mer home at Kayuna, in East Wellsboro. They
had often been there for short visits, however, as mamma generally took
one or another of her little flock with her, in her frequent trips to
see grandma.

Marbury lies in Marbury Bay, which is very large, but so shallow that at
low tide the mud-flats are all exposed for a long distance out. A long
tongue of land, principally sand-banks, stretches half around the bay,
making a break-water from the ocean, and rendering the harbour a very
safe one for sailing. Will and Archie Somers were capital sailors,
inheriting their grandfather's love of the sea. Back of the house, over
a short, steep hill, lay the beginning of the sand-banks, where mamma
and auntie had buried their money-bags long ago. Then beyond these
sand-banks, on the ocean-side, was another deep small curve, called the
cove, where the children bathed. It was a safe, sheltered spot, with a
good bit of beach. Altogether, Marbury had many attractions.

What chattering and gabbling there was that first morning at breakfast,
when all sorts of plans were projected for the summer's amusement! Mrs.
Somers and her children had spent most of the warm weather at Marbury,
for years, so that Will, and Archie, and Edna knew every inch of the
country for miles around, and were eager to do the honours.

"'Wot larks' we're going to have," cried Archie, as they all got up from
the table. "Think of it, grandma! all summer! whoop!" with a shout, as
he vanished, that made grandma cover her deafened ears in dismay, as the
whole flock trooped after.

"Dear me! mother," said Mrs. Somers, privately, as they stood together
on the piazza, "I begin to think that we've undertaken a great deal, to
keep this horde in order for a whole season. Can you ever stand it in
the world? I scarcely realized that there would be eight of them."

"We'll manage beautifully," said grandma, cheerily. "The boys go to
their camp for a month, you know, and the little girls will soon settle
down."

"Yes, and Edna will have to spend two weeks with her Grandmother Somers,
at Lake Clear, as usual, and as for the twins, Eliza manages them really
beautifully, and Kenneth is no more trouble than a kitten. Eunice and
Cricket are used to running pretty wild all summer. If the confusion is
not too much for you, that's all I'm thinking of."

"And I'm on special police duty," broke in Arthur, popping up from
behind the vines. "I'll chuck the baddest ones overboard any tim