Mrs. Jones could not be induced to go beyond a point where the water was a foot or two deep, and the waves rolled her around like an amiable porpoise.  Merton and Junior were soon swimming fearlessly, the latter wondering, meanwhile, at the buoyant quality of the salt water.  My wife, Mousie, and Winnie allowed me to take them beyond the breakers, and soon grew confident.  In fifteen minutes I sounded recall, and we all emerged, lank Mr. Jones now making, in very truth, an ideal scarecrow.  Bobsey’s dry garments were brought, and half an hour later we were all clothed, and, as Mr. Jones remarked, “For a wonder, in our right minds.”

The onslaught then made on the lunch-baskets was never surpassed, even at that place of hungry excursionists.  In due time we reached home, tired, sleepy, yet content with the fact that we had filled one day with enjoyment and added to our stock of health.

The next morning proved that Bagley had kept his word.  Everything was in order, and the amount of work accomplished in the garden showed that he had been on his mettle.  Hungry as we had been, we had not emptied our lunch-baskets, and my wife made up a nice little present from what remained, to which was added a package of candy, and all was carried to the Bagley cottage.

Juvenile experiences had not exactly taught the Bagley children that “the way of the transgressor is hard,”—­they had not gone far enough for that,—­and it certainly was our duty to add such flowers as we could to the paths of virtue.

The month of August was now well advanced.  We had been steadily digging the potatoes in the field and selling them in their unripened condition, until half the acre had been cleared.  The vines in the lower half of the patch were now growing very yellow, and I decided to leave them, until the tubers should thoroughly ripen, for winter use.  By the 20th of the month we had all the space that had been cleared, that is, half an acre, filled with Duchess and Wilson strawberries; and the plants first set were green and vigorous, with renewed running tendencies.  But the runners were promptly cut off, so that the plants might grow strong enough to give a good crop of fruit in the following June.

I now began to tighten the reins on the children, and we all devoted more hours to work.

During the month we gathered a few bushels of plums on the place.  My wife preserved some, and the rest were sold at the boarding-houses and village stores, for Mr. Bogart had written that when I could find a home market for small quantities of produce, it would pay me better than to send them to the city.  I kept myself informed as to city prices, and found that he had given me good and disinterested advice.  Therefore, we managed to dispose of our small crop of early pears and peaches as we had done with the plums.  Every day convinced me of the wisdom of buying a place already stocked with fruit; for, although the first cost was greater, we had immediately secured an income which promised to leave a margin of profit after meeting all expenses.