far outdone the little pony, and he was now talking to two ladies who sat at the further end of the porch. They were hidden by his figure so the little newly-arrived guests did not recognize them then.

40 "Take the little girls up to their room, Jennie," directed Mrs. Ramsey. "You will all have time for a nice dip in the sea before lunch time."

This was a very exciting prospect, for neither of the two had ever gone through the experience of sea-bathing.

"We have new bathing-suits," they told Jennie with pride.

"But they are in our trunks," suddenly exclaimed Dorothy, "and those haven't come yet."

"Never mind," replied Jennie, "I have two or three, so we need not wait."

However, the trunks did arrive before they had need to borrow, and the bathing-suits were easily found and hastily put on amidst much giggling and many exclamations, for it was such a new excitement it was impossible to do anything soberly. Then Jennie led the way down the back stairs and over a path at the rear of the house to the little stretch of beach. With many little squeals of apprehension, the two who lacked experience, ventured to the edge of the water, but Jennie dashed in, letting the waves completely cover her, and with such an example the other two soon became braver and began to enjoy themselves hugely. Indeed they were fain to remain longer than they should, but at last a maid came to say they must not stay in a moment longer as it was nearing time for lunch.

"I think it is perfectly lovely," said Edna as, with the water dripping down her bare legs, she entered 41the little bath house where they exchanged their wet suits for dry clothing which the maid had brought down. "Do you go in every day, Jennie?"

"Just about," she replied.

"Even when it rains?"

"Oh, no, not then, unless it is a very gentle rain and it is not too cold."

Edna gave a sigh of satisfaction. "And what do you do in the afternoons?"

"Oh, anything I please. Sometimes I take the pony and drive up to the rocks, and sometimes I just stay around the house or the grounds. What should you like to do? Would you like to go to the village?"

"Why, I don't know." Edna looked at Dorothy. "I'd like to do whatever you two would like."

"That's just like you," said Jennie. "You always want to have other people have a good time whether you do or not. We don't forget about Clara Adams, do we, Dorothy?"

"Oh, that wasn't anything," returned Edna. "Besides, I had the very finest sort of a time."

"Well, we can decide after lunch what we would like to do," Jennie went on, "but now I daresay you are as hungry as hunters; I know I am."

"Who were the two ladies sitting on the porch?" asked Dorothy.

42 "Oh, didn't you know?" said Jennie in a tone of surprise. "Then I won't tell, and you can find out when we go in. I know you will be awfully pleased."

The mystery of this made the other two hurry with their dressing, but they were none too early as they found when they reached the house, for the rest were already seated at table. To the surprise of both the visitors the two ladies were well known to them for one was their teacher, Miss Newman, and the other was her invalid sister, Miss Eloise.

"Oh, isn't this lovely?" cried the latter. "We knew you were coming, but you didn't know we were here, did you?"

"Indeed we did not," replied Edna. "How did you get here, Miss Eloise?"

"We came all the way by boat, and I did enjoy it so much. I'll tell you all about it after lunch."

"And if you are as hungry as I am," said Mr. Ramsey, "you will be glad to give your undivided attention to this clam-chowder first thing. We all know how entertaining Miss Eloise's tales can be, so you'd better save them for dessert."

The luncheon was so good that the children did not need a second bidding, and were surprised to find how hungry they were till they remembered that they had not eaten anything since their none too hearty breakfast. It was certainly delightful to be there in the cool spacious house with the noise of the sea ever in their ears and the cool breeze 43coming in the windows, and the newcomers felt that all this accounted for the better color in Miss Eloise's cheeks and for the brighter look in her eyes.

They all gathered around her on the porch after lunch and she told them about her coming.

"You see it was this way," she began. "It was so stifling in the city that I was perfectly exhausted by the heat and the doctor told my sister I must get away if possible, but neither of us could see where or how, and poor sister was so worried she didn't know what to do. Then all of a sudden, just as if she knew all about our difficulties, came a letter from Mrs. Ramsey asking us to come up here, and arranging it all so nicely that there seemed no reason in the world why I could not make the journey comfortably. So we decided that we would try it. Mr. Ramsey sent the automobile that took us to the wharf and we came all the way by boat to Boston where Mrs. Ramsey met us, and from there we took another boat which brought us to the wharf here. Sister was so afraid I would be seasick, but I was not, in fact it was the most glorious trip I ever had, and we can go back the same way. It is all so wonderful that I haven't recovered from the wonder of it yet. I am so much stronger that I can walk about a very little, and don't have to sit in a rolling chair all day."

All this did seem very wonderful to the little girls who had been accustomed to seeing Miss Eloise 44always in an invalid's chair wheeled from room to room. "Do you think you will be able to walk more and more?" asked Edna interestedly.

"The doctor—Mrs. Ramsey's doctor—thinks I may be able to as I get stronger. He has encouraged me so much that I begin to think anything possible."

All this was very pleasant news, but here Miss Newman interfered by saying, "Ellie, darling, you know you must not overtax your strength and now you must be taking a rest. The salt baths are doing her a world of good," she turned to the children to say, "but we must not go beyond her strength." So she bore off Miss Eloise and the little girls were left to themselves.

There were so many pleasures in sight that they found it hard to choose, but finally it was decided among them that each should take her turn in making plans for the afternoons, and that they would draw lots for first choice. This they did with three slips of paper. Dorothy drew the longest, therefore to her fell the choice for that day. Jennie drew the second longest and she was to take the next day. As Edna's was the shortest she came last and after that it was easy enough, for they were to keep it up in this order.

After much discussion, Dorothy decided that the very nicest and most unusual thing to do would be to go out in a boat for a row.

45 "I think that will be perfectly lovely," declared Edna, who had been wavering in her own mind between a preference for the water and a drive behind the little pony.

"I'm sure I shall like it," Jennie said, "and we shall have a good time, I know. Mother always lets me go when we can get old Cap'n Si to take us, for he is perfectly safe and is such a funny old fellow.

"Who is he?" asked the others.

"He is an old fisherman who used to have a fishing vessel of his own, but now he is too old to go to the Banks, so he just fishes around a little, and takes people out rowing or sailing when they don't want to go too far. He lives in that little old house over on that point."

Dorothy and Edna looked to where she indicated and saw a little low brown house very near the water. They could distinguish someone sitting in the doorway.

"What is he doing?" asked Dorothy.

"He is