gave the room a gay appearance. The vigorous exercise had produced good appe- tites, and full justice was done to Ellen's creamed chicken and hot rolls and coffee. " Who's for a dip in the ocean? " asked Cousin Jack, when breakfast was over. THE GLORIOUS FOURTH 91 All were included in this pleasing suggestion, and soon a bathing-suited party threw themselves into the dashing white-caps. Cousin Jack tried to teach Marjorie to swim, but it is not easy to learn to swim in the surf, and she made no very great progress. But Mr. May- nard and Mr. Bryant swam out to a good dis- tance, and King was allowed to accompany them, as he already was a fair swimmer. Marjorie held fast to the rope, and jumped about, now almost carried away by a big wave, and now thrown back toward the beach by another. It was rather rough bathing, so the ladies of the party and Midget left the water before the others. "Aren't we having fun!" exclaimed Marjorie, as she trudged, dripping, through the sand, to the bath-house. " Oh, Cousin Ethel, I'm so glad you came down here." " I'm glad, too, dear. I believe Jack enjoys you children more than he does any of his friends of his own age." " Jack's just like a boy," said Mrs. Maynard, " and I think he always will be. He's like Peter Pan, never going to grow up." And it did seem so. After the bath, Mr. Bryant marched the children down to the pier for ice cream. 92 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE Mrs. Maynard remonstrated a little, but she was informed that Fourth of July only came once a year, and extra indulgences were in order. So King and Midget and Cousin Jack went gayly along the long pier that ran far out into the ocean. On either side were booths where trinkets and seaside souvenirs were sold, and Cou- jsin Jack bought a shell necklace for Midget, and a shell watch-fob for King. Then he ordered a dozen little tin pails sent to his own house. " For my picnic," he explained, as Midget looked at him wonderingly. " It's to be a sand- pail picnic, you know." As they neared the ice-cream garden, Marjorie noticed a forlorn-looking little boy, near the en- trance. So wistful did he look, that she turned around to look at him again. " Who's your friend, Mehitabel ? " said Mr. Bryant, seeing her glance. " Oh, I don't know, Cousin Jack ! " she cried, impulsively ; " but he seems so poor and lone- some, and we're all so happy. Couldn't I go with- out my ice cream, and let him have it? Oh, please let me!" " H'm ! he isn't a very attractive specimen of humanity." " Well, he isn't very clean, but, see, he has a 93 nice face, and big brown eyes ! Oh, do give him some ice cream, Cousin Jack; I'll willingly go without." " I'll go without," said King, quickly ; " you can have mine, Mops." Cousin Jack looked quizzically at the chil- dren. " I might say I'd give you each ice cream, and the poor kiddie also. But that would be my charity. Now, if you two really want to do the poor little chap a kindness, you may each have a half portion, and give him a whole plate. How's that? " " Fine! " exclaimed Marjorie; " just the thing! But, truly, Cousin Jack, it isn't much sacrifice for us, for we'll have ice cream at the picnic, any- how." " That's right, girlie ; don't claim any more credit than belongs to you. Well, next thing is to invite your young friend." So Marjorie went over to the poor little boy, and said, kindly : " It's Fourth of July, and we'd like you to come and eat ice cream with us." The child's face brightened up, but immedi- ately a look of distrust came into his eyes, and he said: " Say, is youse kiddin' me? " 94 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " No," said King, for Marjorie didn't know quite what he meant ; " we mean it. We're going to have ice cream, and we want you to have some with us." " Kin I bring me brudder? " " Where is he ? " asked Cousin Jack, smiling at this new development of the case. " Over dere, wit' me sister. Kin I bring 'em. both?" Marjorie laughed outright at this, but Mr. Bryant said, gravely : " How many in your entire family ? Let me know the worst at once ! " " Dat's all ; me brudder an' sister. Kin they come, too ? " " Yes, if they're fairly clean," and the boy ran to get them. He came back bringing a boy but little smaller than himself, and a tiny girl. Though not immaculate, they were present- able, and soon the six were seated at a round table. Cousin Jack conformed to his decree that the Maynard children should have but a half-portion each, but he added that this was partly due to his consideration for their health, as well as his will- ingness that the charity should be partly theirs. But he told his three guests that they could eat THE GLORIOUS FOURTH 95 as much as they chose ; and noting their generally hungry appearance, he ordered a first course of sandwiches for them, which kindness was greatly appreciated. " Gee ! Youse is a white man ! " exclaimed the oldest visitor, as he scraped his saucer almost through its enamel. " What does he mean ? " asked Midget, laugh- ing. " Of course, you're a white man." " That's slang, Marjorie, for a desirable citi- zen." " Funny sort of slang," Midget commented ; " a white man is plain English, isn't it? " " I mean, he's white clear through," volunteered the boy, whose quick eyes darted from one face to another of his benefactors. " Yes, I can understand that," said Midget, slowly; "it just means you're good all through, Cousin Jack, and I quite agree to that." After the small visitors' hunger was entirely appeased, Cousin Jack presented them each with a flag and a packet of torpedoes, and sent them away rejoicing. " Poor little scraps of humanity," he said ; " I hope, Mehitabel, you'll always bring a little sun- shine into such lives when opportunity presents- itself." 96 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE "I will, Cousin Jack. Are they very poor?" " No, not so very. But they never have any fun, or anything very good to eat. Of course, you can't be an organized charity, but once in a while, if you can make a poor child happy by the expenditure of a small sum, do it." " We will," cried King, impressed by Cousin Jack's earnestness. " But we don't have much money to spend, you know." " You have an allowance, don't you ? " " Yes ; we each have fifty cents a week, Mops and Kitty and I." " Well, Kitty isn't here, so I can't ask her ; but I'm going to ask you two dear friends of mine, to give away one-tenth of your income to charity. Now, how much would that be? " " Five cents a week," replied Marjorie. " Well, will you do it ? Every week give a nickel, or a nickel's worth of peanuts or lemon- ade or something to some poor little kiddie who doesn't have much fun in life? And you needn't do it every week, if it isn't convenient, but lay aside the nickel each week, and then give a larger sum, as it accumulates." " Sure we will, Cousin Jack," said King, and Midget said. " Yes, indeed ! I'll be glad to. We can most always catch a poor child, somewhere." " Well, if not, just save it up till you do. You'll THE GLORIOUS FOURTH 97 find plenty of opportunities in the winter, in Rockwell, I'm sure." " Yes, sir-ee ! " said Midget, remembering the poor family whose house burned down not long ago. " And I'm glad you advised us about this, Cousin Jack. I'm going to ask the Craig boys and Hester to do it, too." " Better be careful, Mehitabel. I can advise you, because we're good chums, and I'm a little older than you, though I don't look it ! But I'm not sure you ought to take the responsibility of advising your young friends. You might suggest it to them, merely suggest it, you know, and if their agree and their parents agree, why, then, all right. And now home to our own luncheon. I declare it made me hungry to see those children eat!" Promptly at three o'clock that afternoon the Sand Club gathered for the Sand-Pail Picnic. By making two trips the Maynards' big motor car- ried them all to the picnic grove, about a mile distant. Here Cousin Jack provided all sorts of sports for them. At a target, they shot with bows and arrows, and the boys were allowed a little rifle- shooting. There was that funny game of picking up po- tatoes with teaspoons, followed by a rollicking 98 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE romp at Blindman's Buff. Then Cousin Jack marshalled his young friends into line, and they all sang " Star-Spangled Banner," and " Columbia," and " America," and cheered, and fired off mild explosives, and had a real Fourth of July celebra- tion. Then the feast was brought on. The children sat cross-legged on the grass, and each one was given a tin sand-pail. But instead of sand, the pail was found to con- tain sandwiches and crisp little cakes known as sand-tarts. After these there were served dainty little paper pails, from a caterer's, filled with ice cream. " What a lovely sand picnic ! " exclaimed Mar- jorie, as she sat on the sand, blissfully disposing of her ice cream. " I'm going to call Cousin Jack, The Sandman ! " " Ho ! a Sandman puts you to sleep ! " cried Tom Craig ; " let's get a better name than that for Mr. Bryant." " Call him Sandy Claus," piped up Dick, and they all laughed. car you ride in? " " Not a bit ! We keep together, don't we? " " Yes, as much as possible. Cousin Jack will drive his own car, and Pompton, of course, will drive ours." " It all happened so swift I can hardly realize it," said Kitty. " Only a minute or two ago I was making cake in the kitchen, and now here I am ! " " Making what? " asked King, teasingly, but when he saw Kitty look red and embarrassed he turned the subject. Kitty had told her mother about the cake epi- sode, but Mrs. Maynard said it was an accident A MOTOR RIDE due to inexperience, and nothing further need be said about it. " I'll divide up the passengers," said Cousin Jack as, with the two cars standing in front of the door, no one knew just which to get in. " Ethel and I will take Marjorie and King with us, for I think Kitty will want to ride with her mother, and Babykins, too." " All right," agreed Mr. Maynard, and then he packed Uncle Steve and Mrs. Maynard and Kitty on the back seat, Nannie and Rosamond next in: front, and he climbed up beside Pompton. Some suitcases and a basket of light luncheon 1 were stowed away, and off they started, Ellen and Sarah waving to them from the steps as they flew down the drive. It was a perfect day for motor- ing. Not too hot, not too breezy, and no dust. Their destination was Lakewood, but for quite a distance their road lay along by the shore before they turned inland. Marjorie sat back, beside Cousin Ethel, and King sat in front with Cousin Jack. " Let's play Roadside Euchre," said Midget. " We go too fast for that," said King. " We couldn't see the things to count them." " What is it, Mehitabel ? " asked Cousin Jack. " We aren't going so very fast." " Why, you count the things on each side of 210 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE the road. You and I are on the right, you know, Cousin Jack, so we count all on this side. Then Cousin Ethel and King count all on their side." "All what?" " Well, a horse and vehicle counts one ; a vehicle with two horses counts two ; and a horse without any wagon or carriage counts five. An automo- bile counts ten ; a herd of cows, fifteen ; and a load of hay, twenty. A cat in a window counts twenty- five, and people count five apiece. Any animal, not a horse counts ten." " But, as I am driving," said Cousin Jack, " I can turn either side, and so make them count as I like." " No, you must turn just as you would, anyway. Of course, as you turn to the right, King and Cousin Ethel will count most of the vehicles we pass ; but we'll make up some other way. Oh, here's a flock of chickens ! I forgot to tell you, chickens count one each." The motor seemed to go right through the flock of chickens, but Cousin Jack was a careful driver and didn't harm one of them. There was a terrific squawking and peeping and clucking as the absurd bipeds ran about in an utterly bewildered manner. The children and Cousin Ethel managed to count them fairly well, but Cousin Jack had to manage his motor. A MOTOR RIDE 'How many?" he asked as the last hen was left behind. " Fourteen for our side," announced Midget, triumphantly. " And nine for us," said King. " Never mind, we'll make up later." But they kept fairly even. To be sure, when they met motor-cars, or any vehicles, they had to turn out to the right, which gave the count to King's side. But on the other hand, motors sometimes passed them from behind, and if they went along on the right side they were Marjorie's count. Houses were as apt to be on one side as the other, and these added their count of dogs, cats, chickens, and cows, as well as occasional human beings. Going through small towns was the most fun, for then it required quick counting to get all that belonged to them. A flock of birds on either side was counted, but a flock of birds that crossed their path was omit- ted, as it would have counted the same for each. The game grew more and more exciting. Some- times one side would be more than a hundred ahead, and then the balance would swing back the other way. About six o'clock they neared Lakewood. " The game stops as we turn into the main MARJORIE AT SEACOTE street," said Cousin Jack, " and the prize is this : whichever of you two children win shall select the dessert at the hotel dinner to-night." " All right," said Marjorie, " but it isn't only us children. We each have a partner who must help us in the selection." Cousin Jack agreed to this, and in a moment the car swung into the main street of Lakewood. Midget and King, who had kept account of their hundreds on a bit of paper, began to add up, and it was soon found that Marjorie and Cousin Jack's side had won by about two hundred points. " Good work ! " cried King. " We losers con- gratulate you, and beg you'll remember that we love ice cream ! " They were following the Maynards' big car, and soon both cars stopped and all alighted and went into a beautiful hotel called " Holly-in-the- Woods." "Oh, how lovely!" whispered Marjorie to Kitty, as she squeezed her sister's arm. " Isn't this fun, Kit? " "I should say so!" returned Kitty. "The best Ourday ever ! " Then the children were whisked away to tidy up for dinner, and fresh white frocks were found in the suitcases. Midget and Kitty tied each other's ribbons, and soon were ready to go down- A MOTOR RIDE 213 stairs again. The Bryants met them in the hall, and took them down. "Isn't it like Fairyland!" said Marjorie, en- chanted by the palms and flowers and lights and music. She had never before been in such an elaborate hotel, and she wanted to see it all. They walked about, and looked at the various beautiful rooms, and then Mr. and Mrs. Maynard came, and they all went to the dining-room. A table had been reserved for them, and Mar- jorie felt very grown up and important as the waiter pushed up her chair. After their long ride, their appetites were quite in order to do justice to the good things put before them, and when it was time for dessert, Cousin Jack an- nounced that he and Marjorie were a committee of two to select it. " Though of course," he added, " any one who doesn't care for what we choose is entirely at lib- erty to choose something else." So the two gravely studied the menu, and kept the others in suspense while they read over the long list. Many names were in French, but Mar- jorie skipped those. " Ice cream," Kitty kept whispering, in low but distinct stage whispers; and at last Cousin Jack proposed to Midget that they choose what was billed as a " Lakewood Souvenir." MARJORIE AT SEACOTE Marjorie had no idea what this might be, but she agreed, for she felt sure it was something nice. And so it was, for it turned out to be ice cream, but so daintily put up in a little box that it was like a present. The box was carved with crinkly paper, and had a pretty picture of Lakewood scenery framed in gilt on the top. After every one had eaten his ice cream, the boxes were carried away as souvenirs. Then they all went out and sat on the terrace while the elders had coffee. The three children did not drink coffee, so they were allowed to run around the grounds a little. " How long are we going to stay here? " asked Kitty. " Till to-morrow afternoon, I think," replied King. " I heard Father say he thought he'd do that." " I think it's beautiful," said Midget, " but I'd just as lieve be riding, wouldn't you, Kit?" " Oh, I don't care. I like 'em both, first one and then the other." Kitty was of a contented disposition, and usually liked everything. But the other two were also easily pleased, and the three agreed that they didn't care whether they were motoring or staying at the lovely hotel. A MOTOR RIDE " Now, then, little Maynards, bed for yours ! *' announced their father, as he came strolling out to find them. " Father," said Marjorie, grasping his hand, " is this really an Ourday ? " " Yes, Midget ; of course it is. You don't mind the Bryants sharing it, do you? " " No, not a bit. Only, to-morrow can't I ride with you? If it's our Ourday, I like better to be by you." " Of course you can ! " cried Mr. Maynard, heartily. " We'll fix it somehow." " But don't tell Cousin Ethel and Cousin Jack that I don't want to ride with them," went on Midget, " because it might hurt their feelings. But you know, when I thought I didn't have any father, I thought about all our Ourdays, and " Midget's voice broke, and Mr. Maynard caught her to him. " My darling little girl," he said, " I'm so glad you're back with us for our Ourdays, and you shall ride just where you want to." " Let her take my place," said Kitty, kindly. " I'd just as lieve go in the other car, and I don't wonder Midget feels like that." So it was settled that Kitty should ride with the Bryants next day, and then the three children were 216 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE sent to bed, while the elders stayed up a few hours later. The girls had a large room, with two beds, and with a delightful balcony, on which a long French window opened. " Isn't it wonderful? " said Marjorie, softly, as she stepped over the sill, and stood in the soft moonlight, looking down on the hotel flower gardens. " Yes, indeedy," agreed Kitty ; " I say, Mops, I'd like to jump down, flip ! into that geranium bed!" " Oh, Kitty, what a goose you are ! Don't do such a thing ! " " I'm not going to. I only said I'd like to ; and I'd play it was a sea, a geranium sea, and I'd swim around in it." " Kit, you're crazy ! Come on to bed, before you do anything foolish." " I'm not going to do it, really, Mops ! but I like to imagine it. I'd waft myself off of this balcony, and waft down to the scarlet of the geraniums and fall in." " Yes, and be picked up with two broken legs and a sprained ankle ! " " Well and then I'd see a little boat, on the red geranium sea, I'd be a fairy, you know, and I'd get in the little boat " A MOTOR RIDE 217 " You come and get in your little bed, Miss Kitty," said Nannie, from the window, and laugh- ing gayly> the two girls went in and went to bed. " Anyway, I'm going to dream of that red geramium bed," announced Kitty, as she cuddled into the smooth, white sheets. " All right," said Midget, drowsily ; " dream anything you like." CHAPTER XVI RED GERANIUMS WEARIED by the journey, and the fun of it, Mar- jorie fell at once into a deep, quiet sleep. Kitty's sleep was deep, too, but not quiet. The child tossed around and waved her arms, muttering about a geranium sea, and a little boat on it. Nurse Nannie puttered about the room for some time, picking up things, and laying out the girls' clothes for the next day. Then she put out the lights and went away to her own room. It was, perhaps, ten o'clock when Kitty threw back the bedclothing, and slowly got out of bed. She was sound asleep, and she walked across the room with a wavering, uncertain motion, but went straight to the French window, which was still part way open. Kitty had sometimes walked in her sleep before, but ifr was not really a habit with her, and the family had never thought it necessary to safe- guard her. It was a still, warm night, and when she stepped out on the balcony, there was no breeze or waft of cool air to awaken her. 218 RED GERANIUMS She paused at the low rail of the little balcony, and murmured, " Oh, the lovely soft red flowers ! I will lie down on them ! " and over the railing she went, plump down into the geranium bed ! As is well known, a fall is not apt to hurt a somnambulist, for the reason that in sleep the mus- cles are entirely relaxed; but the jar woke Kitty, and she found herself, clad only in her little white nightgown, lying in the midst of the red blossoms. She did not scream; on the contrary, she felt a strange sense of delight in the odorous flowers and the scent of the warm, soft earth. But in a moment she realized what had hap- pened, and scrambled up into a sitting posture. " My gracious ! it's Kit 1 " exclaimed a voice, and from among the group of people on the veranda Cousin Jack ran down to her. The others followed, and in a moment Kitty was surrounded by her own people. She flew to her mother's arms, and Cousin Ethel quickly drew off her own even- ing wrap and put it around Kitty. " How did you happen to fall ? " asked her fa- ther, who soon saw she was not hurt, or even badly jarred. " I was asleep, I guess," Kitty returned ; " any- way I dreamed that I wanted to jump in the red geranium sea, so I jumped." " You jumped! out of the window? " 220 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Yes, that is, off of the little balcony. You see, I was asleep until I landed. Then I found out where I was." Kitty was quite calm about it, and cuddled into the folds of Cousin Ethel's satin cloak, while she told her story. " Of course, I shouldn't have jumped if I had been awake," she said ; " but you can't help what you do in your sleep, can you? " " No," said Uncle Steve ; " you weren't a bit to blame, Kitsie, and I'm thankful you came down so safely. But I think that window must be fas- tened before you go to sleep again. One such escapade is enough for one night." The other guests on the veranda looked curi- ously at the group, but Kitty was protected from view by her own people, and, too, the big cloak hid all deficiencies of costume. " Well, we have to get used to these unexpected performances," said Mr. Maynard, " but I do be- lieve my children are more ingenious than others in trumping up new games." " We are," said Kitty, " but usually it's Midget who does the crazy things. King and I don't cut up jinks much." " That's so," agreed Uncle Steve. " Last sum- mer Miss Mischief kept us all in hot water. But this year, Kitsie has been a model of propriety. She never walks out of second-story windows when she's at our house. I guess I'd better take her back there." " Not to-morrow," said Kitty. " Wait till next day, won't you, Uncle Steve?." " All right ; day after to-morrow, then. But i we mustn't stay away from Grandma longer than that." " And now I think our adventurous little ex- plorer must go back to her dreams," said Mrs. Maynard. " Who wants to carry her up- stairs? " As Uncle Steve was the biggest and strongest of the three men, he picked up the young sleep- walker, and started off with her. Mrs. Maynard followed, and they soon had Kitty safely in bed again, with the French window securely fastened against any further expeditions. The mother sat by the little girl until she went to sleep, and this time her slumber was untroubled by dreams of geranium seas with fairy boats on them. Next morning, Marjorie was greatly interested in Kitty's story. " Oh, Kit," she exclaimed, " I wish I had seen you step off! Though, of course, if I had seen you, you wouldn't have done it! For I should have waked you up. Well, it's a wonder you didn't smash yourself. Come on, let's hurry down and look at that flower bed." But by the time the girls got down there, the hotel gardener had remade the flower bed, and it now looked as if no one had ever set foot on it. "Pshaw!" said Marjorie, "they've fixed it all up, and we can't even see where you landed. Did it make a big hole, Kit ? " " I don't know, Mops. About as big as I am, I suppose. Can't you imagine it ? " Marjorie laughed. " Yes, I can imagine you landing there, in your nightgown and bare feet ! How you must have looked ! " " I s'pose I did. But, somehow, Mops, when I found myself there, it didn't seem queer at all. I just wanted to float on the red flowers." " Kit, I do believe you're half luny," observed King; " you have the craziest ideas. But I'm jolly glad you didn't get hurt, you old sleep-trotter ! " and the boy pulled his sister's curls to express his deep affection and gratitude for her safety. Kitty was none the worse for her fall. The soft loam of the newly made flower bed had received her gently, and not even a bruise had resulted. But the elders decided that hereafter the exits from Kitty's bedroom must be properly safe- guarded at night, as no one could tell when the impulse of sleep-walking might overtake her. RED GERANIUMS 223 There was plenty to do at Lakewood. Uncle Steve took the children for a brisk walk through the town, and bought them souvenirs of all sorts. The shops displayed tempting wares, and the girls were made happy by bead necklaces and pretty little silk bags, while King rejoiced in queer Indian relics found in a curio shop. Then back to the hotel, for a game of tennis and a romp with Cousin Jack, and in the afternoon a long motor ride, with occasional stops for ice cream soda or peanuts. And the next day Kitty and Uncle Steve went home. They concluded to take the train from Lakewood, and not return again to Seacote. " Grandma will be getting anxious to see us," Uncle Steve declared. " I did not intend to stay as long as this when I left home." " Good-bye, old Kitsie," said Midget; "don't walk into any more red seas, and write to me often, won't you? " " Yes, I will, Midge ; but you don't write very often, yourself." " I know it ; it's a sort of a bother to write letters. But I love to get them." " Well, the summer will be over pretty soon," returned Kitty, " and then we'll all be back in Rockwell." The Maynard children were philosophical, and so they parted with cheery good-byes, and the train MARJORIE AT SEACOTE steamed away with Uncle Steve and Kitty waving from the window. " Now, for our own plans," said Mr. Maynard. " What shall we do next, Jack? " " I know what I'd like," said Cousin Ethel. "What is it, my Angel?" asked her husband. " You may most certainly have anything you want." " Well, instead of going right back to Seacote, I'd like to go to Atlantic City." " You would ! " said Mr. Bryant. " And would you like to go around by Chicago, and stop at San Francisco on your way home?" " No," said Cousin Ethel, laughing ; " and I don't think Atlantic City is so very far. We could go there to-day, stay over to-morrow, and back to Seacote the day after. What do you think, Jack? " " I think your plan is great ! And I'm more than ready to carry it out, if these Maynards of ours agree to it." "I'd like it," declared Marjorie. "I've never been to Atlantic City." "But it isn't exactly a summer place, is it?" asked Mrs. Maynard. , " Neither is Lakewood," said Cousin Ethel. " But it's a cool spell just now, and I think it would be lots of fun to run down there." RED GERANIUMS 225 " All right," said Mr. Maynard, " let's run." And run they did. Considering they had nine people and two motors, and several suitcases to look after, they displayed admirable expedition in getting started, and just at dusk they came upon the brilliant radiance of the lights of Atlantic City. " This was a fine idea of yours, Ethel," said Mrs. Maynard. " This place looks very at- tractive." " Oh, isn't it! " cried Marjorie. " I think it's grand ! Can't we stay up late to-night, Mother? " " You may stay up till nine o'clock, Midget, and we'll go down and see the crowds on the Board- walk." So after dinner they went down to the gay thoroughfare known as the Boardwalk. It was crowded with merry, laughing, chattering people, and Midget danced along in an ecstasy of en- joyment. " I never saw such a lot of people ! " she ex- claimed. " Where are they all going ? " " Nowhere in particular," said her father. " They're just out here to look at each other and enjoy themselves." " See those funny chairs, on rollers," went on Midget. " Oh, can't we ride in them? Everybody else does." MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Of course we must," said her father. " It's part of the performance." He engaged three rolling chairs, and as each chair held two people, he said, " How shall we divide up? " " I'll take Mehitabel," said Cousin Jack, " and Hezekiah can go with my wife. Then you two elder Maynards can use the third. How's that? " This arrangement was satisfactory and they started off, a strong man pushing each chair. "Don't you think this is fun, Cousin Jack?" Disked Marjorie, as she watched the crowds and "the lights, and Old Ocean rolling big black waves up on the shore. " Yes, Mehitabel, I think it's gay. There's a certain something at this place that you never see anywhere else." " Yes, it's quite different from Seacote, isn't it? Everybody here seems to be in a hurry." " That's only because it's such a big and lively crowd. Here we are at the pier. I think we'd better go in and hear the music." So they dismissed the chairmen, and went far down the long pier to listen to a concert. A children's dance was being held, and Marjorie sat down, enraptured at the sight. of boys and girls about her own age, in RED GERANIUMS 227 fancy costumes, were dancing and pirouetting in time with the fine music. One little girl, especially, Marjorie admired. She was a pretty child, in a white frock and blue sash, and she wore a wreath of small rosebuds on her curly, flaxen hair. She seemed to be the best of all the dancers, and twice she danced alone, doing marvellous fancy steps and receiving great applause from the audience. " Isn't she lovely ! " exclaimed Midget. " I wish I could dance like that." " You never can, Mopsy," said King. " You're too heavy. That girl is a featherweight." " She looks nice," said Midget. " I'd like to know her." And then, as it was nearing nine o'clock, they left the dancing pavilion, and made their way back to their hotel. Marjorie kept close to her parents, for the crowd seemed to grow denser all the time, and if she lost sight of her people, she feared she'd be swept away from them forever. They were staying at Madden Hall, and as they reached it, there, too, music was being played, and some people were dancing in the big ballroom. But there were no children about, so Midget trotted off to bed cheerfully, with lots of pleasant anticipations for the morrow. At breakfast, next morning, she was looking 228 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE around the dining room, when she spied the same little girl who had danced so prettily the night before. " Oh, Mother . ** she exclaimed, " there she is ! That pretty girl that danced. See, at the next table but two. Yes, it is the same one ! " " Sure it is," agreed King. " She's staying here. Perhaps we can get acquainted with her, Mops." " Could we, Mother? Would it be right? " " We'll see about it," said Mrs. Maynard, smit- ing at her impulsive daughter. After breakfast the Maynard party walked out on the veranda, and Midget soon saw the little girl, in a big rocking chair not far away. " May I go over and speak to her, Mother ? " she said. " Why, yes, Midget, if you like. She looks like a nice child. Run along." So Midget went over and took the next rocking chair, for there were many chairs, ranged in long rows. " I came over to talk to you," she said ; " I saw you dance last night, and I think you do dance lovely." " Do you ? " said the little girl. She seemed diffident, but pleased at Marjorie's words. " You see, it was a Children's Carnival, and Mamma let RED GERANIUMS 229 me dance. I never danced in a place like that be- fore, and I was a little scared at first." " You didn't look scared. You just looked lovely. What's your name? Mine's Marjorie Maynard. I live in Rockwell, when I'm home." " Mine's Ruth Rowland, and I live in Philadel- phia, when I'm home. But we're spending- the summer in Seacote. We just came down here for a week." " In Seacote ! Why, that's where we're spend- ing the summer. We have a house on Fairway Avenue." " Oh, I know that house. I remember seeing you there when I've passed by. Isn't it funny that we should happen to meet here! We live farther down, past the pier, you know." " Yes, I know. Will you come to see me after we both get back there ? " " Yes, indeed I will. When are you going back?" " To-morrow, I think. When are you? " " In a few days. Do you know Cicely Ross? " " No, I don't know very many children in Sea- cote. Do you know the Craig boys ? " " No. I guess we don't know the same people. But I know Hester Corey, and you do, too, 'cause I've seen her playing in your yard." " Oh, yes, Hester plays with us a lot." 230 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " She's a funny girl, isn't she? " " Well, she's nice sometimes, and sometimes she isn't. Here's my brother King. King, this is Ruth Rowland, and what do you think? She lives in Seacote ! I mean, for the summer she's staying there." " Good ! " cried King. " We can play together then, after we go back." The three children rapidly became good friends, and soon Ruth proposed that they all go for a ride in a roller chair. " They have wide chairs," she said, " that will hold all three of us." Midget ran to ask her mother if they might do this, but Mrs. Maynard was not willing that the children should go alone. " But Nannie and Rosamond may go, too, in another chair," she said, " and then I shall feel that you are looked after." So down to the Boardwalk they went, and Nurse Nannie and Rosy Posy took one chair, and the three children took another. They selected a wide one which gave them plenty of room, and off they started. It was a lovely, clear day, and the blue sky and the darker blue ocean met at the far distant horizon, with whitecaps dotted all over the crests of the waves. A few ships and steamers were to RED GERANIUMS 231 be seen, but mostly the children's attention was attracted to the scenes on shore. " I thought it was lovely last night," said Mid- get, " but it's even nicer now. The booths and shops are so gay and festive, and the ladies all look so pretty in their summer frocks and bright parasols." They stopped occasionally, for soda water or candy, and once they stopped at a camera place and had their pictures taken in the rolling chairs. King proposed this, because he saw a great many people doing it, and as the man finished up the pictures at once, the children were delighted with the postcards. " I'll send one to Kit," said Midget, " she'll love it. And I'll send one to Grandma Maynard." Ruth had several of the pictures, too, and she said she should send some to friends in Phila- delphia. " She's an awfully nice girl," said Marjorie to her mother, when telling of their morning's do- ings. " I'm so glad she's at Seacote. We're going to have lots of fun when we get back." " I'm glad, too," said Mrs. Maynard. " For you have so few acquaintances there, and Ruth is certainly a very sweet child." CHAPTER XVII WHAT HESTER DID " I WON'T have her ! " declared Hester. " I'm Queen of this Court, and I won't have any new members taken in. You had no right, Marjorie Maynard, to ask her to belong, without consulting me!" " Why, Hester, I had so ! You may be Queen, but you don't own the whole Sand Club ! And Ruth Rowland is a lovely girl. How can you dis- like her, when you know how sweet and pretty she is. She says she knows you." " Yes, I do know her. Stuck-up, yellow-haired thing!" Sand Court was in full session, and all had been going on amicably until Marjorie had chanced to mention meeting Ruth at Atlantic City, and said she had asked her to come to the Sand Club meet- ings. At this, Hester had flown into one of her rages, and declared that Ruth should not become a member of their little circle. " Look here, Hester Corey," said Tom Craig, " you promised, if you could be Queen, to be al- 232 WHAT HESTER DID 233 ways sweet and pleasant. Do you call this keep- ing your promise? " " Pooh, who cares ! I only promised, if the club stayed just the same. If you're going to put in a lot of new members without asking me, my prom- ise doesn't count." " Ruth isn't ' a lot,' " said Marjorie, laughing at Hester's fury. But her laughter only made Queen Sandy more angry than ever. " I don't care if she isn't ! She's a new mem- ber, and I won't have any new members, so, there, now ! " "Say, Hester," began King, "I don't think you're boss of this club. Just because you're Queen, you don't have any more say than the Grand Sandjandrum, or me, or anybody." *' I do, too ! A Queen has all the say, about everything ! And I say there sha'n't be any more people in this club, and so there sha'n't ! " Hester stamped her foot and shook her fist and wagged her head in the angriest possible way, and if the others hadn't been so exasperated by her ill-temper they must have laughed at the funny picture she made. Her new crown was tumbled sideways, her hair ribbons had come off, and her face, flushed red and angry, was further disfigured by a disagreeable scowl. 234 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE And just at this moment Ruth arrived. She came in, smiling, neatly dressed in a clean print frock, and broad straw hat with a wreath of flowers round it. " Hello, Marjorie," she said, a little shyly, for she didn't know the Craig boys, and she couldn't help seeing that Hester was in a fit of temper. " Hello, Ruth," said Marjorie, running to her, and taking her by the hand. " Come on in ; this is Sand Court. These are the Craig boys, Tom, Dick, and Harry. And this is our Queen, but I think you know Hester Corey." " Yes," began Ruth, but Hester cried out : " I don't want her to know me! She sha'n't join our club, I say ! " Ruth looked bewildered at first, and then her sweet little face wrinkled up, and the tears came into her big blue eyes. " Don't cry, Ruth," said Midget, putting her arm round her ; " Hester is sort of mad this morn- ing, but I guess she'll get over it. Don't mind her." " I won't get over it," screamed Hester. " I'm not going to have Ruth Rowland in this club ! " " For goodness gracious sakes, children, what is the matter? " A grown-up voice exclaimed these words, and then Mr. Jack Bryant entered Sand Court. He WHAT HESTER DID 235 took in the situation at a glance, but pretended to be ignorant of the true state of things. " What's up, O Queen ? " he said, addressing Hester. " Oh, sunny-faced, honey-voiced Queen of Sand Court, what, I prithee, is up? " " Nothing," growled Hester, looking sullen. " Nay, nay, not so, sweet Queen ; I bethink me there is much up, indeed ! Else why these unusual consternations on the faces of thy courtiers?" Of course, Cousin Jack knew all about the do- ings of Sand Court. He had often been with them, and delighted them all by talking " Court lan- guage," but to-day nobody responded to his pleas- antry. Ruth and Marjorie were on the verge of tears, the boys were all angry at Hester, and Hester herself was in one of her wildest furies. She refused to answer Cousin Jack, and sat on her throne, shrugging her shoulders and twitching about, with every cross expression possible on her pouting face. Mr. Bryant became more serious. " Children," he said, " this won't do. This Sand Club is a jolly, good-natured club, usually, and now that I see you all at sixes and sevens, I want to know what's the matter. Midget, will you tell me?" " I want Ruth Rowland to be in our club," said Marjorie, straightforwardly; " and Hester doesn't #36 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE want her. And Hester says that because she is Queen, we must all do as she says." " Ah, ha ; um, hum. Well, Hester, my dear child, why don't you want Ruth in the club? " " Because I don't ! " and the Queen looked more disagreeable than ever. " Because you don't! Well, now, you see, my dear, that is just no reason at all, so Ruth can be a member, as far as you're concerned." " No, she can't ! I won't have her in ! " "Why?" " Because I don't like her ! " " Ah, now we're getting at it. And suppose any of the club shouldn't like you; then you couldn't be a member, could you ? " " They do like me ! " declared Hester. " Like you ! like you! A girl that flies into rages, and says unkind things? Oh, no, nobody could like a girl like that! Now, I'll fix it. You, Hester, won't have Ruth in the club, you say. Well, then if you're not in the club yourself, of course Ruth could come in. So, the rest of the club can choose which of you two girls they'd rather have, as it seems impossible to have you both. King, as the oldest, I'll ask you first. Will you choose to have Hester or Ruth in this club ? " " Ruth," said King, promptly. " She doesn't quarrel all the time." WHAT HESTER DID 237 " Next, Tom. Which do you choose? " " Ruth," replied Tom. " Why, Tom Craig ! " cried Hester, in sur- prise ; " you never saw that girl till to-day ! " " No, but I've seen you," he replied ; " and I can tell you, Hester, I'm tired of these scraps you're always putting up ! I believe we'll have better times with Ruth Rowland." " Marjorie," Cousin Jack went on, " which girl do you choose? " " I'd like them both," said Midget, who couldn't quite bring herself to denounce Hester entirely. " But Hester won't have Ruth. You must choose one or the other." " Then I choose Ruth, Cousin Jack. For Hester does make me a lot of trouble." Midget sighed deeply, for, truly, Hester had caused strife in the club from its very beginning. The two smaller boys voted decidedly for Ruth, and then Cousin Jack turned to Hester. " You see," he said, but not unkindly, " the club has unanimously expressed its preference for Ruth. I don't see that you can do anything but take your hat and go home." Hester looked at him in amazement. "What do you mean?" she cried. "I won't go home! I'm Queen, and I'll stay here and be Queen ! Ruth can go home ! " 238 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " No," said Mr. Bryant, more decidedly this time ; " Ruth is not going home. You're to go home, Hester. I happen to know that the May- nard children and the Craig boys have already shown patience and unselfishness toward your tyranny and unreasonableness now, they're not going to be imposed on any longer. I'll have a voice in this matter myself. Either you'll stay in the club and agree to have Ruth for a member also, and be pleasant and kind to her, or else you can take your hat and go home." Mr. Bryant spoke quietly, but very firmly. He knew all the club had been through, in putting up with Hester's tantrums, and he thought it only fair that they should be relieved of this trouble- some member. " I won't have Ruth in," she repeated, but she dropped her eyes before Mr. Bryant's stern glance. " I'm sorry, Hester, but if you won't have Ruth in, then you must go home, yourself, and I will ask you to go at once." " All right, I'm glad to go ! " and Hester pulled off her crown and threw it on the ground, and stamped on it. Then she broke in two her pretty gilt sceptre, and threw that doAvn. She flung her hat on her head and marched out of Sand Court with angry glances at each one. She flirted her skirts and twitched her shoulders, and though she 239 said nothing, she was as furious a little girl as can well be imagined. Ruth was almost frightened, for she was unac- customed to such scenes. Nor were the Maynards used to them, except as they had seen Hester in her rages now and then. Cousin Jack looked after the child a little sadly. He was sorry that she could behave so, ^but he had made up his mind that Midget and King had been imposed on by Hester for a long time, and he had determined to put a stop to it. The advent of Ruth gave a good opportunity, and he availed himself of it. A silence fell on them all. They watched Hester as she slowly went out of Sand Court. But as she started across the lawn, she saw a garden hose with which a man had been sprinkling the grass. He had gone off and left it lying on the ground, partly turned off. Hester picked it up, turned it on to run full force, and whirling herself quickly around pointed it straight at Ruth. In a moment the child was soaked, her pretty fresh dress hung limp and wet, her curls were drenched, and the swift stream of water in her face almost knocked her over. Marjorie sprang to Ruth's side, and received a drenching herself. King ran to Hester to take the hose from her, 240 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE but she turned it full in his face and sent him sprawling to the ground. The Craig boys were treated the same way, and when Mr. Bryant manoeuvred to get behind Hester and pinion her arms, she wheeled and sent the splashing stream all over him. " You little vixen ! " cried Cousin Jack, as, un- heeding the water, he grasped her right arm. But the child was wonderfully agile and like an eel she squirmed out of his grasp, and wielding her ungainly weapon with her left hand, she again sprayed the water on the two girls. " You stop that, Hester Corey ! " yelled King, as he scrambled to his feet, and in another mo- ment he and Cousin Jack succeeded in getting the hose away from Hester. " She ought to have it turned on her 1 " said Cousin Jack, looking at the little fury, now dancing up and down in her angry rage. " But, I don't want anything more to do with you, miss. Go home at once, and tell your mother all that has happened." Glad to get away without further reprimand, Hester, her wrath spent now, walked slowly across the lawn and out of the gate. " She's a terror ! " Cousin Jack commented ; " now forget it, kiddies, and let's go into the house and get dried out. Are you girlies much wet? " WHAT HESTER DID 241 " Not so awfully," replied Marjorie. " Mostly our hair and, oh, yes, the front of Ruth's skirt is soaked ! " " Well, we'll build a fire in the library, and hang ourselves up to dry. Come on, all you Sand boys and girls." They went in the house, and while they dried their hair and clothes, Cousin Jack told them funny stories and made no mention of Hester or of the Sand Club. " Now we're going to play a game," he an- nounced, after everybody was dry, and the fire had died away to ashes. " Here are the things to play it with." He produced what looked like some rolls of ribbon, and six pairs of scissors. But it wasn't ribbon, it was the white paper that comes rolled in with ribbon, when bought by the piece. This paper was about an inch wide and he had enough to cut six pieces, each about ten feet long. These pieces he fastened by one end to the wainscoting with thumb tacks, and giving the other end of each piece to one of the children, he bade them stand in a row, far enough away to hold their paper strips out straight across the room. Then, at his given signal, each one was to begin to cut, with the scissors, straight through the mid- dle of the paper, lengthwise, the game being to cut MARJORIE AT SEACOTE clear to the end without tearing the paper. Of course, if carefully done, this would divide each paper into two strips of equal width. But the game was also to see which reached the end first, and the winner was promised a prize. If the scissors inadvertently cut off either strip, the player was " out." " Go ! " cried Cousin Jack, " and strive only for the greatest speed consistent with safety. If you go too fast, you're very likely to snip ff your strips ; and if you go too slow, somebody else will beat you. Hurry up, Ruth, you're going evenly, but you'll never get there at that rate ! Oh, hold up, Harry ! if you go so fast you'll snip it off. You're terribly close to one edge, now ! Ah, there you go ! one strip is chopped right off. Well, never mind, my boy, stand here by me, and watch the others. What, Tom out, too? Well, well, Tom, the more haste the less speed ! Careful, Midget, you'll be out in a minute. There you go ! Out it is, for Mehitabel ! Well, we have three still in the running. Easy does it, King! You're getting along finely. Hurry up, Ruth. You can go faster than that, and still be safe. Dick just says nothing and saws wood. That's it, Dick, slow and sure ! " Those who were " out " watched the others with breathless interest. It would have been an easy WHAT HESTER DID task had there been no competition. To cut a long paper into two strips is not difficult, but to cut that paper in haste, with others looking on and commenting, is more trying. The scissors seem bewitched. The paper twists and curls, and one's fingers seem to be all thumbs. King was doing well, but he gave an impatient jerk as the paper curled round his finger, and then he was out. Dick worked steadily, and Ruth plodded slowly along. As they neared the end at the same time the watchers grew greatly excited. " I bet on Ruth ! " cried King ; " go it, Ruth ! get up ! g'lang there ! " "Go on, Dick," cried Marjorie. "Clk! Clk! go 'long ! " On sped the cutters, but just as it seemed as if they must finish at the same time, Dick gave a little nervous jerk at his paper, and it tore right off. " Oh," said Midget, " you're out, Dicksie ! " And then Ruth, slowly and carefully, cut the last few inches of her paper, and held up her two strips triumphantly. She looked so sweet and happy about it that they all declared she ought to have been the winner, and Dick said, shyly: " I'm glad jou won." MARJORIE AT SEACOTE The prize was a shell box that Cousin Jack had brought from Atlantic City, and Ruth dimpled with pleasure as she took it. " Thank you so much, Mr. Bryant," she said, prettily ; " I never won a prize before, and I shall always keep it." " I'm glad you won it, Ruth," said Cousin Jack, " and I want you to let it help you forget any unpleasantness of to-day. Will you forget all that happened at Sand Court, and just remember that the Maynards and the Craigs are kind and polite children, and never mind about anybody else. And come again some time, and play in Sand Court, won't you? And I'll promise you a good and pleasant time." Ruth agreed gladly to all this, and then she went home, so happy that the memory of her pleas- ant hours made her almost forget Hester's rude- ness. " Now, kiddies," said Mr. Bryant, after she had gone, " I want you, too, to forget all about Hes- ter's performance. Don't talk it over, and don't say hard things of Hester. Just forget it, and think about something nice/' " All right, Cousin Jack," said Midget, " we'll do as you say. Come on, boys, let's race down to the beach ! " The children ran away, and after a consulta- WHAT HESTER DID 245 tion with Mrs. Maynard, Mr. Bryant set out to make a call on Mrs. Corey. His was not a pleasant task, but he felt it his duty to tell her frankly of Hester's behavior, and to say that Mr. and Mrs. Maynard couldn't allow her further to impose on their children. Mrs. Corey didn't resent this decree, but she was greatly pained at the necessity therefor. " I don't know what to do with Hester," she said, sadly. " The child has always been subject to those ungovernable rages. I hope she will out- grow them. I feel sorry for her, for it is not really her fault. She tries to be more patient, and sometimes succeeds ; then suddenly her temper breaks out at most unexpected moments." Mr. Bryant did not say what he thought; that Hester was a spoiled child, and that had her mother taught her how sinful such a temper was, she could have learned to control it, at least, to a degree. But he said that the Maynards could not allow Hester to come to Sand Court any more, unless with the thorough understanding and agreement that Ruth was to be a member of the Sand Club, and that Marjorie was to be Queen again. He said that Hester had forfeited all right to be Queen, and that as Midget practically formed the club, the right to be Queen was hers. 246 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE Mrs. Corey agreed to all this, expressed great chagrin that Hester had acted so rudely, and promised to talk to the child and try to induce a better spirit of kindness and good comradeship. And Cousin Jack went away, feeling that he had served the little Maynards a good turn, if it had been a difficult and unpleasant duty to per- form. CHAPTER XVIII A FINE GAME ONE Saturday morning, the Maynards and the Bryants sat on the veranda of " Maynard Manor," and every one of them was gazing at the sky. " It will, I know it will," said Mrs. Maynard, hopelessly. " It won't, I know it won't ! " exclaimed Mar- jorie, smiling at her mother. " It's bound to," declared Cousin Jack, " and there's no use thinking it won't ! " Of course, they were talking about the rain, which hadn't yet begun to fall, but which, judging from the ominous gray sky and black clouds, would soon do so. " Yep, there are the first drops now ! " cried King, as some black spots suddenly appeared on the veranda steps. "Yep! that settles it!" Marjorie agreed, " we'll have to give up the trip. What can we do, nice, instead ? " They had planned an all-day motor trip. Mr. Maynard was always at home on Saturdays, and 247 24*8 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE he liked nothing better than to take his family and friends for a ride. " The nicest thing just now would be to scoot indoors ! " said Cousin Jack, as the drops came faster and thicker, and a gust of wind sent the rain dashing at them. So they all scurried into the house, and gath- ered in the big living-room to discuss the situa- tion. " It does seem too bad to have it rain on a Saturday," said Cousin Ethel, looking regretfully out of the window. " Rain, rain, go away, come again another day," chanted Midget, drumming on the pane with her finger tips. " Oh, if I were a kiddy, I shouldn't mind it," said Cousin Jack, teasingly, to Marjorie. " There are lots of things you can play. But us poor grown-ups have no fun to look forward to but motoring, and now we can't do that." " Oh, if I were a grown-up, / shouldn't mind it," said Midget, laughing back at him. " Grown- ups can do anything they like, but kiddies have to do as they're told." " Ah, yes," and Cousin Jack sighed deeply, " but we have sorrows and cares that you know nothing of." "Yes," returned Marjorie, "and we have sor- A FINE GAME 249 rows and cares that you know nothing of! I'd like you to change places with us for a day, and " All right, we will ! " exclaimed Cousin Jack. " That's a fine game ! For to-day, we grown-ups will be the children and you and King can play mother and father to us ! " " Oh, what larks ! " cried King. " Let's begin right away ! Will you, Mother? " Mrs. Maynard laughed. " I'll try it," she said, " but not for all day. Say till afternoon." "Well, till five o'clock this afternoon," suggested Marjorie; "will you, Father, will you ? " " I'll play any game the rest play," said good- natured Mr. Maynard. " What do you want me to do?" " Well, you must obey us implicitly ! King is Father, and I'm Mother, and you four are our children ; Helen and Ed, and Ethel and Jack, your names are ! Oh, what fun ! King, what shall we do first?" " Hear their lessons, I guess. Now, my dears, I know it's vacation, but you really ought to study a little each day, to keep your minds from rusting out." This was a favorite speech of Mrs. Maynard's, and ae King quoted it, with a twinkle in his eye, 250 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE it was recognized at once, at least, by the four Maynards. "All right," cried Marjorie, dancing about in excitement, " sit in a row, children. Why, Ed, your hands are a sight ! Go at once, and wash them, my boy, and never appear before me again with such an untidy appearance ! " Mr. Maynard obediently left the room, and when he returned a few moments later, his hands were immaculately clean. Also, he was munching a cooky, apparently with great delight. " Give me one ! " demanded Cousin Jack. "And me!" "And me!" begged both the ladies, trying to act like eager children. Mr. May- nard drew more cookies from his pockets and gave them to the others, not, however, including King and Marjorie. " Now, children, finish your cookies, but don't drop crumbs on the floor," said Midget, choking with laughter at Cousin Jack, who was cramming large bits of his cake into his mouth. " Please, Mother, may I go and get a drink of water ? " he mumbled. " Yes, Jack, go. And then don't ever take such big bites of cooky again ! You children have the worst manners I ever saw ! " And then each one had to have a drink of water, and there was much laughter and scrambling A FINE GAME 251 before they were again in order for their lessons. " Geography, first," said King, picking up & magazine to serve as a pretended text-book. " Edward, bound Missouri." " Missouri is bounded on the north, by, bj> Kansas, I guess." " Pshaw ! he doesn't know his lesson ! let me say it ! " exclaimed Cousin Jack. " Missouri is bounded on the north by Kentucky, on the east by- Alabama, on the south by New Jersey, and on the west by Philadelphia. It is a great cotton-grow- ing state, and contains six million inhabitants, mostly Hoosiers." "Fine!" cried Marjorie, "every word correct! Next, Ethel, what is the Capital of the United States?" " Seacote," said Cousin Ethel, laughing. " Sure it is ! " agreed King ; " now that's enough? jography. Next, we'll have arithmetic. Helen, how much is eighteen times forty-seven? " "I don't know," said Mrs. Maynard, helplessly. " Don't know your multiplication table ! Fie, fie, my dear! You must stay in after school and study it. Edward, how much is eighteen times, forty-seven? " " Six hundred and fifty-nine, Father." " Right, my boy ! Go up head." 252 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Now, I'll give an example," said Midget. " If Edward has three eggs and Jack has two eggs, how many have they together? " " Can't do it ! " declared Cousin Jack, " 'cause Ed and I are never together at breakfast, and that's the only time we have eggs ! " " Then here's another ! " cried Midget ; " how can you divide thirteen apples evenly among four people? " "You can't!" said Cousin Jack, "that's the answer." " No, it isn't ! Who knows? " " Invite in nine more people," suggested Mr. Maynard. " No ; that's not it ! Oh, it's easy ! Don't you know, Mother? I mean, Helen? " But they all gave it up, so Marjorie announced the solution, which is, " Make apple sauce ! " " History lesson, now," said King. " Edward, who discovered America? " " Pocahontas," replied Mr. Maynard. " Right. Who was Pocahontas ? " " A noble Indian Princess, who was born July 29th, 1563." " Very good. Ethel, describe the Battle of Bunker Hill." "I can't; I wasn't there," " You should have gone," reprimanded King, A FINE GAME 253 severely. " Didn't you read the newspaper ac- counts of it ? " " Yes, but I didn't believe them." " Jack Bryant, can you describe this famous battle?" " Yes, sir. It was fought under the shadow of the Bunker Hill Monument. At sundown the shadow ceased, so they all said, ' Disperse ye rebels, and lay down your arms ! ' So they laid down their arms and went to sleep." " Very well done, Master Bryant. Now, we're going to speak pieces. Each pupil will speak a piece or write a composition. You may take your choice." " I'll speak a piece ! Let me speak first ! " ex- claimed Cousin Ethel, jumping up and down. " May I speak now, Teacher ! " " Yes, Ethel, dear," said Midget, kindly ; " you may speak your piece first. Stand up here, by me. Make your bow." So Cousin Ethel came up to Marjorie, and acted like a very shy and bashful child. She put her finger in her mouth, and dropped her eyes and wriggled about, and picked at her skirt, until everybody was in peals of laughter. " Be quiet, children," said Midget, trying to control her own face. " Now, everybody sit still while Ethel Bryant recites." $5* MARJORIE AT SEACOTE Cousin Ethel made a very elaborate dancing- school bow, and then, swaying back and forth in school-child fashion, she recited in a monotonous ingsong, these lines: "MUD PIES grown-ups are the queerest folks; they never seem to know Iliat mud pies always have to be made just exactly so. You have to have a nice back yard, a sunny pleasant day, And then you ask some boys and girls to come around and play. You mix some mud up in a pail, and stir it with a stick; It mustn't be a bit too thin and not a bit too thick. And then you make it into pies, and pat it with your hand, And bake 'em on a nice flat board, and my ! but they are grand!" Mrs. Bryant declaimed, with suitable gestures, aumtl finally sat down on the floor and made imag- inary mud pies, in such a dear, childish way that her audience was delighted, and gave her really earnest encores. **Do you know another piece, Ethel?" asked ** Yes, ma'am," and Mrs. Bryant resumed her sky voice and manner. **Then you may recite it, as your little school- Mates seem anxious to have you do so." So again, Mrs. Bryant diffidently made her r, and recited, with real dramatic effect: A FINE GAME 255 "AN UNVISITED LOCALITY 44 1 wisht I was as big as men, To see the Town of After Ten; I've heard it is so bright and gay, It's almost like another day. But to my bed I'm packed off straight When that old clock strikes half-past eight! It's awful hard to be a boy And never know the sort of joy That grown-up people must have when They're in the Town of After Ten. I'm sure I don't know what they do, For shops are closed, and churches too. Perhaps with burglars they go 'round, And do not dare to make a sound! Well, soon I'll be a man, and then I'll see the Town of After Ten! " " Oh, Cousin Ethel, you're lovely ! " cried Mar- jorie, forgetting her role for the moment. But King took it up. "Yes, little Ethel," he said, "you recite Tory nicely, for such a young child. Now, go to yotur seat, and Helen Maynard may recite next." " Mine is a Natural History Poem," said Mrs* Maynard, coming up to the teacher's desk. **R is founded on fact, and it is highly instructive.** "That's nice," said King. "Go ahead with it." So Mrs. Maynard made her bow and though not bashful, like Mrs. Bryant, she was very funny, for 256 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE she pretended to forget her lines, and stammered and hesitated, and finally burst into pretended tears. But, urged on and encouraged by the teachers, she finally concluded this gem of poesy: " THE WHISTLING WHALE " A whistling whale once built his nest On the very tiptop of a mountain's crest. He wore a tunic and a blue cocked hat, And for fear of mice he kept a cat. The whistling whale had a good-sized mouth, It measured three feet from north to south; But when he whistled he puckered it up Till it was as small as a coffee-cup. The people came from far and near This wonderful whistling whale to hear; And in a most obliging way He stood on his tail and whistled all day." " That's a truly noble poem," commented King, as she finished. " Take your seat, Helen ; you have done splendidly, my little girl ! " " Now, Teddy Maynard, it's your turn," said Marjorie. " After Jacky," declared Mr. Maynard, and nothing would induce him to precede his friend. " Mine is about a visit I paid to the Zoo," said Mr. Bryant, looking modest. " I wrote it myself for a composition, but it turned out to be poetry. I never can tell how my compositions are going to turn out." A FINE GAME 257 "Recite it," said Marjorie, "and we'll see if we like it." " It's about wild animals," went on Cousin Jack, " and it tells of their habits." " That's very nice," said King, condescend' ingly ; " go ahead, my boy." So Cousin Jack recited this poem: "THE WAYS OF THE WILD " There's nothing quite so nice to do As pay a visit to the zoo, And see beasts that, at different times, Were brought from strange and distant climes. I love to watch the tapirs tape; I stand intent, with mouth agape. Then I observe the vipers vipe; They're a most interesting type. I love to see the beavers beave; Indeed, you scarcely would believe That they can beave so cleverly, Almost as well as you or me. And then I pass along, and lo! Panthers are panthing to and fro. And in the next cage I can see The badgers badging merrily. Oh, the dear beasties at the zoo, What entertaining things they do!" " That's fine ! " exclaimed Midget. " I didn't know we were going to have a real entertain- ment ! " " Very good, Jacky ! " pronounced King. " I 258 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE sliall mark you ten in declamation. You're a good Reclaimer. Now, Teddy Maynard, it's your turn." " Mine is real oratory," declared Mr. Maynard, s he rose from his seat. " But I find that so many fine oratorical pieces fizzle out after their first lines, that I just pick out the best lines and use them for declamation. Now, you can see how well mj plan works." He struck an attitude, bowed to each of his audience separately, cleared his throat impres- sively, and then began to declaim in a stilted, stagey voice, and with absurd dramatic gestures : " THE ART OF ELOCUTION "The noble songs of noble deeds of bravery or glory Are much enhanced if they're declaimed with stirring oratory. I love sonorous words that roll like billows o'er the seas; These I recite like Cicero or like Demosthenes. ** And so, from every poem what is worthy I select ; J use the phrases I like best, the others I reject; And thus, I claim, that I have found the logical solution Of difficulties that attend the art of elocution. ** Whence come these shrieks so wild and shrill? Across the sands o' Dee? La, I will stand at thy right hand and keep the bridge with thee! 'For this was Tell a hero? For this did Gessler die? * The curse is come upon me ! ' said the Spider to the Fly. A FINE GAME 259 "When Britain first at Heaven's command said, * Boatswain, do not tarry; The despot's heel is on thy shore, and while ye may, go marry.' Let dogs delight to bark and bite the British Grenadiers, Lars Porsena of Clusium lay dying in Algiers! "Old Grimes is dead! Ring out, wild bells! And shall Trelawney die? Then twenty thousand Cornishmen are comin' thro' the rye! The Blessed Damozel leaned out, she was eight years old she said! Lord Lovel stood at his castle gate, whence all but him had fled. ** Rise up, rise up, Xarifa ! Only three grains of corn ! Stay, Lady, stay! for mercy's sake! and wind the bugle horn. The glittering knife descends descends Hark, hark, the foeman's cry! The world is all a fleeting show ! Said Gilpin, ' So am I ! ' "The sea! the sea! the open sea! Roll on, roll on, thou deep! Maxwelton braes are bonny, but Macbeth hath murdered sleep ! Answer me, burning shades of night! what's Hecuba to me? Alone stood brave Horatius! The boy oh, where was he?" " Oh, Father ! " cried Mar j one, as Mr. Maynard finished, " did you really make that up ? Or did you find it in a book? " But Mr. Maynard wouldn't tell, and only ac- cepted the praise heaped upon him, with a foolish smirk, like an embarrassed schoolboy. 260 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Now, children, school is out," said Midget, " and it's about luncheon time. So go and tidy yourselves up to come to the table. You're always sending us to tidy up, Mother, so now you can see what a nuisance it is ! Rim along, and come back as quickly as you can, for luncheon is nearly ready." The four grown-ups went away to tidy up, and King and Midget made further plans for this new game. It was still raining, so there was no hope of going motoring, and they concluded they were having enough fun at home to make up for it. But when the four " children " returned, they looked at them a moment in silent astonishment, and then burst into shrieks of laughter. Mr. Maynard and Mr. Bryant had transformed themselves into boys, by brushing their hair down very wet and straight, and wearing large, round collars made of white paper, and tied with enor- mous bows. They looked funny enough, but the two ladies were funnier still. Mrs. Maynard had her hair in two long pigtails tied with huge rib- bons, and Cousin Ethel had her hair in bunches of curls, also tied with big bows. They both wore white bib aprons, and carried foolish-looking dolls which they had made out of pillows, tied round with string. A FINE GAME 261 " You dear children ! " cried Midget ; " I think you are lovely ! Come along to luncheon." The " children " politely let King and Midget go first, and they followed, giggling. Sarah, the waitress, was overcome with amusement, but she managed to keep a straight face, as the comical- looking procession filed in. King and Marjorie appropriated their parents' seats, and the others sat at the sides of the table. " No, Helen, dear," said Midget, " you can't have any tea. It isn't good for little girls. You may have a glass of milk, if you wish." " I don't think these lobster croquettes are good for Jack," said King, looking wisely at Midget; "they're very rich, and he's subject to indigestion." " I am not ! " declared Cousin Jack, looking longingly at the tempting croquettes, for which Ellen was famous. " There, there, my child," said Marjorie; " don't contradict your father. Perhaps he could have a half of one, King." " Yes, that would scarcely make him ill," and King gave Cousin Jack a portion of one small croquette, which he ate up at once, and found to be merely an aggravation. " Oh, no ! no pie for Edward," said Marjorie, when a delicious lemon meringue made its appear- 262 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE ance. " Pie is entirely unsuitable for children t He may have a nice baited apple." And Mr. Maynard was plucky enough to eat his baked apple without a murmur, for he remem- bered that often he had advised Mrs. Maynard against giving the children pie. To be sure, the pie would not harm the grown people, but Mr. Maynard had agreed to " play the game," and it was his nature to do thoroughly whatever he undertook. CHAPTER XIX MOEE FUN "Now, Helen," said Marjorie, as they left the dining-room, " you must practise for an hour." " Oh, Mother, I don't feel a bit like it! Mayn't I skip it to-day?" This was, in effect, a speech that Marjorie often made, and she had to laugh at her mother's mimicry. But she straightened her face, and said, " No, my child; you must do your practising, or you won't be ready for your lesson when the teacher comes to-morrow." "All right, Mother," said Mrs. Maynard, cheerfully, and sitting down at the piano, she began to rattle off a gay waltz. " Oh, no, Helen," remonstrated Marjorie, " that won't do ! You must play your scales and exer- cises. See, here's the book. Now, play that page over and over for an hour." Marjorie did hate those tedious " exercises," and she was glad for her mother to see how poky it was to drum at them for an hour. As a rule, Marjorie did her practising patiently enough, but 263 264 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE sometimes she revolted, and it made her chuckle to see Mrs. Maynard carefully picking out the " five-finger drills." " Keep your hands straight, Helen," she ad- monished her mother. " Keep the backs of them so level that a lead pencil wouldn't roll off. I'll get a lead pencil." " No, don't ! " exclaimed Mrs. Maynard, in dis- may. She liked to play the piano, but she was far from careful to hold her hands in the position required by Midget's teacher. " Yes, I think I'd better, Helen. If you con- tract bad habits, it's so difficult to break them." Roguish Marjorie brought a lead pencil, and laid it carefully across the back of her mother's hand, from which it immediately rolled off. " Now, Helen, you must hold your hand level. Try again, dearie, and if it rolls off, pick it up and put it back in place." Mrs. Maynard made a wry face, and the other grown-ups laughed, to see the difficulty she ex- perienced with the pencil. " One two three four," she counted, aloud. " Count to yourself, Helen," said Marjorie. " It's annoying to hear you do that ! " This, too, was quoted, for Mrs. Maynard had often objected to the monotonous drone of Mar- jorie's counting aloud. MORE FUN 265 But the mother began to see that a child's life has its own little troubles, and she smiled appreci- atively at Midget, as she picked up the pencil from the floor for the twentieth time, and replaced it on the back of her hand, now stiff and lame from the unwonted restraint. " You dear old darling ! " cried Midget, flying over and kissing the patient musician ; " you sha'n't do that any longer! I declare, King, it's clearing off, after all! Let's take the children out for a walk." " Very well, we will. Oh, here comes Ruth ! Come in, Ruth." Ruth Rowland came in, and looked greatly mys- tified at the appearance of the elder members of the group before her. But King and Midget explained what was going on, and said: " And you can be Aunt Ruth, come to call on us and our children." Ruth's eyes danced with fun, and she sat down, saying to Marjorie, " I'm glad to see the children looking so well; have any of them the whooping- cough? I hear it's around some." " I have," declared Cousin Jack, and then he began to cough and whoop in a most exaggerated imitation of the whooping-cough. Indeed, in his paroxysms, he almost turned somersaults. 266 " I hab a bad cold id by head," declared Mr. Maynard, and he began a series of such prodigious sneezes that all the others screamed with laughter. " Well, your children aren't so very well, after all, are they? " commented Ruth, as they watched the two men cutting up their capers. " The girls are," said Marjorie, looking affec- tionately at her two " daughters." "Oh, I'm not!" declared Mrs. Maynard; "I have a fearful toothache," and she held her cheek in her hand, and rocked back and forth, pretend- ing dreadful pain. " And I have the mumps ! " announced Cousin Ethel, puffing out her pretty pink cheeks, to make believe they were swollen with that ailment. " Well, you're a crowd of invalids ! " said King; " I believe some fresh air would do you good. Out you all go, for a walk. Get your hats, kiddies, and be quick about it." The grown-ups scampered away to get their hats, and the ladies put up their hair properly and took off their white aprons. The two men discarded their big collars and ties, but the game was not yet over, and the group went gayly out and down toward the beach. " May we go in bathing, Mother? " asked Mr. Maynard. " Not in bathing, my son," returned Marjorie; MORE FUN 26T " the waves are too strong. But, if you wish, you may all take off your shoes and stockings and go < paddling.' " However, none of the quartette of " children " accepted this permission, so they all sat on the sand and built forts. " Now, I guess we'll all go to the pier, and get ice cream," said King. " How would you like that, kiddies? " " Fine ! " said Cousin Jack. " It's getting warmer, and I'm hungering for ice cream. Come on, all." " Gently, my boy, gently," said King, as Cousin Jack scrambled to his feet, upsetting sand all over everybody. " Now, walk along nicely and prop- erly, don't go too fast, and we'll reach the pier in good time." " Turn out your toes," directed Marjorie; " hold up your head, Ethel. Don't swing your arms, Edward." As a matter of fact the four grown people found it a little difficult to follow these bits of good advice they had so often given carelessly to the children, and they marched along rather stifflj. " Try to be a little more graceful, Helen," said King, and they all laughed, for Mrs. Maynard was really a very graceful lady, and was spoiling her gait by over-attention to Midget's rules. At 268 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE the pier, King selected a pleasant table, and ranged his party around it. " Bring three plates of ice cream, and four half- portions," he directed the waiter. And when it was brought, he calmly gave the four small pieces to his parents and the Bryants. Cousin Jack's face fell, for he was warm and tired, and he wanted more than a spoonful of the refreshing delicacy. But a surreptitious glance at his watch showed him it was almost five o'clock; so he accepted his plate without a murmur. " It's very nice, Mother," he said demurely, eat- ing it by tiny bits, scraped from the edges as he had sometimes seen Marjorie do, when her share had been limited to half a plate. " I'm glad you like it, son," she returned ; " don't eat too fast, hold your spoon properly, take small bites of cake." Ruth was convulsed by this new sort of fun, and asked Marjorie if they had ever played the game before. " No," Cousin Jack answered for her, " and I'm jolly well sure we never will again! I've had enough of being ' a child again, just for to-night ! ' And, if you please, ladies and gentlemen, it's now five o'clock! the jig is up! the game is played out! the ball is over! Here, waiter; bring some ice cream, please. Full-sized plates, all around ! " MORE FUN 269 The amused waiter hurried away on his errand, and Mr. and Mrs. Maynard sat up suddenly, as if relieved of a great responsibility. " Bring some cake, too," said Mrs. Maynard, " and a pot of tea. Don't you want some tea, Ethel?" " Indeed, I do, Helen ; I'm exhausted. Jack, if you ever propose such a game again ! " " I didn't propose it, my dear ! Now, will you look at that ! Everything always gets blamed on me!" And now there was plenty of ice cream for everybody, and the children were allowed to have all they wanted, and they were all glad to get back to their rightful places again. " But it was fun ! " said Marjorie, and then she told Ruth all about the funny things they had done before she arrived on the scene. Then they all walked around by Ruth's house to take her home, and then they walked around by Bryant Bower to take the Bryants home, and then the Maynards went home themselves. " I'm going to write Kit all about it," said Marjorie; "she'd have loved that game, if she'd been here." " She loves any make-believe game," said King. " You write to her, Midget ; I've got to write up The Jolly Sandboy paper." 270 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " I should think you had ! You haven't done one for two weeks." " I know it ; but it's because nobody sends in any contributions. I can't make it all up alone." " 'Course you can't. When I write to Kitty, I'll ask her if she hasn't some things we could put in it. She and Uncle Steve are always making up poetry and stories." " Good idea, Mops ! Tell her to be sure to send me a lot of stuff, first thing she does ! " "Well, I will;" and Marjorie set to work at her letter. It was finished by dinner time, for Marjorie's letters to her sister were not marked by any undue precision of style or penmanship, and as Marjorie laid it on the hall table to be mailed, she told King that she had given Kitty his message. " Father." said Midget, at dinner, that night, " what day did Cousin Jack say was Pocahontas' birthday?" " I don't remember, my dear : but I'm quite sure he doesn't really know, nor any one else. I fancy he made up that date." " Well, do you know of anybody, anybody nice and celebrated, whose birthday comes about now? " "The latter part of July? No, Midget, I don't. Why?" " Oh, 'cause I think it would be nice to have MORE FUN 271 a celebration, and you can't celebrate without a hero." " Do you call Pocahontas a hero ? " asked King, quizzically. " Well, she's a heroine, it's all the same. When do you s'pose her birthday was, Father?" " I've no idea, Midget ; and Cousin Jack hasn't, either. But if you want to celebrate her, you can choose any day. You see, it isn't like a birthday that's celebrated every year, Washington's, Lin- coln's, or yours. If you're just going to celebrate once, you can take one day as well as another." " Oh, can I, Father? Then, we'll have it next week. I'll choose August first, that's a nice day." "What's it all about, Midge?" asked King. " Oh, nothing ; only I took a notion for a cele- bration. We had such good times on Fourth of July and on my birthday, I want another birth- day." " I think it's a good idea to choose some un- celebrated person like Pocahontas," said Mrs. May- nard ; " for if you don't celebrate her I doubt if anybody ever will." " And you see we can have it all sort of In- dian," went on Midget. " You know we've a good many Indian baskets and beads and things, and, Father, couldn't you build us a wigwam ? " MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Oh, yes, a whole reservation, if you like." " No, just one wigwam. And we'll only have the Sand Club. I don't mean to have a party." " All right, I'm in for it," declared King, and right after dinner, the two set to work making plans for the celebration. " Cousin Jack will help, I know," said Marjorie ; " remember how he played Indians with us, up in Cambridge, last year? " " Yep, 'course I do. He'll be fine ! He always is." " Let's telephone, and ask him right awa} r ." " All right ; " and in a few moments Cousin Jack's cheery " Hello ! " came over the wire. " Well ! " he exclaimed, " if it isn't those May- nard scamps again ! Now, see here, Mehitabel, it's time you and Hezekiah went to bed. It's nearly nine o'clock." " But, Cousin Jack, I just want to ask you something." " Not to-night, my Angel Child. Whatever you ask me to-night, I shall say no to ! Besides, I'm reading my paper, and I can't be disturbed." " But, Cousin Jack " " The Interstate Commerce Commission has to- day handed down a decision in favor of " " Oh, King, he's reading out of his newspaper, just to tease us ! You try him." MORE FUN 273 King took the telephone. " Please, Cousin Jaclc, listen a minute," he said. But all the reply he heard was: " Ephraim Hardenburg has been elected chair- man of the executive committee of the Great Coal Tar Company, to succeed James H. " King hung up the receiver in disgust. "No use," he said; "Cousin Jack just read more of that newspaper stuff! Never mind, Mid- get, we can wait till we see him. I guess I will scoot to bed, now ; I'm awful sleepy." But when Cousin Jack heard of their project, a day or two later, he was more than willing to help with the celebration. "Well, I just guess!" he cried. "We'll have a jamboree that'll make all the good Indians wish they were alive now, instead of four hundred thou- sand years ago ! We'll have a wigwam and a wampum and a tomahawk and all the ancient im- provements ! Hooray for Pocahontas ! " " Gracious, Jack ! you're the biggest child of the lot ! " exclaimed Mrs. Maynard, who sat on the veranda, watching the enthusiasm going on. " Of course, I am, ma'am ! I'm having a merry playtime this summer with my little friends, and as I have to work hard all winter, I really need this vacation." 274 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Of course you do ! But don't let those two energetic children wear you out." " No, ma'am ! More likely I'll wear them out. Now, for the wigwam, kiddies. Have you a couple of Navajo blankets?" *' Yes, we have ! and a Bulgarian one, or what- ever you call it, to piece out," cried Midget, as she ran to get them. " Just the thing ! " declared Cousin Jack. " Put them aside, we won't use them till the day of the show. 'Cause why? 'Cause it might rain. but, of course it won't. Now, for feathers. we want lots of feathers." " Old hat feathers ? " asked Midget. " Ostrich plumes ? Nay, nay, me child. Good stiff quill feathers, turkey feathers preferred. Well, never mind those, I'll fish some up from somewhere. Now, blankets for the braves and fringed gowns for the squaws. I'll show you how, Mehitabel, and you and your respected mother can do the sewing act." Well, Cousin Jack planned just about every- thing, and he and the children turned the house upside down in their quest for materials. But Mrs. Maynard didn't mind. She was used to it, for the Maynard children would always rather 4< celebrate " than play any ordinary game. CHAPTER XX A CELEBRATION THE first of August was a perfect day for their celebration. They had concluded to hold a Sand Court ses- sion first, for the simple reason that so much matter for The Jolly Sandboy had arrived from Kitty that King said his paper was full, and he thought it would be nice to help along the celebration. Cousin Jack declined an invitation to be present at the reading, saying that the Pocahontas part was all he could stand, so the Court convened without him. Ruth was Queen for the day. This was for no particular reason, except that Marjorie thought it would be a pleasure to the little new member, so she insisted on Ruth's wearing the crown. Very dainty and sweet the little Queen looked, with her long flaxen curls hanging down from the extra gorgeous gilt-paper crown, that Marjorie had made specially for this occasion. As the session began, a meek little figure ap 275 276 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE peared at the Court entrance, and there was Hester ! " Now, you Hester ! " began Tom Craig, but Hester said : " Oh, please let me come ! I "will be good. I won't say a single cross word, or boss, or any- thing." "All right, Hester," said Midget, kindly, " come on in. If the Queen says you may we'll all say so. Do you, O Queen ? " Ruth looked doubtful for a minute, for she was a little afraid of Hester's uncertain temper; but, seeing Marjorie's pleading look, she consented. " All right," she said ; " if Hester won't throw water on me." " No, I won't ! " declared Hester, earnestly. " Well," said King, " just as long as Hester be- haves herself she may stay. If she carries on like fury, she's got to go home." Hester sat down and folded her hands in her lap, looking so excessively meek that they all had to laugh at her. " Now," said the Queen, " we're gathered here together, my loyal subjects, to listen to, to, what do you call it? " " The Jolly Sandboy," prompted King. " The Jolly Sandbag," said the Queen, mis- understanding. A CELEBRATION 277 But she was soon put right, and King pro- ceeded to read his paper. " It's 'most aU done by Uncle Steve and Kitty," he said, " and it's so nice, I thought you'd all like to hear it." " We would," they said, and so King began. " Uncle Steve's part is all about animals," he said. " It's a sort of Natural History, I guess. First is a poem about the Camel. " The camel is a curious beast ; He roams about all through the East. He swiftly scours the desert plain, And then he scours it back again. " The camel's legs are very slim, And he lets people ride on him. Across the sandy waste he flies, And kicks the waste in people's eyes. " He kneels for people to get on, Then pulls his legs up, one by one; But here's what troubles them the worst To know which leg he'll pull up first. " Sometimes, when he is feeling gay, The camel likes to run away; And, as he's just indulged that whim, I can't write any more of him." " I think that's lovely," said the Queen, enthusi- astically. " Your uncle is a real poet, isn't he? " 278 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Our family all can write poetry," said Mar- jorie, seriously. " Father and Mother both write beautiful verses." " Now, here's the next one," went on King. " This is about all sorts of different animals, and it's funny, too: "The whale is smooth, and black as jet His disposition sweet; He neatly combs his hair, and yet He will not wipe his feet. ** The wombat's clever and polite, And kind as he can be; And yet he doesn't bow quite right When he goes out to tea. "The snake is bright and understands Whatever he is taught; And yet he never will shake hands As cordial people ought. " 'Most everybody loves the newt ; But I've heard people tell, That though he's handy with a flute He can't sew very well. " So animals, as you may see, Some grave defects display; They're not like human beings. We Are perfect every way." " Oh, that's a fine one ! " cried Hester. " Mayn't I copy that, and have it to keep? " A CELEBRATION 279 " Of course," said King. " I'll make you a copy on the typewriter. Now, here's a silly one. I mean nonsensical, you know. But I like it : "THE FUNNY FLAPDOODLE " There was a Flapdoodle of France, Who loved to cut capers and dance; He had one red shoe And the other was blue, And how he could shuffle and prance! *' One day he was kicking so high That a breeze blew him up in the sky; The breeze was so strong It blew him along Till the Flapdoodle just seemed to fly. " He flew 'way up into the stars, And, somehow, he landed on Mars. Said the Flapdoodle: 'I Do not like to fly; I think I'll go back on the cars.' " So a railroad was rapidly built, And they wrapped him all up in a quilt; For the Flapdoodle said: 'If I stick out my head I fear that I'll somehow get kilt!' " The railroad train whizzed very fast, But they landed him safely at last; And through future years He related, with tears, The dangers Uii'ough which he had passed." 280 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " Oh, that's the best of all ! " said Midget ; " I love that kind of funny verses. Isn't Uncle Steve clever to write like that! Any more, King? " " Yes, one more. It isn't about animals, but it's a sort of a nonsense poem, too. It's called i A Queer Hospital.' " There's a hospital down on Absurdity Square, Where the queerest of patients are tended with care. " When I made them a visit I saw in a crib A little Umbrella who had broken his rib. " And then I observed in the very next bed A bright little Pin who had bumped his poor head. " They said a new cure they'd decided to try On an old Needle, totally blind in one eye. " I was much interested, and soon I espied A Shoe who complained of a stitch in her side. " And a sad-looking patient who seemed in the dumps Was a Clock, with a swell face because of the mumps. " Then I tried very hard, though I fear 'twas in vain To comfort a Window who had a bad pane. "And I paused just a moment to cheerily speak With a pale Cup of Tea who was awfully weak. "As I took my departure I met on the stair A new patient, whom they were handling with care, A victim perhaps of some terrible wreck 'Twas a Squash who had fatally broken his neck." A CELEBRATION 281 " This is the nicest Jolly Sandboy paper we've had yet," said Tom, as King finished. " Yes, it is," agreed Marjorie. " But I thought Kit wrote some of it, King." " She did. I'll read hers now. It's an alphabet, all about us down here. Kitty wrote it, but she says Uncle Steve helped her a little bit with some of the lines. It's called ' The Seacote Alphabet.' "A is the Automobile we all love. B is the Boat in the water we shove. C is the Coast that stretches along. D is for Dick, our Sandow so strong. E's cousin Ethel, so sweet and refined. F, Father Maynard, indulgent and kind. G, Grandma Sherwood, who dresses in drab. H is for Hester and Harry Sand Crab. I, for Ice Cream, the Maynards' mainstay. J, Cousin Jack, always ready to play. K is for King, and for Kitty, (that's me). L is for Lakewood, where I went to sea. M, Mother Maynard, and Marjorie, too. N for Nurse Nannhe, who has lots to do. O for the Ocean, with big breakers bold. P for the Pier, where candy is sold. Q for Queen Sandy, in regal array. R, Rosy Posy, so dainty and gay. S is for Seacote, and Sand Court beside. T is for Tom, the trusty and tried. U, Uncle Steve, who's helping me write. V for these Verses we send you to-night. W, the Waves, that dash with such fuss. X the Excitement -when one catches us. Y for You Youngsters, I've given your names. Z is the Zeal you show in your games." 282 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE " My ! isn't that scrumptious ! " exclaimed Hester. " You're a terribly smart family, Mar- jorie." " Oh, I don't know," said Midget, modestly. " Kit's pretty clever at writing rhymes, but King and I can't do it much. We make up songs some- times, but Kitty makes the best ones." "I wish I could do it," said Ruth; "but I couldn't write a rhyming thing at all." " Well, that's all there is in The Jolly Sand- boy this week," said King. " I didn't write any myself, and the things you others gave me, I've saved for next week. Now, shall we go and cele- brate Pocahontas' birthday ? " " Is it really her birthday? " asked Ruth. " No, we're just pretending it is. But you see, poor Poky never had her birthday celebrated; I mean, not legally, like Washington, so we're going to give her a chance.*' The Sand Club trooped up to the house, and found Cousin Jack waiting for them. He was a little surprised to see Hester, but he greeted her pleasantly, and Hester looked so meek and mild, one would hardly believe she had a high temper at all. A wigwam had been built on the lawn, and though it was only a few poles covered with blankets, it looked very Indian and effective. The Maynards had contrived costumes for all, A CELEBRATION 283 and in a few moments the girls had on gay-fringed skirts and little shawls, with gaudy headdresses, and the boys had a nondescript Indian garb, and wonderful feathered headpieces, that hung grandly down their backs like Big Chiefs. Also they had pasteboard tomahawks, and Cousin Jack taught them a war-whoop that was truly ear-splitting. " First," said Mr. Bryant, " we'll all sing the Blue Juniata, as that is a pretty Indian song, and so, sort of appropriate to Pocahontas." So they all sang it, with a will, and the song of " The Indian Girl, Bright Alfarata," was, in a way, a tribute to Pocahontas. " Now," Mr. Bryant went on, " some one must tell the story of Pocahontas. Harry, will you do it?" But the Sand Crab was too shy to speak in public, so Cousin Jack asked Ruth to do it. " I don't know it very well," said Ruth, " but I guess it was like this: Captain John Smith was about to be tommyhawked all to pieces by admir- ing Indians. As the fell blows were about to fell, up rushes a beautiful Indian maiden, with her black hair streaming in the breeze. ' Fear thou not ! ' she said, wildly ; ' I will save thec ! ' Whereupon she flang herself upon him, and hugged him till he couldn't be reached by his tormentors. The MARJORIE AT SEACOTb wild Indians were forced to desist, or else pierce to the heart their own Pocahontas, beloved daugh- ter of their tribe. So they released Captain John Smith, and so Pocahontas married Captain John Rolfe instead, and the}' lived happy ever after. Hence is why we celebrate her birthday." Ruth clearly enjoyed the telling of this tale, and threw herself into it with dramatic fervor. The others listened, enthralled by her graphic recital and thrilling diction. " My ! " exclaimed Midget, as she finished, " I didn't know you knew so many big words, Ruth." "I didn't, either," said Ruth, calmly; "they sort of came to me as I went along." " Well, that's just as smart as writing poetry," declared King, and Ruth was greatly pleased at the compliments. " Now, my dear young friends," Cousin Jack said, by way of a speech, " the exercises will now begin. As you know, we are celebrating the birth- day of a noble Indian Princess. Therefore, our sports or diversions will all be of an Indian char- acter. First, we will have an Indian Club Drill." He produced Indian clubs for all, the boys' being heavier ones than the girls. These were new to the Maynards, but Cousin Jack soon taught them how to use them, and in- structed them in a simple drill. A CELEBRATION 285 Hester learned more quickly than Marjorie, for she was more lithe and agile, and swung her clubs around with greater ease. Ruth seemed to know instinctively how to use them, which was partly due to her proficiency in fancy dancing. But they all learned, and greatly enjoyed the interest- ing exercise. Cousin Jack presented the children with the clubs they used, and they promised to practise with them often. " It'll be good for you growing young people," said Mr. Maynard, " and you can form a sort of a Pocahontas Club." Then he had a gramophone brought out to the lawn, and they whisked their clubs about to in- spiriting Indian music. " Now, I dare say you're tired," said Cousin Jack, " for Indian club exercise is a strain on the muscles. So sit in a circle on the grass, and we'll all smoke pipes of peace and swap stories for a while." The " pipes of peace " turned out to be pipes made of chocolate, so they were all willing to " smoke " them. " Mine's a pipe of pieces ! " said Midget, as she broke the stem in bits, and ate them one by one. The others followed her example, and the pipes 286 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE had disappeared before the story-telling fairly began. But Cousin Jack told them some thrilling In- dian tales, and so interested were his hearers that they gathered close about him, and listened in absorbed silence. " Was that true, Cousin Jack?" asked King, after an exciting yarn. " Well, it's in a story-book written by James Fenimore Cooper. You're old enough to read his books now, and if I were you children, I'd ask my parents to buy me some of Cooper's works." *' I'm going to do that," cried Hester, her eyes dancing at the thought of reading such stories for herself. " I never heard of them before." " Well, you're young yet to read novels, but Cooper's are all right for you. You might read one aloud in your Sand Club." " Yes, we will ! " said King. " That'll be fine. Then one book would do for us all. Or we might each get one, and then lend them around to each other. My, we're getting lots of new ideas from our celebration. Indian club exercises and Cooper's stories are worth knowing about." " And now," said Cousin Jack, " if you're rested, suppose we march along Indian File, and see if we can come across an Indian Meal." A CELEBRATION 287 "Ho, ho!" laughed King, "I don't want to eat Indian meal ! " "We'll see what it is before we decide," said Midget, judicially. " What is Indian File, Cousin Jack?" " Oh, that only means single file, or one by one. Not like the Irishman who said to his men, * March togither, men ! be twos as far as ye go, an' thin be wans ! ' I want you to go ' be wans ' all the way." So, in single file, they followed Cousin Jack's lead to the wigwam, which they hadn't yet en- tered. He turned back the flap of the tent, and there was room for all inside. On a table there there were eight Indian baskets, of pretty design. On lifting the covers, each was found to contain an " Indian Meal." The meal was a few dainty little sandwiches and cakes, and a peach and a pear, all wrapped in pretty paper napkins, with an Indian's head on the corner. Exercise had given the children good appetites, and they were quite ready to do full justice to the " Indian Meal." Sarah brought out lemonade, and later ice cream, so, as Midget said, it really was a party after all. Of course, the children kept the baskets and 288 MARJORIE AT SEACOTE the pretty napkins as souvenirs, and when the guests went home, they said they were glad they didn't know the real date of Pocahontas' birth- day, for it might have been in the winter, and then they couldn't have had nearly as much fun. " And it's lucky we decided on this day," said Cousin Jack, after the children had gone, " for to-morrow Ethel and I go back to Cambridge." " Oh, Cousin Jack, not really ! " cried Midget, in dismay. " Yes, kiddy ; we've changed our summer plans suddenly, and we're going to Europe next week. So we leave here to-morrow. And sorry, indeed, are we to leave our Maynard friends." " I'm sorry, too," said Midget, " awfully sorry, but I'm glad we've had you down here as long as we have. You've been awful good to us, Cousin Jack." " You've been good to me, Mehitabel. And when I wander through the interesting places abroad, I shall write letters to you, and when I come home again, I'll bring you a souvenir from every place I've been to." " Well, you're just the dearest Cousin Jack in all the world ! " said Midget, and she gave him a big hug and kiss to corroborate her words. " And you're just the dearest Mopsy Midget Mehitabel ! " he said, returning her caress. THE BUNNY BROWN SERIES By LAURA LEE HOPE Author of the Popular "Bobbsey Twins" Books Wrapper and text illustrations drawn by FLORENCE ENGLAND NOSWORTHY 12mo. BOUND IN CLOTH. ILLUSTRATED. UNIFORM STYLE OF BINDING. This new series by the author of the "Bobbsey Twins" Books will be eagerly welcomed by the little folks from about fivt to ten years of age. Their eyes will fairly dance with de- light at the lively doings of inquisitive little Bunny Brown and his cunning, trustful sister Sue. BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE Bunny was a lively little boy, very inquisitive. When he did any- thing, Sue followed his leadership. They had many adventures, some comical in the extreme. LUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON GRAND. PA'S FARM How the youngsters journeyed to the farm in an auto, and what good times f ouowed, is realistically told. BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE PLAYING CIRCUS First the children gave a little affair, but when they obtained an old army tent the show was truly grand. BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT CAMP REST-A-WHILE The family go into camp on the edge of a beautiful lake, and Bun ny and his sister have more good times and some adventures. BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT AUNT LU'S CITY HOME The city proved a wonderful place to the little folks. They took in all the sights and helped a colored girl who had run away from home. GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK THE. MOVING PICTURE^BOYS SERIES By VICTOR APPLETON 12mo. BOUND IN CLOTH. ILLUSTRATED. UNIFORM STYLE OF CEDING. , Moving pictures and photo plays are famous the world lever, and in this line of books the reader is given a full description of how the films are made the scenes of little dramas, indoors and out, trick pictures to satisfy the curious, soul-stirring pictures of city affairs, life in the Wild West, among the cowboys and Indians, thrilling rescues along the seaco*st, the daring of picture hunters in _the jungle among savage beasts, and the great risks run in picturing ^conditions < in a land of earthquakes. The volumes ^teem with adven- tures and will be found interesting from first chapttf 4o last. THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS Or Perils of a Great City Depicted. THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE WEST Or Taking Scenes Among the Cowboys and Indians. THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS ON THE COAST Or Showing the Perils of the Deep. THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE Or Stirring Times Among the Wild Animals. THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE Or Working Amid Many Perils. LAND THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS AND THE FLOOD Or Perilous Days on the Mississippi. I THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS AT PANAMA Or Stirring Adventures Along the Great Canal. THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS UNDER THE SEA Or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. _ --"i GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW w* DC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 000042248 5