“Nothing except the automobile.  I hardly think we shall be able to take that with us.”

“Indeed, no,” answered Jane with a broad grin.  “We’ll let Dad do that.  Who is going to ride?”

“Let’s see.  Harriet, of course—­”

“I can walk,” protested Harriet.

“No; you will ride.  Margery and Tommy also may ride.  Hazel, Jane and I will walk.  It will do us good, for we need exercise this morning, though I must say that a little breakfast would not come amiss.”

“You thay that ith a Democrat wagon?” questioned Tommy.

“Yes, dear.  Why do you ask?” answered Miss Elting smilingly.

“I jutht wanted to know.  I’ll walk, thank you, Mith Elting.  You thay it ith a Democrat wagon?”

“Yes, yes.  What of it?”

“I wouldn’t ride in a Democrat wagon.  My father would dithown me if I did!  If it wath a Republican wagon, now, it would be all right—­but a Democrat wagon—­thave me!”

CHAPTER V

THE ROCKY ROAD TO WAU-WAU

“You surely are a loyal little Republican, Tommy.  Whether we agree with you in politics or not, we must respect your loyalty.  However, I think you had better get up and ride,” urged Miss Elting.

Tommy shook her head, regarding the democrat wagon with a disapproving squint.  Jane assisted Harriet up over the front wheel, Margery climbed in on the other side, the boy “pushed on the reins,” and the procession moved slowly toward the main road, with Miss Elting, Jane, Hazel and Tommy trudging on ahead.  Harriet rode only a short distance before she grew weary of it, and, dropping to the ground, ran on and joined her companions.

“I shall have nervous prostration if I ride in that wagon,” she said.  “Every minute expecting it to collapse isn’t any too good for one who has just been drowned, and whose nerves are on edge.”

“Promise me that you will not overtax your strength; that if you feel yourself getting weary you will get in and ride,” answered the guardian, looking anxiously at Harriet.

“I promise,” was Harriet’s laughing rejoinder.

The sun by this time was high in the heavens and was blazing down on them hotly.  The warmth felt good, especially to those who still wore the clothes in which they had spent so much time in the cold water of the pond.  To Harriet it was a grateful relief from the chill that had followed her accident.  Tommy permitted herself to lag behind, and the moment she was out of ear-shot of her companions she began to quiz the country boy to learn where he was taking them.

“Lonesome Cove,” he replied.

“Where ith that?”

“On the shore.”

“On what thhore?”

“The sea shore.”

“Oh!  Tho we are going to the thea thhore?  I thee,” reflected Tommy wisely.  “Are there lotth of people there?”

“Isn’t nobody there.  It’s just sea shore, that’s all.”