The Merryweathers

ked Mrs. Merryweather, lo

. Up on the hill, the wind is fierce. I had to ride round the blas

cket, and came in, unslinging the le

s!" he cried. "W

around him, holdi

or me,

rotector o

hil! I want th

Fergy my boy, I shudder at

and benches with their treasures, and for some minutes nothing wa

y, presently. "O

rald; and "Well! well!"

hand with an imperative gesture. "Exclamation must be followed by explanation!" she

with sparkling eyes. "Semiramis has eight

py at a time," said Gerald, "unle

ral

I never do. What kind of

hey are all like Semmy except one, and he is blue.' Who ever heard of a blue puppy? You shall have one, Snowy: I prom

p again shyly. "I-don't suppose you would care

"We should like it extremely, Peggy. A letter from t

!" sai

all, in their several ways, expres

, her rosy face beamin

ause it is just the way we talk to each other, you know. I

g so perfectly dear! they were all blind, and bald all over, and pink, and squealing like anything; you never did see anything so lovely in all your life, at least I never did. Well, she let me take them up, one by one, old darling, though I could see that it made her nervous. Most of them are like her, beautifully marked, with pink noses, and black ears, and just the right blackness and tanness on them; but one is very queer, great splotches of black on his nose and his hind quarters, and all the rest of him white. So they named him "Magpie," right off; but I haven't come to the names yet. He is not very pretty, but he looks very bright, and I shouldn't wonder if he was terribly clever, to make up for not being so handsome as the others. And the other different one is a perfect beauty, though you may not think so when

, looking up with a blush; "but it is as like Jean

ghing, "and 'it' certainly is a dear old thing. G

her a kiss,

nally made out. There are three females, and five males, you know: Cleopatra, Meg (Merrilies; that was Flora's,

concluded, folding up the letter. "I wish the

y fair list of names, Peggy, as names go. It is always hard to find a good name for a dog. 'Sh

"are we not to hear

ed Mrs. Merryweather. "Wha

te of that innocent look. On reading your letters, you and Jerry exclaimed: 'Well, well!' and 'Sapolio!' at the same instant, and your letters are on the sa

ad brightened up while Peggy was reading her letter, but now

t is from Cousin Anna Belleville. She tells me that Claud has been with her at Bar Harbor for some tim

hers. Bell and Gertrude exchanged a swift glance, but said n

id, thoughtfully, "I was thinking of takin

d his wife, quickly. "It

d Mr. Merryweather.

after a reproachful glance at him, turned to Gerald, as she folded her

rd with the greatest pleasure to roughing it a bit with us, and says that we must make no pre

erryweather, addressing Bell with a shade of warning i

regatta is to-morrow, an

s must be built by their owners, unaided; no boat must be over a foot long from stem to stern; all sails must be of paper. Aside from these limitations, the fancies of the campers might roam at will; accordingly, the boats were of every shape

lly. "She really begins to look quite like

should not make a very good boat, Peggy. I would round

red Mrs. Merryweather. "I must b

course!" said Phil. "W

the Limavaddy

aid Peggy. "It sounds like-I don't know what; tea-caddy, or someth

her hostess, smiling. "Peg of Limavaddy is the ch

I do

is the

heart

of Li

d if s

uld be t

child

of Li

is no

land of

eyond

of Lima

est stanzas, but it shows you

Gerald observed, pausing in the

m anything

lk like th

t

e makes

t from

blithe

f Lim

o'er th

g of a

e won m

f Lim

lding of

cess is

she won'

Limav

whether she floats or not. And anyhow, she is my first boat.

the rigor of the game, little Peg

d not; it simply was not possible. Gerald was positive at first that he could teach me, but after one

to my revered uncle, Margaret,-and I have at times desired to drown him for that

" asked Margaret; "I shall be very

ty!" said Gerald, demurely.

asked Mrs. Merryweathe

cipal Wha

t call my father nam

, do b

tinnabul

ycumpop,

-at-a-Bod

asses Co

ly Colog

opper,

that

rude. "Peggy, you must decid

ardest part of all. Margaret

the happy mother of the pu

hoed Gerald. "Don't hal

he name for the b

rest. "The Whole Puppy, it is!

all my life!" she said; "b

vely. "We invited you here in the hope that our united effort

!" said Margaret. "Whenever I ask, you all say, 'Oh, hus

n the Log," said Mrs. Merryweather, smil

hat lay open in her lap. "Here it is!"

ize it. It has more arms than legs, and more hair than either. It moves with great rapidity, its gait being something between a wallop and a waddle; and

hat I do!" Mrs. Merryweather

Margaret, laughing. "I a

e door, laid down his work, and held up a wa

wind!" sai

g o'er the stony st

I heard a voice, I

wind wailing in long sighing gusts; but-yes! ming

o, there! Me

ulder. "The Philistines are upon thee, Samson!" he cried. "I shou