when she was a little baby, and placed her
in his wife's arms, saying that she was a bit of flotsam and jetsam
that belonged to him by right of salvage. His ship had been in a
Southern port when a woman, with this child in her arms, had fallen
from a pier into the river. Springing into the water after them,
Captain May had succeeded in saving the child, but the mother was
drowned. As nothing could be learned of its history, and as nobody
claimed it, Captain May brought the baby home, and she was baptized
Edna May. She was now fourteen years old, and Ruth Elmer's most
intimate friend, and the first picture in the album was a good
photograph of herself, taken in Bangor. The others were only tin-types
taken in the neighboring town of Skowhegan; but Ruth thought them all
beautiful.

The next morning was gray and chill, for it was late in November. The
first snow of the season was falling in a hesitating sort of a way, as
though it hardly knew whether to come or not, and it was still quite
dark when Mrs. Wing woke Mark and Ruth, and told them to hurry, for the
stage would be along directly. They were soon dressed and down-stairs,
where they found breakfast smoking on the table. A moment later they
were joined by their parents, neither of whom could eat, so full were
they of the sorrow of departure. The children were also very quiet,
even Mark's high spirits being dampened by thoughts of leaving old
friends, and several tears found their way down Ruth's cheeks during
the meal.

After breakfast they said good-bye to the Wings, and went over to their
own house to pack a few remaining things into hand-bags, and wait for
the Skowhegan stage.

At six o'clock sharp, with a "toot, toot, toot," of the driver's horn,
it rattled up to the gate, followed by a wagon for the baggage. A few
minutes later, with full hearts and tearful eyes, the Elmers had bidden
farewell to the little old house and grand trees they might never see
again, and were on their way down the village street, their long
journey fairly begun.

CHAPTER II.

THE SCHOONER "NANCY BELL."

It lacked a few minutes of nine o'clock when the stage in which the
Elmers had left Norton drew up beside the platform of the railway
station in Skowhegan. There was only time to purchase tickets and check
the baggage, and then Mark and Ruth stepped, for the first time in
their lives, on board a train of cars, and were soon enjoying the novel
sensation of being whirled