Marjorie at Seacote

Marjorie at Seacote
by
CAROLYN WELLS
Author of the "Patty" Books

[Illustration: "MOST LIEGE MAJESTY," BEGAN KING, BOWING
SO LOW THAT HIS SHOULDER CAPE FELL OFF. (page 60)]

Grosset & Dunlap Publishers New York Copyright, 1912, by Dodd,
Mead and Company
* * * * *
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
PATTY SERIES
PATTY FAIRFIELD PATTY AT HOME PATTY IN THE CITY
PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS PATTY IN PARIS PATTY'S FRIENDS
PATTY'S PLEASURE TRIP PATTY'S SUCCESS PATTY'S MOTOR
CAR
MARJORIE SERIES
MARJORIE'S VACATION MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS
MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND MARJORIE IN COMMAND
MARJORIE'S MAYTIME

* * * * *

CONTENTS

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

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
always 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.
The night before the departure was always celebrated 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 ears,
and that was all that was necessary.
So, when King and Midget composed the touching 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 announced.
"Well, Kit," remarked Kingdon, in a breathing 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 won't tumble head over heels into all her
mischiefs, 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 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