| “Mamma has found Her Lost Baby” | [ Frontispiece] |
| “You’d better let Him go to Santa Luzia” | page [32] |
| Pauline and Molly were swinging in a Hammock | page [53] |
| The Boys bore the Child Onward | page [75] |
| The Twins sprang from behind the Tall Sycamore | page [90] |
| “Aren’t You Afraid of being stung?” | page [109] |
| “Stop the Car!” screamed Mollie | page [137] |
| That Inquisitive Little Dog | page [153] |
THE MERRY FIVE
CHAPTER I
THE MERRY FIVE
The Merry Five were Molly, Kirke, and Weezy Rowe, and their twin comrades, Paul and Pauline Bradstreet, who lived over the way. Paul, Pauline, and Molly were now fourteen years old, Kirke was twelve, and little Miss Weezy seven. The story begins with the Rowes at luncheon-time.
“O papa! I’m so glad we’re going to the beach,” cried Molly, laying down her fork.
“And I’m glad we’re going to be so near Captain Bradstreet’s camp,” added Kirke, flourishing his napkin. “Oh! we shall have a famous outing.”
“Exquit!” chirped Weezy, not at all sure what an outing might be, only that it must be something jolly.
“Me too, mamma,” lisped Baby Donald, paddling with his spoon in his bowl of milk.
Mr. Rowe had caused this unusual excitement by reading aloud a letter from Mrs. Kitto, who kept a boarding-house at Santa Luzia. The letter stated that she had received Mr. Rowe’s note of inquiry, and that if he desired it, she would take himself and family as boarders on the following Wednesday.