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[Illustration: "SHE FED THE GOLD-FISH, ... SHE TRIED AMUSEMENTS OF
VARIOUS SORTS, BUT NONE SEEMED TO INTEREST HER."
_Busy Days._ _Page_ 144]
MARJORIE'S
BUSY DAYS
BY
CAROLYN WELLS
AUTHOR OF
THE "PATTY" BOOKS
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS NEW YORK
Made in the United States of America
Copyright, 1906
By DODD, MEAD & COMPANY
Published, October, 1908
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I A JOLLY GOOD GAME 1
II AN EXASPERATING GUEST 15
III PICNIC PLANS 28
IV AN OURDAY 43
V A NOVEL PICNIC 55
VI THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 72
VII THE JINKS CLUB 84
VIII SPELLING TROUBLES 99
IX A REAL ADVENTURE 114
X IN INKY PLIGHT 130
XI THE HALLOWE'EN PARTY 143
XII TOTTY AND DOTTY 159
XIII A FAIR EXCHANGE? 172
XIV A NOBLE SOCIETY 190
XV DISTURBED CITIZENS 204
XVI ROSY POSY'S CHOICE 220
XVII A SUBSTITUTE GUEST 235
XVIII THANKSGIVING DAY 252
XIX A SPOOL OF YARNS 265
XX THE CHARITY BAZAAR 278
CHAPTER I
A JOLLY GOOD GAME
"What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
"I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
"I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
"All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then. I'll get the cocoanuts."
"Me, too," chimed in Rosy Posy. "Me tumble in the wet water, too!"
The speakers in this somewhat enigmatical conversation were the four
Maynard children, and they were deciding on their morning's occupation.
It was a gorgeous day in early September. The air, without being too
cool, was just crisp enough to make one feel energetic, though indeed
no special atmospheric conditions were required to make the four
Maynards feel energetic. That was their normal state, and if they were
specially gay and lively this morning, it was not because of the brisk,
breezy day, but because they were reunited after their summer's
separation.
Though they had many friends among the neighboring children, the
Maynards were a congenial quartette, and had equally good times playing
by themselves or with others. Their home occupied a whole block in the
prettiest residence part of Rockwell, and the big square house sat in
the midst of about seven acres of lawn and garden.
There were many fine old trees, grassy paths, and informal flower-beds,
and here the children were allowed to do whatever they chose, but
outside the place, without permission, they must not go.
There was a playground, a tennis court, and a fountain, but better than
these they liked the corner full of fruit trees, called "the orchard,"
and another corner, where grapes grew on trellises, called "the
vineyard." The barn and its surroundings, too, often proved attractive,
for the Maynards' idea of playing were by no means confined to quiet or
decorous games.
The house itself was surrounded by broad verandas, and on the southern
one of these, in the morning sunshine, the four held conclave.
Kingdon, the eldest, was the only boy, and oftener than not his will was
law. But this was usually because he had such splendid ideas about games
and how to play them, that his sisters gladly fell in with his plans.
But Marjorie was not far behind her brother in ingenuity, and when they
all set to work, or rather, set to play, the games often became very
elaborate and exciting. "Shipwreck" was always a favorite, because it
could develop in so many ways. Once they were shipwrecked no rescue was
possible, unless help appeared from some unexpected quarter. It might be
a neighbor's child coming to see them, or it might be a servant, or one
of their own parents, but really rescued they must be by actual
outsiders. Unless, indeed, they could build a raft and save themselves,
but this they had never accomplished.
The desert island was selected, and this time they chose a certain
grassy knoll under an immense old maple tree.
Marjorie disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, and, after a time,
came back with a small basket, apparently well-filled.
With this she scampered away to the "desert island," and soon returned,
swinging the empty basket. Tossing this into the house, she announced
that she was ready.
Then the four went to the big, double, wooden swing, and got in.
Kitty carried her doll, Arabella, from which she was seldom separated,
and Rosy Posy hugged her big white Teddy Bear, who was named Boffin and
who accompanied the baby on all expeditions.
The swing, to-day, was an ocean steamer.
"Have your tickets ready!" called out Kingdon, as his passengers swarmed
up the gangplank, which he had thoughtfully laid from the ground to the
low step of the swing.
Soon they were all on board, the gangplank drawn in, and the ship
started.
At first all went smoothly. The swing swayed gently back and forth, and
the passengers admired the beautiful scenery on either side. The
Captain had never crossed an ocean, and the nearest he had come to it
had been a sail up the Hudson and a trip to Coney Island. His local
color, therefore, was a bit mixed, but his passengers were none the
wiser, or if they were, they didn't care.
"On the right, we see West Point!" the Captain shouted, pointing to
their own house. "That's where the soldiers come from. The noble
soldiers who fight for the land of the free and the home of the brave."
"Are you a soldier, sir?" asked Marjorie.
"Yes, madam; I am a veteran of the Civil War. But as there's no fighting
to do now, I run this steamer."
"A fine ship it is," observed Kitty.
"It is that! No finer craft sails the waves than this."
"What is that mountain in the distance?" asked Marjorie, shading her
eyes with her hand as she looked across the street.
"That's a--a peak of the Rockies, ma'am. And now we are passing the
famous statue of 'Liberty Enlightening the World.'"
As the statue to which Kingdon pointed was really Mrs. Maynard, who had
come out on the veranda, and stood with her hand high against a post,
the children shouted with laughter.
But this was quickly suppressed, as part of the fun of making-believe
was to keep grave about it.
"Is your daughter ill, madam?" asked Marjorie of Kitty, whose doll hung
over her arm in a dejected way.
"No, indeed!" cried Kitty, righting poor Arabella. "She is as well as
anything. Only she's a little afraid of the ocean. It seems to be
getting rougher."
It did seem so. The swing was not only going more rapidly, but was
joggling from side to side.
"Don't be alarmed, ladies," said the gallant Captain; "there's no
danger, I assure you."
"I'm not afraid of the sea," said Marjorie, "as much as I am of that
fearful wild bear. Will he bite?"
"No," said Kingdon, looking at Rosy Posy. "That's his trainer who is
holding him. He's a wonderful man with wild beasts. He's--he's Buffalo
Bill. Speak up, Rosy Posy; you're Buffalo Bill, and that's a bear
you're taking home to your show."
"Ess," said Rosamond, who was somewhat versed in make-believe plays,
"I'se Buffaro Bill; an' 'is is my big, big bear."
"Will he bite?" asked Kitty, shrinking away in fear, and protecting
Arabella with one arm.
"Ess! He bites awful!" Rosy Posy's eyes opened wide as she exploited her
Bear's ferocity, and Boffin made mad dashes at Arabella, who duly
shrieked with fear.
But now the ship began to pitch and toss fearfully. The Captain stood up
in his excitement, but that only seemed to make the motion worse.
"Is there danger?" cried Marjorie, in tragic tones, as she gripped the
belt of King's Norfolk jacket. "Give me this life-preserver; I don't see
any other."
"They are under the seats!" shouted the Captain, who was now greatly
excited. "I cannot deceive you! We are in great danger! We may strike a
rock any minute! Put on life-preservers, all of you. They are under the
seats."
The other three scrambled for imaginary life-preservers, and vigorously
put them on, when, with a terrific yell, Kingdon cried out:
"We have struck! We're on a rock! The ship is settling; we must all be
drowned. We are lost! Launch the boats!"
This was a signal for shrieks and wails from the others, and in a minute
it was pandemonium. The four screamed and groaned, the swing shook
violently, and then came almost to a standstill.
Kingdon fell out with a bounce and lay prone on the ground. Marjorie
sprang out, and as she reached the ground, struck out like a swimmer in
the water.
Kitty daintily stepped out, remarking: "This is a fine life-preserver. I
can stand straight up in the water."
Baby Rosamond bundled out backward, dropping Boffin as she did so.
"The bear, the bear!" screamed Kingdon, and swimming a few strokes along
the soft, green grass, he grabbed the bear and waved him aloft.
"What can we do!" stammered Marjorie, panting for breath. "I've swum
till I'm exhausted. Must I drown!" With a wail, she turned on her eyes
on the grass, and closing her eyes, prepared to sink beneath the waves.
"Do not despair," urged Kingdon, as he grasped her arm. "Perhaps we can
find a plank or a raft. Or perhaps we can yet swim ashore."
"How many survivors are we?" asked Marjorie, sitting up in the water and
looking about.
"Four," responded Kitty; "but I won't swim. It makes my dress all
greeny, and stubs my shoes out."
Kitty was the only Maynard who was finicky about her clothes. It called
forth much derision from her elder brother and sister, but she stood
firm. She would play their plays, until it came to "swimming" across
grass and earth, and there she rebelled.
"All right," said Kingdon, good-naturedly, "you needn't. There's a
raft," pointing to what had been the gangplank. "Cannot you and your
infant daughter manage to get ashore on that? This other lady is an
expert swimmer, and I think she can reach land, while Buffalo Bill will,
of course, save himself."
"Me save myself!" exclaimed Rosy Posy, gleefully. She had no objections
to swimming on land, and throwing her fat self down flat, kicked
vigorously, and assisted Boffin to swim by her side.
Kitty and Arabella arranged themselves on the raft, which Kitty
propelled by a series of hitches. The shipwrecked sufferers thus made
their way toward the desert island. There were several narrow escapes
from drowning, but they generously assisted each other, and once when
Kitty fell off her raft, the noble Captain offered to take Arabella on
his own broad and stalwart back.
Buffalo Bill frequently forgot she was in the tossing ocean, and walked
upright on her own fat legs.
But King said she was only "treading water," go that was all right.
At last they sighted land, and by a mighty effort, and much encouraging
of one another, they managed to reach the shore of the island.
Exhausted, Marjorie threw herself on the beach, and the half-drowned
Captain also dragged himself up on dry land. Kitty skilfully brought her
raft ashore, and stepped out, exclaiming: "Saved! But to what a fate!"
This was one of their favorite lines, and Marjorie weakly opened her
eyes to respond:
"Methinks I shall not see to-morrow's sun!"
"Hist!" whispered Kingdon, "say no word, lady. There may be cannibals
here!"
"Tannibals!" cried Buffalo Bill. "I 'ike Tannibals. Where is zey?"
Somewhat revived, Kingdon began to look round the desert island to see
what its nature might be.
"We have escaped one terrible death!" he declared, "only to meet
another. We must starve! This is a desert island exactly in the middle
of the Pacific Ocean. No steamers pass here; no sailing vessels or
ferryboats or,--or anything!"
"Oh! What shall we do?" moaned Kitty, clasping her hands in despair. "My
precious Arabella! Already she is begging for food."
"We must consider," said Marjorie, sitting up, and looking about her.
"If there is nothing else, we must kill the bear and eat him."
"No, no!" screamed Rosy Posy. "No, no eat my Boffin Bear."
"I will explore," said Kingdon. "Come, Buffalo Bill, we are the men of
this party, we will go all over the island and see what may be found in
the way of food. Perhaps we will find cocoanuts."
"Ess," said Buffalo Bill, slipping her little hand in her brother's,
"an' we'll take Boffin, so he won't get all killded."
"And while you're gone," said Marjorie, "we will dry our dripping
garments and mend them."
"Yes," said Kitty, "with needles and thread out of my bag. I brought a
big bag of all sorts of things, like Robinson Crusoe."
"That wasn't Robinson Crusoe," said King, "it was Mrs. Swiss Robinson."
"Oh, so it was! Well, it doesn't matter, I brought the bag, anyway."
The two brave men went away, and returned in a surprisingly short time
with a surprising amount of food.
"These are cocoanuts," announced Kingdon, as he displayed four oranges.
"I had to climb the tall palm trees to reach them. But no hardships or
dangers are too great to assist fair ladies."
The fair ladies expressed great delight at the gallant Captain's deed,
and asked Buffalo Bill what she had secured.
"Edds," said Rosy Posy, triumphantly, and, sure enough, in her tiny
skirt, which she held gathered up before her, were three eggs and a
cracker.
The eggs were hard-boiled, and were promptly appropriated by the three
elder victims of the shipwreck, while the cracker fell to the share of
Buffalo Bill, who was not yet of an age to eat hard-boiled eggs.
"I, too, will make search!" cried Marjorie. "Methinks there may yet be
food which you overlooked."
As Marjorie had brought the food to the desert island only an hour
before, it was not impossible that she might find some more, so they let
her go to make search. She returned with a paper bag of crackers and
another of pears.
"These are bread fruit," she announced, showing the crackers; "and these
are wild pears. This is indeed a fruitful island, and we're lucky to be
wrecked on such a good one."
"Lucky, indeed!" agreed the Captain. "Why, when I discovered those eggs
on a rocky ledge, I knew at once they were gulls' eggs."
"And how fortunate that they're boiled," said Kitty. "I can't bear raw
eggs."
The shipwrecked sufferers then spread out their food, and sat down to a
pleasant meal, for the Maynard children had convenient appetites, and
could eat at almost any hour of the day.