Floridy, Miss Ruth Elmer, Secretary of the same, Miss Edna May,
daughter of the captain, that is to be, of the schooner Nancy Bell, and
the several gentlemen whom we met down in Aroostook last June, to take
this Floridy trip on board the schooner Nancy Bell with me."

"With YOU, Uncle Christopher!" exclaimed Mark. "Are you going too?"

"Why, to be sure I am," answered Uncle Christopher. "Didn't I tell you
it was my intention to reunite the scattered members of my being under
more sunny skies than these? Now what do you say to my scheme, eh?"

"I say it's the most splendid scheme I ever heard of," cried Mark,
jumping from his chair in his excitement, "and I wish we could start
this very minute."

"Well we can't; but we can start towards bed, and in the morning we'll
look after that mill machinery."

The next two were indeed busy weeks for our friends. In Bangor Uncle
Christopher and Mark were fully occupied in selecting mill machinery of
the most improved patterns, and in purchasing a great variety of farm
utensils, groceries, and other things that Mark knew would prove very
welcome in Wakulla. Captain May, who had gladly accepted the command of
the Nancy Bell for this voyage, was equally busy getting her ready for
sea, and superintending the stowage of her precious but awkward cargo
of machinery.

In Norton, Ruth and Edna had their hands full of dressmaking, packing,
and paying farewell visits, and down in Aroostook the six families of
the six gentlemen who had accepted Mr. Bangs's invitation to visit
Florida with him were in a whirl of excitement, for to these
untravelled people the journey from Maine to Florida seemed but little
less of an undertaking than a journey around the world.

At length everything was ready, and the Nancy Bell only awaited her
passengers. Captain May and Mark ran over to Norton one day to bid the
friends there good-bye, and returned the next, bringing the girls with
them. Both the girls were as excited as they could be; Edna at the
prospect of this the first long journey that she could remember, and
Ruth at the idea of soon being at home with her own dear parents again,
and with anticipating all she should have to show and tell Edna.

A letter had been sent to Wakulla, saying that Mark and Ruth would take
advantage of the first opportunity that offered to go home, and that
Edna May would come with them; but nothing was said of Uncle
Christopher and the rest of the party, nor of the s