Part 19 (1/2)

said Polly, as they hurried over to him, ”for n.o.body has beaten.”

”I'm glad I didn't beat,” declared Jasper. ”I've that satisfaction, anyway, because you wouldn't have moved that p.a.w.n, Polly, if you hadn't been talking of Marken.”

The next day was fine enough to warrant the trip, though not absolutely suns.h.i.+ny. Old Mr. King wisely deciding that the fun of the expedition would lose its edge if postponed again, said, ”Start!” So after breakfast they all went down to the Wester dock and embarked on the little steamer bound for the island of Marken in the Zuyder Zee.

”Oh, Polly, look,” said Jasper, ”doesn't Amsterdam look fine?” as the little steamer slowly put forth.

Polly leaned over the rail and drew in long breaths of delight. ”Come, Adela,” she called, ”here is a good place;” for the little old lady was still too much shaken up to make much attempt at travelling, so Polly had begged Mother Fisher and Grandpapa to ask Adela to come with them on their sightseeing trips.

And this was done, and the young girl was happy as a bird. So here she was, going down to Marken too.

Adela ran and kneeled down on the seat by Polly's side and hung over the rail too. ”Don't the houses lean over queerly?” she said, pointing to the long narrow buildings they were leaving behind. ”They look worse from the water than when we are in the midst of them.”

”It's just as if they were holding each other up,” said Polly. ”Dear me, I should think they'd tumble over some fine day.

”What makes them sag so?” asked Adela, intently regarding them.

”That's because the city is built on piles, I suppose,” said Jasper.

”It's mostly sand in Holland, you know, particularly around Amsterdam, and so they had to drive down piles to get something strong enough to put their houses on. That's what--who was it?--oh I know--Erasmus--meant when he said, 'I know a city whose inhabitants dwell on the tops of the trees like rooks.'”

”O dear me,” said Adela, quite impressed; ”well, what makes them not sag any more?” she asked at length.

”Because they've sagged all they want to, I suppose'” said Jasper, laughing. ”Anyway they've stood so for years on years--probably, so it's fair to believe they're all right.”

”And I think they're ever so much prettier leaning every which way,”

declared Polly. ”We can see plenty of straight houses at home, so it's nice to see crooked ones over here. Oh, Jasper, there's the King's palace!”

”Yes and there is the dome of the Lutheran Church,” said Jasper.

”Look at that woman with the boy,” said Adela, on the wharf. She's got a little black bonnet tied on top of her white cap.”.

”That's nothing to what we shall see at Marken, I suppose,” said Polly.

”I'm going to take ever so many photographs.” She tapped her kodak lovingly, as it hung from the strap on her shoulder.

”I wish I'd brought mine,” said Adela.

”Why didn't you?” cried Polly, whirling around to scan Adela.

”I forgot it,” said Adela. ”I put it on the table last night close to my hat and gloves, and then walked off this morning without it.”

”Now that's too bad!” exclaimed Polly in sympathy. Then she turned back uncomfortably, and began to talk of something else. ”I'm not going to,”

she said to herself; ”it isn't my fault she forgot her kodak, and I want every one of my films myself. And I care a great deal more for Marken than for almost any other place.” The next moment Mamsie seemed to say, ”Is that my Polly?” and although she was at the other end of the boat, Polly's head drooped as if she had heard the words.

”O dear me--and Adela hasn't any one but a sick grandmother--and I have just--everybody,” she thought ”You shall use my kodak,” cried Polly, aloud, ”one-half the time, Adela.”

”Oh, no,” protested Adela; but she looked hungrily at Polly's kodak swinging over her shoulder.

”Yes, you shall too,” declared Polly, cheerily. ”I can take all the pictures I want in that time, and I have lots of films.”