"We haven't yet," answered Marjorie, "but we're just going. Oh,
Carter, can we take Molly, too?"

"And Stella," added Molly. "She's coming along behind."

Sure enough, Stella was just appearing round the corner of the
house, and walking as sedately as if on her way to church.

"Hurry up, Stella," called Marjorie. "Can we all go, Carter?"

"Yes, if yees'll set still in the boat and if the other little
lady gets here before afternoon. She's the nice, quiet child, but
you two are a pair of rascally babies, and I don't know whether
it's safe to go on the water with ye. I'm thinkin' I'll take
little Miss Stella, and leave ye two behind."

"_I_ don't think you will, Carter," said Marjorie, not at all
alarmed by the old man's threat. "_I_ think you'll take all three
of us, and we'll sit as still as mice, won't we, Molly?"

"Yes," said Molly; "can we take off our shoes and stockings and
hang our feet over the sides of the boat?"

"Oh, yes," cried Marjorie, "that will be lots of fun!"

"Indeed you'll do nothing of the sort," and Carter's honest old
face showed that he felt great anxiety concerning his madcap
charges. "Ye must promise to sit still, and not move hand or foot,
or I'll go back to my work and leave yees on shore."