Produced by Tiffany Vergon, Charles Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. THE HAPPY ADVENTURERS [Illustration: YOU CALLED ME, SO I CAME] The Happy Adventurers BY LYDIA MILLER MIDDLETON To Alastair and Margaret "I tell this tale, which is strictly true, Just by way of convincing you How very little, since things were made, Things have altered in the building trade."--Kipling. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. HOW IT BEGAN II. THE BUILDERS, OR THE LITTLE HOUSE III. THE FORTUNE-MAKERS, OR THE CHERRY-GARDEN IV. THE TREASURE-HUNTERS, OR THE DUKE'S NOSE V. THE GOLD-DIGGERS, OR THE MIRACLE VI. THE GRAPE-GATHERERS, OR WHO WAS MR. SMITH? VII. THE AERONAUTS, OR THE FATEFUL STONE VIII. HOW IT ENDED ILLUSTRATIONS "YOU CALLED ME, SO I CAME" "I WISH I COULD MAKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD REACH FROM HERE TO MY BROTHER" GRIZZEL THREW IN A SMALL HANDFUL OF TEA DICK STARTED VIOLENTLY THEY STOOD AND WATCHED THE "KANGAROO" FOR SOME TIME THERE THEY WERE-OH, HOW MOLLY LONGED TO KEEP THEM! THE HAPPY ADVENTURERS CHAPTER I How it Began "Dear, dear!" said Grannie, "woes cluster, as my mother used to say." "Let us hope that this is the last woe, and that now the luck will turn," said Aunt Mary. Mollie did not say anything. She had smiled the Guides' smile valiantly through the worst of her misfortunes, but now she was so tired that she felt nothing short of a hammer and two tacks could fasten that smile on to her face any longer. So she closed her eyes and lay back on the cushions, feeling that Fate had done its worst and that no more blows were possible in the immediate future. Grannie fetched an eiderdown and tucked it cosily round the patient, who looked pale and chilly even on this fine warm day in June, while Aunt Mary tidied away the remains of lotions and bandages left by the doctor. "The best thing now will be a little sleep," said Grannie, looking down with kind old eyes at her granddaughter, "a little quiet sleep and then a nice tea, with the first strawberries from the garden. I saw quite a number of red ones this morning, and Susan shall give us some cream." Mollie opened her eyes again and tried to look pleased, but even the thought of strawberries and cream could not make her feel really happy in her heart; for one thing, she still felt rather sick. "That will be lovely," she said, as gratefully as she could, "and now I think I _will_ try to go to sleep, and perhaps forget things for a little while--" and, in spite of all her efforts, a few tears insisted upon rolling down her cheeks as she thought of home, and Mother's disappointment, and the dull time that lay before her.