did? She returned their calls on that day. She knew they'd be out, and
they were. Wasn't that a dead cut, Loftie?"

"Rather," responded Loftus.

He rose slowly, looked deliberately at Kate, and then closed his lips.

"Mother is away, so we won't discuss her," said Kate. "Run and pack the
picnic basket, Mabel, and then we'll be off."

The picturesque little town of Northbury was built on the slope of a
hill. This hill gently descended to the sea. Nowhere was there to be
found a more charming, landlocked harbor than at Northbury. It was a
famous harbor for boating. Even at low tide people could get on the
water, and in the summer time this gay sheet of dark blue sparkling
waves had many small yachts, fishing smacks, and row-boats of all sizes
and descriptions skimming about on its surface. In the spring a large
fishing trade was done here, and then the steamers whistle? and
shrieked, and disturbed the primitive harmony of the place. But by
midsummer the great shoals of mackerel went away, and with them the dark
picturesque hookers, and the ugly steamers, and the inhabitants were
once more left to their sleepy, old-fashioned, but withal pleasant life.

Rosendale Manor was situated on high ground. It was surrounded by a
wall, and the wide avenue was entered by ponderous iron gates. It was
about eleven o'clock when the girls and their brother started gayly off
for their day on the water. Loftus carried a couple of rugs, so that the
fact of Mabel lugging a heavy picnic basket on her sturdy left arm did
not look specially remarkable. They went down a steep and straggling
hill, passed through an old-fashioned green, with the local club at one