old, and who closely embraced her favorite doll, Arabella.

And by Kitty's side sat Marjorie, who was almost twelve, and who
also held a pet, which, in her case, was a gray Persian kitten.
This kitten was of a most amiable disposition, and was named Puff,
because of its fluffy silver fur and fat little body.

Wherever Marjorie went, Puff was usually with her, and oftenest
hung over her arm, looking more like a fur boa than a cat.

At the moment, however, Puff was curled up in Marjorie's lap, and
was merely a nondescript ball of fur.

These, then, were the Maynards, and though their parents would
have said they had four children, yet the children themselves
always said, "We are seven," and insisted on considering the
kitten, the doll, and the bear as members of the Maynard family.

Kingdon scorned pets, which the girls considered quite the right
thing for a boy to do; and, anyway, Kingdon had enough to attend
to, to keep the swing going.

"I 'most wish it wasn't my turn," said Marjorie, with a little
sigh. "Of course I want to go for lots of reasons, but I'd love to
be in Rockwell this summer, too."

"As you're not twins you can't very well be in two places at
once," said her brother; "but you'll have a gay old time, Mops;
there's the new boathouse, you know, since you were there."