I'm sorry I can't leave Carlo with you, for I'm sure you would love
him," said the woman to Margy. "But I could not get along without him."

Margy did not have time to answer, as the woman had to hurry back to the
train. The conductor was waiting, watch in hand, for the train had
stopped after it had started away from the station, and would be a few
minutes late. And on a railroad a few minutes mean a great deal.

"Oh, dear!" sighed Margy. "I had a little kittie and then I didn't have
it. Then I had a little dog and now I haven't that, either! Oh, dear!"

"Never mind," said Cousin Tom, as he patted the little girl on the head.
"You can come down to the bungalow and play in the sand, and maybe you
can find a starfish or something like that."

"Oh, are there fish down in your ocean?" asked Russ.

"Lots of 'em, if you can catch 'em," said Cousin Tom, laughing.

"And is there any gold?" Laddie asked.

"I never found any, if there is," was the answer. "But then I never had
much time to dig for it. You may, if you like. But now are you all
ready?"

"All ready, I think," said Mother Bunker. "Don't pick up any more stray
dogs or cats, Margy, my dear."

"This one came to me," said the little girl. "I loved him, I did, but
now he is gone."

However there was so much new to see and talk about down at the seashore
that Margy soon forgot about her little troubles. There were some
carriages and automobiles at the station, and, dividing themselves
between two of these, the Bunkers and Cousin Tom and his wife were soon
driving down toward the ocean, for Cousin Tom lived on a street not far
from the beach. He was the son of Mr. Ralph Bunker, who had been dead
some years, and Mr. Ralph Bunker was Daddy Bunker's brother. So the
children's father was Cousin Tom's uncle, you see.

"Did you have a nice trip?" asked Cousin Ruth, of Mrs. Bunker, as she
rode beside her in the automobile.

"Yes, very. Laddie thought a search-light was a thunderstorm, when we
were coming down on the Fall River boat, Margy crawled under a fruit
stand in New York to get a stray kitten, and Mun Bun got mixed up with
another little boy. But we are used to such things happening, and we
don't mind. I hope you will not be driven wild by the children."

"Oh, no, I love them!" said Cousin Ruth with a smile, as she looked over
at the six little Bunkers.

"That's good," said their mother with a smile. "Of course they get into
mischief once in a while, but th