iding-place for her, not very far
from our own home, where the children, whom she adored, and mammy could
often run in to see her, and where the elder members of the family
could now and then pay her a visit. The captain was to remain with her,
or not, as his inclination might prompt; but uncle Rutherford thought,
that, the novelty of city sights and sounds once exhausted, the old man
would prefer to return to his accustomed haunts by the sea. Theodore
was to board with his grandparents, and to begin school with the New
Year; at the same time, and--alas! for the inexpediency of uncle
Rutherford's arrangements--in the same school, with Jim.

Such were the plans which had been made for the Yorkes, and the junior
portion of our household were in a state of eager expectation over
their approaching arrival; the desire to witness the old seaman's first
impressions of a city life, and his own conduct therein, being strong
within us.

"We'll give him a good time, and get lots of fun out of it for
ourselves," said Norman and Douglas, who proposed to be his pioneers.

As for Bill and Jim, there was no telling what manner of projects they
might have formed for his edification, and their own amusement and his;
and father considered it necessary to bid Milly give them a word of
warning not to practise on the credulity of the old sailor, as they had
at times been wont to do while we were at the seashore.

"And what about the mercantile enterprise of that youth, with so many
irons in the fire?" asked uncle Rutherford, when dinner was over, and
the door closed behind the retreating servants, while we still lingered
around the table; the little girls having been allowed to come down to
dessert. "How does the peanut-business flourish, Milly? You are posted,
I suppose."

"Not so thoroughly as Allie and Daisy," answered Milly. "I understand
that it is flourishing; but, if you wish for minute particulars, you
must apply to them."

Allie, hearing what was passing, forthwith dived into the depths of her
small pocket, and produced from thence a miniature account-book, saying
triumphantly as she did so,--

"Jim's sold the first bag of peanuts, and bought another, and then sold
that; and now he's bought _two_ at once, and"--opening the book, and
poring over it,--"and he's made--see, uncle Rutherford, here it is,"
and she pointed out a row of crooked, childish, illegible figures; to
be understood, doubtless, by the initiated, but Greek to