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Page 3
"No, thank you," said King, loftily; "I don't carry bits of cat
around in my pockets."
"I'd like a lock," said Kitty; "I'd tie it with a little blue
ribbon, and keep it for a forget-me-not. And I'll give you a
little curl of Arabella's, and you can keep that to remember her
by."
"All right," said Marjorie; "and I'll take a lock of Boffin Bear's
hair too. Then I'll have a memento of all the family, because I
have pictures of all of you, you know."
With the Maynards to suggest was to act. So the four scrambled out
of the swing, and ran to the house.
The Maynard house was a large square affair, with verandas all
around. Not pretentious, but homelike and comfortable, and largely
given over to the children's use. Though not often in the drawing-
room, the four young Maynards frequently monopolized the large
living-room, and were allowed free access to the library as well.
Also they had a general playroom and a nursery; and Kingdon had a
small den or workroom for his own use, which was oftener than not
invaded by the girls.
To the playroom they went, and Kingdon carefully cut small locks
from the kitten, the doll, and the bear, and Marjorie neatly tied
them with narrow blue ribbons. These mementoes the girls put away,
and carefully treasured all through the summer.
Another Maynard custom was a farewell feast at dinner, the night
before vacation began. Ordinarily, only the two older children
dined with their parents, the other two having their tea in the
nursery. But on this occasion, all were allowed at dinner, and the
feast was made a special honor for the one who was going away.
Gifts were made, as on a birthday, and festival dress was in
order.
A little later, then, the four children presented themselves in
the library, where their parents awaited them.
Mr. Maynard was a man of merry disposition and rollicking nature,
and sometimes joined so heartily in the children's play that he
seemed scarcely older than they.
Mrs. Maynard was more sedate, and was a loving mother, though not
at all a fussy one. She was glad in many ways to have one of her
children spend the summer each year with her mother, but it always
saddened her when the time of departure came.
She put her arm around Marjorie, without a word, as the girl came
into the room, for it had been three years since the two had been
parted, and Mrs. Maynard felt a little sad at the thought of
separation.
"Don't look like that, Mother," said Marjorie, "for if you do,
I'll begin to feel weepy, and I won't go at all."
"Oh, yes, you will, Miss Midge," cried her father; "you'll go, and
you'll stay all summer, and you'll have a perfectly beautiful
time. And, then, the first of September I'll come flying up there
to get you, and bring you home, and it'll be all over. Now, such a
short vacation as that isn't worth worrying about, is it?"
"No," put in Kingdon, "and last year when I went there wasn't any
sad good-by."
"That's because you're a boy," said his mother, smiling at him
proudly; "tearful good-bys are only for girls and women."
"Yes," said Mr. Maynard, "they enjoy them, you know. Now, _I_
think it is an occasion of rejoicing that Marjorie is to go to
Grandma's and have a happy, jolly vacation. We can all write
letters to her, and she will write a big budget of a family letter
that we can all enjoy together."
"And Mopsy must wite me a little letter, all for my own sef,"
remarked Rosy Posy, "'cause I like to get letters all to me."
Baby Rosamond was dressed up for the occasion in a very frilly
white frock, and being much impressed by the grandeur of staying
up to dinner, she had solemnly seated herself in state on a big
sofa, holding Boffin Bear in her arms. Her words, therefore,
seemed to have more weight than when she was her everyday roly-
poly self, tumbling about on the floor, and Marjorie at once
promised that she should have some letters all to herself.
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