"

"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
outsi