Such childher I niver saw!" Eliza's tirade probably would have been longer, but just then Grandma and Mrs.Maynard came into the kitchen.
"Been for a swim ?" asked Mrs.Maynard, pleasantly.
"Almost been drowned," said Kitty, rushing into her mother's arm, greatly to the detriment of her pretty, fresh morning dress.
As soon as Mrs.Maynard realized that her brood had really been in danger, she gathered all three forlorn, wet little figures into her arms at once, thankful that they were restored to her alive.
Then breakfast was delayed while Grandma and Mother Maynard provided dry clothing, and helped the children to transform themselves once more into respectable citizens.
"Now tell us all about it, but one at a time," said Uncle Steve, as at last breakfast was served, and they all sat round the table.

"King, your version first." "Well, we all went out for an early morning row, and somehow we got to carrying on, and that round-bottomed boat tipped so easily, that somehow we upset it." "It's a wonder you weren't drowned!" exclaimed Grandma.
"I just guess it is!" agreed Marjorie; "and we would have been, only King saved us! Kitty _was_ 'most drowned, and King went down in the water and fished her up, and Molly helped a good deal, and I stayed on the other side and balanced the boat." "The girls were all plucky," declared King, "and the whole thing was an accident.

It wasn't wrong for us to go out rowing early in the morning, was it, Father ?" "I don't think it was the hour of the day that made the trouble, my son.
But are you sure you did nothing else that was wrong ?" "I did," confessed Marjorie, frankly.

"I splashed water, and then the others splashed water, and that's how we came to upset." "Yes, that was the trouble," said Mr.Maynard; "you children are quite old enough to know that you must sit still in a boat.

Especially a round-bottomed boat, and a narrow one at that." "It was Molly's fault more than Midget's," put in Kitty, who didn't want her adored sister to be blamed more than she deserved.
"Well, never mind that," said Marjorie, generously ignoring Molly's part in the disaster.