“I’m not afraid,” Mary Jane managed to say between sobs, “’cause I can float. But if I have to get into the river and float, who’s going to take care of this big banana I’m taking to my Dadah? He likes bananas!”
For a second every one on the boat stared. And then a general laugh relieved the tension, and folks were willing to sit down and trust to getting a-shore. The pump was kept working as hard as its broken condition would let it; men dipped into the river with the only two buckets aboard and tossed water onto the fire and slowly the lights of the city twinkled nearer—and nearer—and nearer.
Other boats came comfortingly near and were passed; docks loomed out of the twilight, and finally with a bump the little, overcrowded boat slipped into its place by the shore.
There wasn’t a panic even then, but folks, some way, got off that boat in a hurry. The firm land never had felt so good!
“Where’s the little girl who wanted to save her banana?” called the Captain as he turned his boat over to the dock firemen. “I want to thank her.”
But the Merrills were already out of hearing hurrying to their belated dinner, their Dadah and jolly plan-making for the morrow.
A BIT OF SUNNY SPAIN
“EARLY to bed, early to rise, and you can catch the first train in the morning,” said Mr. Merrill as they came in from a little stroll through the gayly lighted park that same evening. “And I really think that you folks better forget about me for a few days and go on with your sightseeing by yourselves. The first train for St. Augustine leaves at nine in the morning and you can have lots more fun there than here where everything is more citified.”
“But, Dadah,” said Mary Jane, “will there be flowers there and warm weather and everything just the same?”