mending his nets."

"How will he know we want him? Do we have to go over and tell him?"

"No, I will tell you how we manage. Come with me."

The two followed her to the bath-house, one side of which was used as a boat-house. From a nail inside the door Jennie took down a tin horn, which she blew lustily, then looked intently in the direction 46of Cap'n Si's house. "He hasn't heard," she said presently, and blew another blast. At this Cap'n Si shaded his eyes, and then waved his hand.

"He hears," said Jennie. "Now I must let him know the time." She went to where a flag-pole displayed a blue and white pennant. This she raised and lowered three times. "Now he will know that he is to come at three o'clock," she told the others.

Cap'n Si evidently understood, for he waved his hand three times.

"I think that is a fine way to let him know," said Edna. "How did you ever think of it?"

"Oh, I didn't think of it, Cap'n Si did. He always sits out there on that bench pleasant afternoons, and he told me just how I could let him know when I wanted him. I think I will get him to take us to Shelly Beach; it is such a nice place."

"Are there really shells there?"

"Oh, yes, ever so many, and some of them are so pretty, tiny little pinky ones."

This sounded so fascinating that Edna declared that if it had been her afternoon to choose she could have selected nothing more to her mind than this expedition.

"We must go tell mother where we are going," said Jennie, "so she won't be anxious."

Mrs. Ramsey was in the library at a desk writing letters. She looked up as the children came in. "I am just sending a line to your mothers, dearies," 47she said to Edna and Dorothy. "I thought they would be anxious to know of your safe arrival. What is on hand for this afternoon?"

"We are going to get Cap'n Si to take us to Shelly Beach," Jennie told her.

"Then be sure to take some warm wraps and be back before six."

"Oh, you know Cap'n Si never keeps us out late."

"No, I realize that he can be relied upon. I think that will be a very nice expedition for you. Would you like to take along some biscuits or something? You can ask Emma to give you something of that kind if you like."

"Could we have some hard-boiled eggs, too?"

"If there is time to boil them. Let me see. Oh, yes, it is only half past two. Well, run along and make your preparations. Have a good time."

"Isn't she dear?" said Dorothy, when they were out of the room. "Does she always let you have anything you want, like that?"

"Oh, yes, generally. If she doesn't it is because there is some good reason why I shouldn't. I will take some extra salt and maybe Cap'n Si will get some fish and cook them for us on hot stones. He does that sometimes, and they do taste so good. I'll get Emma to pack everything in a little basket."

"Where do we go to get in the boat?" asked Edna. "Do we have to go to the steamboat wharf?"

48 "No, indeed, he will come right to our little landing there beyond the boat-house."

This all seemed most convenient, and what with watching Emma pack the basket and with hunting up wraps the time went very rapidly and they were surprised to hear Mrs. Ramsey call to them, "Come along, children. Here comes Cap'n Si."

Although the sun was hot it did not seem so intolerable as it did at home, for here was the cool sea-breeze always blowing, and even the way to the beach did not seem an uncomfortable walk. Cap'n Si, a grizzly, toothless old man with a pleasant smile and twinkling blue eyes had already drawn his boat up on the sands when they reached him. He gave a quick nod of greeting as the three came up.

"These are my friends Dorothy Evans and Edna Conway," said Jennie.

Cap'n Si jerked his head to each one. "Glad to see ye," he said. "Where be ye going, Jinny?"

"We thought we would like to go to Shelly Beach. It isn't too far, is it?"

"No, 'm, 'tain't. Good weather, too. Hot down your way?" He turned to Edna to ask.

"It has been scorching hot," she told him, "but it wasn't quite so dreadful when we came away."

"Ever been to these parts before?"

"No, and we never saw the ocean, not the real ocean till now."

49 Cap'n Si looked at her as if she were a strange species of animal. "Wal, I swan," he ejaculated. "Ain't it queer how folks kin live 'slong as that and not see the ocean," he said, turning to Jennie.

"I guess I'd die ef you was to take me out of sight and sound of the water. Lived right here all my life." He turned to Edna again. "Born in that there little house, and ain't never lived nowhere else, less you call it living on board a fishing vessel. I've seen a good bit of towns and been to considerable many ports, but I ain't seen nawthin' I'd swop this place fur." He took the basket and stowed it safely away, gave directions about their getting in the boat, shoved it off and came aboard himself without seeming to mind the fact that he had walked through two feet of water.

Edna and Dorothy thought him a most interesting person with his red face, his white tuft of beard under his chin and his great knotty hands. He had a fund of stories to tell them about the sea and the creatures that lived in it, and he used so many queer expressions that they thought him very amusing and determined to remember all his funny sayings that they might tell the boys when they returned home.

They reached Shelly Beach in about half an hour, and found it a very surprising place, for here were not only shells but seaweeds and pretty pebbles. Just beyond the beach was a small grove where they decided they would have their little picnic 50after they had satisfied their desire for shells and pebbles. In the meantime Cap'n Si went off promising to return in a little while.

"I say we gather some of these seaweeds for Miss Eloise," said Edna.

"I am going to take some home to Agnes," declared Dorothy.

"Then I'll take some to Celia, but there is plenty for everyone, so we needn't be afraid that anyone will have to be left out. I think I shall gather some shells for Uncle Justus." This from Edna.

"Why, Edna, do you think he will care for them?"

"Of course he will. He likes those Captain Doane has very much. I haven't found any of the tiny pink ones yet, have you, Jennie?"

"Not yet, but I think we shall find some further along."

"Then let's go further along."

This they did and to their delight found some of the delicate little shells they were so anxious for. They were still absorbed in their search for these when Cap'n Si returned.

"Oh, see what he has," cried Jennie.

"What," asked Edna, turning her head to look.

"A string of fish. I wonder if he got them for us and if he is going to cook them."

They soon found that this was what Cap'n Si intended to do, for he began to gather driftwood for 51a fire, and while the stones were heating he cleaned the fish, which he finally set to cook on the heated stones.

"After all, I think we'd better have our picnic on the beach," said Jennie, "for we won't want to carry fish so far. I'll go get the basket and we can spread it out, the picnic, I mean, on that big flat rock."

"I think that will be nicer than the woods," declared Dorothy, "for we have had picnics in woods often, but we never had one on a beach before."

Jennie proceeded to open the basketful of supplies and the other bustled about getting all things properly placed. They wondered how they would be served with fish as there were no plates, but Cap'n Si soon solved this difficulty by handing it around on clean pieces of driftwood.

"How good it does taste," said Dorothy. "I never did taste such good fish. I think