THE CINDER POND BY CARROLL WATSON RANKIN AUTHOR OF "DANDELION COTTAGE," "THE CASTAWAYS OF PETE'S PATCH," ETC. ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADA C. WILLIAMSON NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1915 To SALLIE and IMOGENE [Illustration: NEXT SHE HAD FLOWN AT HIM AND HAD KISSED BOTH OF HIS BROAD RED CHEEKS.] CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE ACCIDENT II. PART OF THE TRUTH III. JEANNETTE'S QUEER FAMILY IV. WHAT WAS IN AN OLD TRUNK V. THE SEWING LESSON VI. MOLLIE VII. A MATTER OF COATS VIII. A SHOPPING EXPEDITION IX. THE FLIGHT X. THE ARRIVAL XI. A NEW LIFE XII. A HELPFUL GRANDFATHER XIII. BANISHED FRIENDS XIV. AT FOUR A.M. XV. ALLEN ROSSITER XVI. AN OLD ALBUM XVII. A LONELY SUMMER XVIII. A THUNDERBOLT XIX. WITH THE ROSSITERS XX. A MISSING FAMILY XXI. OLD CAPTAIN'S NEWS XXII. ROGER'S RAZOR XXIII. A NEW FRIEND FOR JEANNE XXIV. MOLLIE'S BABIES XXV. THE HOUSE OF DREAMS XXVI. A PADLOCKED DOOR XXVII. THE PINK PRESENT THE PERSONS OF THE STORY JEANNETTE HUNTINGTON DUVAL: Aged 11 to 14: The Principal Cinder. Small Cinders from the Cinder Pond. MICHAEL: Aged 8 to 10 SAMMY: Aged 4 to 7 ANNIE: Aged 3 to 6 PATSY: A Toddling Infant LÉON DUVAL: Their Father. MOLLIE: A Lazy but Loving Mother. MRS. SHANNON: A Cross Grandmother. CAPTAIN BLOSSOM: A Faithful Friend. BARNEY TURCOTT: A Bashful Friend. WILLIAM HUNTINGTON: A Grandfather. CHARLES HUNTINGTON: A Polished Uncle. MRS. HUNTINGTON: A Polished Aunt. Their Perfect Children. HAROLD: Aged 12 PEARL: Aged 15 CLARA: Aged 14 JAMES: A Human Butler. MR. FAIRCHILD: Both Polished and Pleasant. MRS. FAIRCHILD: A Grateful Parent. ROGER FAIRCHILD: An Only Son. MRS. ROSSITER: A Motherly Mother. ALLEN ROSSITER: The Family "Meeter." ILLUSTRATIONS NEXT SHE HAD FLOWN AT HIM AND HAD KISSED BOTH OF HIS BROAD RED CHEEKS _Frontispiece_ THE SEWING LESSON JEANNE, LEFT ALONE WITH THE STRANGERS, INSPECTED THEM WITH INTEREST SHE ALMOST BUMPED INTO A FORMER ACQUAINTANCE THE CINDER POND CHAPTER I THE ACCIDENT The slim dark girl, with big black eyes, rushed to the edge of the crumbling wharf, where she dropped to her hands and knees to peer eagerly into the green depths below. There was reason for haste. Only a second before, the very best suit of boys' clothing in Bancroft had tumbled suddenly over the edge to hit the water with a most terrific splash. Now, there was a wide circle on the surface, with bubbles coming up. It was an excellent suit of clothes that went into the lake. Navy-blue serge, fashioned by Bancroft's best tailor to fit Roger Fairchild, who was much too plump for ready-made clothes. But here were those costly garments at the very bottom of Lake Superior; not in the very deepest part, fortunately, but deep enough. And that was not all. Their youthful owner was inside them.