small boy stood grinning at her, with
his hands tucked into a pair of trousers so much too long for him they
had to be turned up from the ankles to the knees.

"Hello," he remarked cheerfully, eyeing Madge owlishly.

"Hello yourself," returned Madge. "Do you usually begin the day by
throwing stones at peaceful strangers?"

"Yes'm," the small boy responded calmly. "Where'd you and that come
from?"

"I came from my home in Virginia, and if by 'that' you mean my boat, it
is a 'Ship of Dreams' and was towed up here from Baltimore yesterday
afternoon. What do you think of it?"

"She isn't a dream, she's a peach," was the prompt retort.

"I'm glad you like her," smiled Madge in a winning fashion that caused
the lad to smile in return. "Why are you up so early in the morning?"

"Driving home the cows," was the laconic answer.

"I don't see any cows," teased Madge. "Wait a minute. I have
something for you to do. Would you like to earn a quarter? If you
would, then come back here about nine o'clock. We are going to load
our boat with some furniture and provisions, and we would like to have
you help us."

"All right, I'll be here," promised the boy, and ran off into the
bushes with a derisive grin which Madge did not see.

A few moments later Madge went back to Eleanor to have breakfast at the
little boarding house where she and her cousin had spent the night.
Miss Jones, Lillian and Phil had not yet arrived, but they were
expected by the early train that came from Baltimore. The little
village from which they intended to go aboard their houseboat was only
about half an hour's ride from the city, and was situated on one of the
quiet inlets of the bay.

Fifteen minutes before the train was due Eleanor and Madge were
impatiently waiting at the station. The newcomers were so surrounded
by bags, suit cases and mysterious packages that it took all the men
about the depot to land them safely on the platform. Madge gave the
order to the expressman to bring all their luggage to the houseboat
landing near the willow tree. Then the party started out to find the
boat, without losing a minute by the way.

Madge slipped her arm through that of Miss Jones and walked beside her
dutifully, though she secretly longed to be with her chums. Lillian,
Phil and Eleanor joined hands and ran ahead, without being in the least
degree affected by the idea that they were no longer children. Madge,
however, was the only one who