[Illustration: Cover art]

THREE LITTLE COUSINS

BY

AMY E. BLANCHARD

_Author of "Playmate Polly, " "A Little Tomboy, " "A Sweet Little Maid, ""Dimple Dallas, " etc. _

NEW YORK

HURST & COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1907, by

GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY

_Published July, 1907_

_CONTENTS_

 I. MOLLY AND POLLY II. UNCLE DICK AT SCHOOL III. MARY IV. THE RHINESTONE PIN V. MARY AND THE BOY VI. DISCOVERIES VII. IN ELTON WOODS VIII. ELLIS AND THE BABY IX. NEW BURDENS FOR ELLIS X. ARABS XI. THE ROSEBERRY FAMILY XII. EAST AND WEST

_CHAPTER I_

_Molly and Polly_

It had stopped raining; Molly made quite sure of it by looking into thelittle puddles upon the walk. At first she thought there were dropsstill falling upon them, but it was only the wind which ruffled thesurface. The green grass was misty with rain and upon the bushes theshining drops hung from every twig. Presently a sudden burst ofsunshine broke through the clouds and changed the drops to sparkles oflight. "There!" exclaimed Molly, "I see a piece of blue sky. Now Imay go, mayn't I, mother? It is clearing off. "

Mrs. Shelton came to the window and Molly with serious face watched herscan the sky. "It really is brighter, " Mrs. Shelton decided. "Yes, Isee a piece of blue big enough for a Dutchman's breeches so I think therain is over, but you'd better put on your rubbers, Molly. "

Molly scarcely waited to hear but danced out of the room and down thesteps. "Don't forget your rubbers!" her mother called after her, andMolly scurried to the closet under the stairs, grabbed the rubbers, snatched up her hat and was out of the door in a twinkling. Steadyingherself on one foot, she drew on the overshoes, for there was no timeto sit down; she could hear the whistle of the cars in the distance andknew there was barely time to reach the station before the train wouldstop. 

It was an important occasion, for would not the express bring Molly'sCousin Polly whom she had always longed to meet? And not only Pollywas coming but their Uncle Dick who was bringing Polly all the way fromColorado to the east. Uncle Dick was not so much of a novelty asPolly, but he was quite as ardently expected, for he was the jolliestfellow in the world, Molly thought, and, though he teased herunmercifully, he was full of jokes and funny quips and amusinganecdotes, besides being generous in the extreme and always ready toput himself out to do a kind turn. As for Polly, Molly had manyconjectures concerning her. What sort of girl would she be who hadalways lived on a ranch far away from the rest of the world; a girl whohad never been to school and only a few times to church, who had neverseen a big city, nor an automobile, nor even a trolley car? Would shebe very wild indeed, whooping like a savage Indian and eating with herknife like an untutored woodsman? Would Molly be ashamed to have herfriends meet her? These questions, to which the answer was so near, Molly asked herself for the hundredth time as she walked toward thestation. 

Already the train was slowing up and in a few moments Molly wasstanding tiptoe, looking eagerly along the line of cars. Then shewatched each person who descended the steps till at last she wasrewarded by the sight of a tall young man who lifted down a little girlabout Molly's age, a fair-haired, rosy-cheeked little girl, prettilydressed, and in no way suggesting a wild Indian. The instant Molly sawher, she was seized with a fit of shyness and could not follow herfirst impulse to rush forward. Instead she waited where she was tillthe two came up. 

"Hello!" cried Uncle Dick. "I expected you would come at least to thenext station to meet us, and here you are backing away instead. "

Feeling that Polly might think that she really did not show theeagerness to see her that she ought to expect, Molly put out her handbut was presently seized in Polly's fervent hug. "Oh, but I am glad tosee you, " she said. "I could scarcely wait to get here, could I, UncleDick? It's such a long way and to-day was the longest one of all. "

"I've been just crazy to see you, too, " returned Molly. "I was soafraid it would rain hard and mother would not let me come to meet you. Where's Uncle Dick going? Oh, I see; he is looking after your baggage. Don't you hate sleeping-cars, and didn't it seem funny to have no onebut Uncle Dick all these days?"

"No one but Uncle Dick; I like that, " said that gentleman rejoiningthem. "Are you going to have me called a nobody at the very outset, Polly?"

"Oh, I didn't mean----" began Molly covered with confusion. 

"Oh, yes you did; you said it when you thought my back was turned, "interrupted her uncle. 

Polly began to pound him with her fist. "Quit your nonsense, you greatbig, long-legged, old tease, " she said. "You know that wasn't whatMolly meant. You aren't a bit nice to her; you began to tease her thevery minute you set eyes on her. You'd better be pretty good to her orI won't let you take me home again; so there, sir. "

Uncle Dick gave her a playful shake. "You'll be homesick enough in aweek from now to go home by yourself, " he warned her. 

"She'll do no such thing, " cried Molly, gathering courage from Polly'sexample. "She'll just love it here, I know. Come along, Polly; we'llget home first. "

But, in spite of their trying to run ahead, Uncle Dick's long legsovertook them, and with a hand, which they could not shake off, on theshoulder of each, he rushed them along so fast that they werebreathless when they reached the front gate. Molly's mother was at thedoor to greet them. She gathered travel-stained little Polly into herarms. "Dear Polly, I am so glad we are to have you with us at last, "she said. "Are you very tired, dearie? Was it a tiresome journey?"

"It was rather tiresome at the last, " Polly acknowledged, "though atfirst I liked it for there were some very kind ladies who came as faras St. Louis, but the rest of the way I did get tired of sitting stillall day. I am dreadfully cindery and black, Aunt Betty, so I am afraidyou can't see at all what I look like. I did try to get off some ofthe worst about an hour ago, but I suppose I am still very black, asblack as Manuel. "

"Who is Manuel?" asked Molly. 

"He's the blackest one of the Mexicans who work for father, " Pollyreplied. 

"Take your cousin up-stairs and see to making her comfortable, " Mrs. Shelton told Molly. "Well, Dick, I believe you are actually tallerthan when I last saw you. When are you going to stop growing?" shesaid to her brother. 

"When I come east to live, " he returned. "Everything is big out ourway, you know. Everything, including our hearts. "

"That's true enough in your case, " responded his sister. "Your oldroom is ready for you. Run right up; I must speak to the maids. "

By this time, the two little girls were in the room they were to sharetogether, and in a few minutes Polly had made herself more presentableby the use of soap and water, and with Molly's help in changing herdress. Then the cousins faced each other and examined one anothercritically, and presently both burst out laughing. "You don't look abit as I thought you did, " said Molly. 

"Neither do you, " returned Polly. "I thought you would be fair, like adoll I have named Molly. "

"And I thought you would be like a picture I have of Minnehaha, "returned Molly. Then they laughed again. "Isn't it funny that we areboth named for our grandmother, " continued Molly. "Suppose you hadbeen called Molly instead of Polly, wouldn't we get mixed up?"

"Yes, almost as much as if we were both called Polly, " said Polly, laughing again. 

"Are you very, very fond of Uncle Dick?" asked Molly. 

"Oh, dear, yes; I adore him. We are just the best sort of friends. Heis the greatest tease, but I know ways to tease him, too. "

"Oh, do tell me, " Molly begged, "for he teases me nearly to death, though I think he is perfectly splendid. "

"Wait till he is in a teasing mood, and you'll see, " Polly answered. "Oh, Molly, I am perfectly wild to think I am to see the ocean. I havelived among the mountains all my life, and I am wild to get to the sea. "

"You will love it, " Molly assured her. "Won't we have a fine time allsummer together?" She looked admiringly at Polly's curling locks, herdimples, and her pretty fresh white frock. Here was a cousin of whomshe need not be ashamed. Why had Uncle Dick called her as wild as aMarch hare? Why had he given Molly the impression that an Indian was atame creature beside Polly Perrine?

Polly was thinking much the same thing. Why had Uncle Dick given herthe idea that she would find her cousin a fair, doll-like creature? Tobe sure she had seen a photograph of Molly, but she had worn a hat andcoat when it was taken and one could easily get a wrong impression fromit. 

"Let's go down, " proposed Molly; "I have lots of things to show you;besides I want to see Uncle Dick. " She felt a little jealous of hercousin's claim to their uncle, and she felt sure her father wouldappropriate him if he happened to come in before she reached the porchwhere her mother was sitting with her brother. 

Her father had not arrived, having gone to some business meeting whichwas sure to keep him late. Uncle Dick was lolling back in a porchchair. "Hello, youngsters, " he cried as he caught sight of his nieces. "How are you getting along? What do you think of each other?"

Polly ran to him, and perching herself upon the arm of the chair, turned up his nose with an impertinent finger. "Badness, " she said, "why did you tell me that Molly looked like a wax doll?"

"Did I tell you that? Well, if I were a maker of wax dolls, I couldmake one just like her, I think, if I had some of old Doc's tail forhair and two pieces of coal for eyes. "

"Her eyes aren't black; they're like two pieces of brown velvet, "objected Polly, "and her hair isn't a bit like Doc's tail; it is assoft as silk. Your nose must go up higher for that, sir. " She gavehis nose an extra tilt while he squirmed under the process. 

"There, there, Polly, that is high enough!" he exclaimed; "it willnever come down again if you turn it up too high. "

"I hope it will not, " said Polly; "I hope it will stay turned up likeDicky-pig's. "

"Who is Dicky-pig?" asked Molly. 

"Oh, he is a little pig I named after my beautiful uncle; he looks justlike him, " said Polly mirthfully. 

"Does your brother look like a pig?" Dick asked his sister. 

Mrs. Shelton smiled as she looked at the handsome youth. "I don'tdetect a striking resemblance, " she replied, rising to leave. 

"Well, he acts like one sometimes, " declared Polly. "I want to know, too, " she went on, to her uncle, "if you have been telling Molly thingsabout me that aren't so. "

"He said you were wild as a March hare and looked like an ApacheIndian, " announced Molly from the other side of the chair, giving heruncle's hair a tweak. 

"Two to one is not fair, " cried Dick. "I draw the line at having myhair pulled out by the roots; it is quite enough to have my nose mauledall out of shape. Here, young woman, you must be kept in better order. Polly, you are setting a bad example to your cousin; never before hasshe pulled my hair. " He grabbed first one and then the other, stowedthem away under his knees and held them tight. 

"You're spoiling my clean frock, " complained Polly. "Let me out andI'll not turn up your nose. " Dick loosed his hold, "till the nexttime, " added Polly darting away. 

Dick made a grab for her and Molly, too, escaped. "Come back, comeback!" cried Dick. "I have something for you, Molly, and you shallhave it if you will answer me one question. "

The girls slowly returned, but kept at a safe distance. "What is thequestion?" asked Molly. 

Uncle Dick dived down into one of his pockets and drew forth a box ofcandy which he laid on the chair by his side. "I want to see how youare progressing with your studies, " he remarked with gravity. "By theway, is school over yet?"

"No, it closes next week, " Molly told him, eying the candy. 

"Ah, then I must visit it and inquire into your record, " said her unclewith an air of dignity. 

"Oh, Uncle Dick!" Molly was on pins and needles lest he should reallydo something of the kind, and if he should hurt the feelings of herdear Miss Isabel whom she adored, Molly did not know what she shoulddo. Miss Isabel might not understand her uncle's joking ways and--oh, dear! Her anxious look made her uncle chuckle with glee. 

"I'll go sure as a gun, " he declared, seeing a chance to tease. 

"Oh, please don't, " begged Molly. 

"Why not go? Indeed I shall. I am confident from your manner, MissShelton, that it really is necessary that I should make some inquiriesfor the credit of the family. Tell me why I should not go, if youplease. "

"Why--why--none of the girls' uncles ever do go, " said Molly lamely. 

"Not a bit of reason why I should not start the custom. What is yourteacher like? Old, with little bobbing curls each side her face?Wears a cap, does she? or false frizzes and her teeth click when shetalks?"

"She's nothing like that at all, " returned Molly indignantly. "She isperfectly lovely with blue eyes and long black lashes, and thebeautifullest hair, and she has the prettiest, whitest teeth, like evencorn on the cob. "

"My, oh, my! All the more must I go, " said Dick. "Is she young, dearniece? How old might she be, darling Molly?"

"Oh, I don't know; I think about twenty-one, for she has only beenteaching a year. She didn't leave college till last summer, and shetold me she wasn't seventeen when she first went there. "

"Delightful, " said Uncle Dick meditatively. "Where is my sister? Imust interest her in this matter. Now, Molly, sweet girl, answer myquestion and you shall have, not only this box of candy, but another totake to--what did I understand your teacher's name to be?"

"It is Isabel Ainslee, and it is a beautiful name. "

"I quite agree with you. Now, Molly, answer me. How many cakes canyou buy two for three cents apiece?"

Molly looked at Polly. This was a puzzler surely. "Two, " she ventureduncertainly. 

Uncle Dick looked at her penetratingly. "That might be the answerunder some circumstances, " he said. 

This puzzled Molly more than ever and she looked at Polly forinspiration. 

Polly was laughing. "You're an old fraud, " she said to her uncle. "That is no question at all. It is nonsense, Molly. It dependsentirely upon how much money you have. If you have six cents you canbuy two cakes. "

"So you can, " returned Molly, seeing daylight. "I have just six cents, so I could buy two cakes at three cents apiece. "

"But you didn't answer; it was Polly who did, " said her uncle. 

"Then Polly takes the candy, " said that person darting forward andsnatching up the candy box which she thrust into Molly's hand. "Here, Molly, run, " she cried. And run Molly did, holding fast to the box andgiving one backward glance at her uncle which showed him laughing andshaking his fist at the two retreating figures. 

"Just wait till I see that Isabel Ainslee, " he called after them. "I'll fix it for you, Molly Shelton. "

But Molly had no fears, for Polly whispered; "He's only trying totease, Molly. Don't mind him. "

_CHAPTER II_

_Uncle Dick at School_

It wanted but a week of the time when the delightful season would beginwhich meant long days of freedom for the two little girls, for theywere to spend the summer in a dear little cottage by the sea. Eversince Aunt Ada Reid bought her cottage it had been Molly's happyexperience to spend the summer there, and to enjoy the delight ofrunning wild. Polly was already enthusiastic but she became doubly soas the time approached and Molly dwelt upon the joys before them. 

"We can run anywhere we like and nobody cares, " Molly told her, "andthere is so much to do the days never seem half long enough. Just thisweek of school, and then free! free! Uncle Dick didn't do as hethreatened after all; he has not been to the school once. "

"Oh, he has forgotten all about it, " returned Polly. 

But Uncle Dick had not forgotten, as the day's proceedings proved. Polly was deeply interested in school matters, for she had been taughtat home always, and knew nothing of routine and system, which, even ina small school, must be carried on. She had gone as a visitor withMolly when the rules were not so strictly enforced, for in the lastwarm days of the term Miss Ainslee was lenient and Polly thought schoollife perfectly delightful with easy lessons and ever so manyinteresting things said and done by both teacher and pupils. 

The two little girls were sitting side by side, listening attentivelyto Miss Ainslee's account of the early Britons, when the door softlyopened and a tall young man appeared. He looked smilingly around. Molly gave the stifled exclamation: "Uncle Dick!" Polly jumped to herfeet but sat down again. 

It was a hot morning. The breeze scarcely stirred the leaves of thewistaria vines over the windows. Once in a while a robin gurgled outhis cheerful song which Molly always declared reminded her of cherryjuice; the little girls in thin frocks fanned themselves behind therows of desks. Miss Ainslee's back was toward the door and she kept onwith the reading, not having heard the intruder who presently made astep forward and gave a roguish glance in Molly's direction, to thatyoung person's confusion, for the color mounted to her cheeks. Whatwas he going to do she wondered. He gave an apologetic little coughwhich caused Miss Ainslee to look up from her book with a surprisedexpression. 

"Isn't it most time for recess?" asked Uncle Dick gently. 

Miss Ainslee glanced at the clock. "Why yes, " she replied, hersurprise more evident. 

"That's what my sister said, and as it is such a warm morning wethought--she thought some ice cream would be refreshing to you all, soshe has sent over a freezer; I told the man to set it outside. "

Pleased giggles issued from the little girls behind the desks. 

"I never thought, " continued Dick, "but perhaps I ought--we ought tohave furnished dishes and spoons. You couldn't eat it from theink-wells, I suppose. " He turned to the children who again giggleddelightedly. 

"Oh, I think we can manage in an emergency, " said Miss Ainslee. "Wehave a small cooking class here on Saturday mornings and there is quitea supply of dishes in the cupboard yonder. I think we can make them goaround. "

Dick's smile grew wistful as he said: "It was pretty hot coming overhere, but I don't suppose you could ask me to have some of the creamwith you; I'm not a little girl, you know, and I perceive you don'ttake boys. "

A tremulous little smile danced about the corners of Miss Ainslee'smouth as she moved toward the cupboard. 

"I could help to dish it out at least, " Dick added hastily. "I coulddo that beautifully, couldn't I, Polly?" He turned to his niece. 

"Oh, you are Molly's uncle, aren't you?" The puzzled expression withwhich Miss Ainslee was regarding him changed to one of understanding. "She has been talking of you for the past month. Certainly stay. Ishall be very glad of your help. "

Dick cast a triumphant look at Molly. "Then I'll go right out and takeoff the ice from the freezer, " he said. "Will you have the cream inhere or out there?"

"Out there, I think, " returned Miss Ainslee. "I like the children totake their recess out of doors whenever they can. I will bring out theplates and spoons. "

"No, don't, " said Dick. "Just show me where they are. Oh, I see:among the gallipots and things. You please go and get the kids--I meanthe little girls all settled and I will play butler. "

To this Miss Ainslee would not consent, but she dismissed the childrenwho fled out with excited whispers, and presently, to their greatsatisfaction, they were served with heaping saucers of ice cream anddelicious little cakes. Once or twice Molly and Polly ventured near towhere their uncle and Miss Ainslee were sitting under a great tree, buteach time that they appeared Uncle Dick would say in a strong voice: "Iwant to inquire about Molly's marks, Miss Ainslee. How is she gettingon with her arithmetic?" As this was Molly's bugbear, she would moveoff hastily whenever the study was mentioned while Uncle Dick lookedafter her with a twinkle in his eye. He politely took his leave afterrecess was over, though some of Molly's friends clamored for him tostay and tell them stories of the great west, for they had heard of hispowers in that direction. He refused to stay, however, though hepromised that he would come again, if Miss Ainslee would permit. 

The girls all gathered around their teacher when the visitor had gone, and were loud in their praises of Molly Shelton's uncle. But Mollyherself said never a word, though after school was dismissed she creptup to Miss Ainslee and whispered: "Did you tell him I never do get halfmy examples right?"

Miss Ainslee put her arm around her and whispered back: "No, dear, Ididn't, for it wouldn't have been true. Sometimes you do get more thanhalf of them right. "

"I do try, " said Molly wistfully. 

"I know you do, " returned Miss Ainslee, giving her a hug. So Mollywent home satisfied that after all her uncle's visit to the schoolmeant only good will and not a desire to discover the weak spots in hisniece's record. 

Uncle Dick made a second visit to the school at another recess hourwhen it threatened rain and he brought umbrellas for Molly and Polly, and rain it did, coming down in such torrents for a while that heaccepted the shelter offered, and, while the thunder rolled and thelightning flashed, told the children such thrilling stories ascompletely absorbed the attention of the whole school, and no onethought of being afraid of the storm. 

Then came the last day of the term when Uncle Dick, as invited guest, came with Mrs. Shelton to see the pretty Garden of Verses which MissAinslee had arranged for the closing entertainment. Even Polly tookpart in that and repeated the lines:

 "A birdie with a yellow bill Hopped upon the window sill, Cocked his shining eye and said. 'Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepy-head!'"

while Molly, wearing a long silken gown, swept in with rustling skirtto say:

 "Whenever auntie moves around Her dresses make a curious sound; They trail behind her up the floor, And trundle after through the door. "

She was called to the front of the little stage to receive the bunch oflovely roses her Uncle Dick sent her, and felt very grand when theywere handed up to her. Polly, too, came in for her share of flowers, though hers were sweet-peas because her name began with P. However, that did not account fur the white bell-like blossoms which werepresented to Miss Ainslee, though Polly explained it by saying, "She isa belle, you know, " and did not see the whole joke till she rememberedMiss Ainslee's first name. 

To Polly, Miss Ainslee was a paragon of perfection. She had neverbefore known so dainty and pretty a young lady. The tutor which sheand her brothers had was a young man who had gone to Colorado for hishealth, and when stranded in Denver was chanced upon by Dick Reid whobefriended him and brought him home, where he was glad enough to teachthe niece and nephews of his former college mate. Miss Ainslee was ateacher of quite another stamp and ardent little Polly adored her. 

When the little girls had returned from the closing exercises of theschool, their thoughts turned to the next excitement which was thejourney northward with Uncle Dick. They were to start the very nextmorning, and their trunks stood ready to go. 

As they entered the hall, Mrs. Shelton picked up a letter which thepostman had just brought. It had a foreign postmark, and Molly knew itmust be from her Aunt Evelyn, her Uncle Arthur's wife, who lived inEngland. Mrs. Shelton sat down in the library and opened the letter. She had read only a few lines when she exclaimed: "Well, I declare!"

"What is it, mother?" asked Molly. "What does Aunt Evelyn say? How isMary?"

"She is better, and what do you think, Molly? Uncle Arthur is comingover and is going to bring Mary with him. They are on their way. "

"Oh, Polly! Polly!" cried Molly, "what do you think? Our Cousin Maryis coming. Three Marys in one house and all named after the samegrandmother. Tell us more, mother. When are they coming and how longare they going to stay, and all about it. Are they going to Aunt Ada'swith us?"

"Wait a minute, " said Mrs. Shelton, scanning the final page of herletter. Molly watched her till she read the last word. "It is thisway, " Mrs. Shelton told her; "your Uncle Arthur has to come to Americaon business and Mary, you know, has not been very well, so when thedoctor advised a sea voyage, Uncle Arthur decided to bring Mary withhim and leave her with some of us while he should travel about to lookafter his business matters. It was all determined upon very hurriedlyand Aunt Evelyn is much concerned lest she is giving us a charge we maynot wish to undertake. However, I shall hasten to let her know that weshall be delighted to welcome Mary. My own little niece whom I havenever seen! It is a great happiness to have both my nieces here thissummer. " She smiled at Polly. 

"But when is she coming?" asked Molly. 

"In about a week I should judge. "

"Oh, we will be gone then, " said Molly, turning to Polly. She hardlyknew whether to be glad or sorry of the fact. 

"I am glad I determined to wait a little later before going away withyour father, " continued Mrs. Shelton, "for now I shall be here toreceive Arthur and Mary, and can bring Mary up with me on the way toRangeley. Aunt Ada will be perfectly delighted to know she is to havea visit from Mary, for she has asked so many times that her parentswould lend her for a summer. "

"It will be just lovely to expect her, " said Molly hospitably. "I dohope we shall like her, mother, and that she will be as easy to getacquainted with as Polly is. I feel as if I had always known Polly;she is just like a sister. "

"I fancy you will find Mary somewhat different from Polly, " said Mrs. Shelton, remembering her sister-in-law's exact little ways, andthinking of Polly's unfettered life on the ranch. "However, I am sureshe is a dear child and that we shall love her very dearly. "

"I wish she had been here to see the Garden of Verses and ourcostumes, " said Polly, who was quite carried away by the morning'sperformance. 

"Oh, I suppose she sees much finer things in England, " said Molly. "Isuppose she dresses much finer, too, than we do. Why, there are kingsand queens and princesses over there, and they wear ermine and crownsand tiaras. "

"I haven't the least idea what a tiara is, " said Polly. 

"I don't know exactly myself, " acknowledged Molly, "but I know it issomething you wear on your head and it is studded with diamonds or somekind of precious stones. "

"Maybe it is some kind of hat, " ventured Polly. 

Molly wasn't quite sure, but she wondered if Mary would have one. "Atleast she can tell us what it is like, " she remarked to Polly. 

Mrs. Shelton had hurried from the room to tell the news to her brotherand the little girls were left in the library alone. Molly wasthinking very seriously. Presently she said: "Polly Perrine, if youwill never, never tell any one, I'll tell you something. Cross yourheart you won't tell. "

Polly promptly crossed her heart. "I won't tell, " she assured hercousin. 

"Then, " said Molly looking furtively around, "I am not sure I am gladMary is coming. "

"Oh, why not?" asked Polly, looking the least bit shocked. 

"Why, she may be prim and fusty and spoil our plays. I notice oftenthat two girls can play together beautifully, but when a third onecomes she is sure to want to do something that one of the othersdoesn't like and either breaks up the play or gets mad and goes offmaking you feel sort of hurt and queer inside. You know it is hard toplease everybody and the more people you have to please the harder itis. "

Polly pondered upon this philosophy of her cousin's. "Well, " she saidfinally, "perhaps if she doesn't like to play our way, she can findsome one else to play with. "

"Of course she can. I never thought of that, " said Molly in a relievedtone. "I remember now before I knew you were coming mother told methat Mrs. Wharton was going to have her granddaughter with her thissummer, and I was very glad because the Mowbrays have gone abroad, andI expected to have them to play with. Now we can pair off; you and Ican go together and Mary can go with Grace Wharton. I don't suppose, "she added after a minute, "that it would be quite polite always to haveit that way, for Mary is our own cousin and we can't shove her off on astranger. "

"Maybe we shall not want to, " said Polly. "If she is real nice, Molly, we won't mind taking turns, or we can all three play together when theWharton girl isn't there. "

"But don't you ever, ever tell that I said I wasn't sure of wantingMary, " said Molly impressively. 

Polly promised, and just then they were called to luncheon and wentdown-stairs with their arms around each other. 

_CHAPTER III_

_Mary_

A week later the family was settled for the summer in Miss Ada Reid'scottage by the sea. In front of them was a stretch of green; beyondwere the jagged rocks, and then came the ocean. The landing was somedistance from the cottage and was upon the bay side of the peninsula, so, although Polly had caught glimpses of the sea during her journey, she did not have a clear view of the wide expanse until they had nearlyreached the house and the great blue ocean spread out before her. Thenshe danced up and down with sheer joy. 

"It is just as big and just as blue as I thought, " she cried. "Oh, Iam so happy! I am so happy!"

Molly was delighted at Polly's enthusiasm, for she, too, loved the seaand the rocks and the wide stretches of grassy hummocks. "There is thecottage, " she told her cousin; "the one peeping over that little hill. It looks just like a brownie, doesn't it, with its surprisedwindow-eyes? I always call the cottage 'The Brownie, ' and Aunt Adasays it is a very good name for it, because it is a sort of brown. "

"I should call it gray, " said Polly. 

"It is really gray, but it is a sort of brownish gray, and anyhow Ilike the name of Brownie for it. There is Aunt Ada on the porchwatching for us. "

Miss Reid came running out to meet them. She gave Molly a hug and akiss and then turned to her other niece. "And this is our Polly, isn'tit?" she said. "Bless the dear; I am so glad to see her. Come alongin all of you; I know you are as hungry as hunters and I have dinnerall waiting. "

"Oh, Aunt Ada, is there to be baked mackerel?" asked Molly. 

"Yes, and lobster salad, too. "

"Are the wild roses in bloom yet, and are the wild strawberries ripe?"queried Molly. 

"The strawberries are trying to get ripe, but I haven't seen a singlewild rose yet. Come right in; I know by Dick's eager look that he isready for my baked mackerel. I have Luella Barnes to help me thisyear, " she whispered, "and she has a big white satin bow in her hairbecause we have a young man as guest. " She laughed mirthfully andPolly thought the way her eyes squeezed up was perfectly fascinating. Her Aunt Ada had visited Colorado when Polly was a baby, but, ofcourse, Polly did not remember it, nor would her aunt have recognizedher baby niece in the little rosy-cheeked girl before her. 

"This is something like our house, " said Polly, looking around with apleased expression at the unplastered room with its simple furnishings. 

"Then you will feel at home, " said her aunt. "Take off your hats, girlies, while I see to dinner, for you know the necessity, Molly, oflooking after things yourself up this way. "

Just here Luella appeared. She was a tall, angular young woman with amass of fair hair, very blue eyes and a tiny waist. The white satinbow was conspicuous, and as she caught sight of Dick Reid she simperedand giggled in what the little girls thought a very silly way since itdisplayed Luella's bad teeth to which she evidently never gave theleast attention. However, they all soon forgot everything butsatisfying their appetites with the baked mackerel, deliciously fresh, the roasted potatoes, young peas and lobster salad. 

"These taste so different from canned things, " said Polly, passing upher plate for a second helping of lobster. 

Luella reached out a bony arm and took the plate. "I'm glad to see youcan eat hearty, " she remarked. "Give her a real good help, Mr. Reid. "

Molly giggled, though she knew the ways of the "hired help" her auntemployed in the summer. Aunt Ada gave her a warning look, for thenatives were quick to take offense and Miss Ada had no wish to be leftwith no one in the kitchen. "And when is Mary coming?" she asked. 

"Oh, we don't know exactly, " Molly told her. "Mother will bring her upwhen she and papa go to Rangeley. Mother thought it would be in abouta week. What will you do with three little girls to look after, AuntAda?"

"Oh, I expect them to look after me, " returned Miss Ada. 

"And if they don't do that properly, or if they get obstreperous, " putin Uncle Dick, "it is the easiest thing in the world to throw themoverboard. I'll do it for you, Ada; the rocks are very handy, and itwill not be much of a job. "

Polly made a face at him. "I know how much you'll throw us over, " shesaid. "You'd better not try it with me, you sinful evil-doer. "

"You see what is before you, Ada, " said Dick. "You'll rue the day youconsented to have three nieces with you for a whole summer; yet, " heshook his head and said darkly, "I know what can be done if worse comesto worst. "

"What then, Mr. Dicky-Picky?" said Polly. 

"That's for me to know and for you to find out, " he replied. 

"My, ain't she sassy?" said Luella in a loud whisper to Miss Ada, "butthen he ain't no more'n a boy the way he talks. "

This was too much for Dick who could not keep his face straight as herose from the table quickly. "Who's for the rocks, the cove or thewoods?" he asked. 

"The rocks, the rocks, first, " cried both little girls. 

"I want to show Polly the dear little pools where the star-fish are, and the cave under the rocks where we found the sea-urchins and wherethose queer bluey, diamondy shining things are, " said Molly. 

Polly squeezed her hand. "Oh, I'm so excited, " she said. "I have beenjust wild to see all those things. "

"You shall see them in short order, " her uncle told her. "We keep ouraquarium in the front garden. "

"Where is the garden?" asked Polly innocently. 

Her uncle laughed as he led the way over the hummocks down the ruggedpath to the rocks. Here they clambered over crags and barnacledboulders till they came to a quiet pool reflecting the blue of the sky. Its sides were fringed with floating sea-weeds and it was peopled bymany sorts of strange creatures which thrived upon the supplies broughtin by the ocean with its tides. A green crab scuttled out of sightunder some pebbles; a purple star-fish crept softly from behind a bunchof waving crimson weeds; a sea-anemone opened and shut its livingpetals; by peering under the shelving rock one could see the daintyshell of a sea-urchin. 

Polly gazed astonished at the pool's wonders. "It is like fairy-land, "she whispered. "I never saw anything so beautiful. Can we come hereevery day and will the little pools with these queer creatures alwaysbe just this way?"

"We can always come at low tide, " Molly told her. 

"Then I'll always come down here at this time every day. "

"But it will not be low tide always at this time, " said Molly. 

"Oh, won't it?" returned inland little Polly, quite taken aback. "Whywon't it?"

Then her uncle told her how the coming in of the tide changes just asthe rising of the moon does, and that one must know the difference intime to be sure. Then he went on to explain something about the smallcreatures which inhabited the pools, the barnacles which covered therocks up to a certain point. 

"Why don't the barnacles go any higher?" asked Polly. "I should thinkthey would grow and grow just like grass does over bare places in theground. 

"They extend only to high water-mark, " her uncle told her, "for you seethey are fed by the ocean. If you will watch closely, you can see themopen and close as the waves come and go. "

"Isn't it wonderful?" said Polly in an awe-struck voice. 

"I like it best when the tide is up, " remarked Molly, "for I don'tthink all that dark sea-weed that covers the rocks is very pretty. "

Polly looked down at the long ropes of seaweed which clung to thecraggy places beneath them. "It makes the rocks look just likebuffaloes or some strange kind of animals, " she said. "I shall callthat Buffalo Rock, and that other the Lion's Den, for it looks like alion lying down. "

"There is a dear place further down, " said Molly. "It is shelteredfrom the wind and we have tea there sometimes. There is a cunningfireplace that Uncle Dick built there last year. I wonder if it isstill standing. Let's go and see. "

They followed the shore a little further and found a flat rock not farbelow the top of the bluff. The fireplace was nearly as they had leftit, and only required a few stones to make it as good as new. Mollyviewed it with a satisfied air as her uncle topped it with a finalstone. "There, " she exclaimed, "it is ready for our first afternoontea! We'll toast marshmallows, too, as soon as we can get some at thestore. "

"Why can't we get them to-day?" asked Polly who did not want to put offsuch a pleasure. 

"Because Mr. Hobbs never has any before the Fourth of July. He alwaysgets in his good things then, but never a day sooner or later. I knowhim of old, " said Dick. 

"By that time Mary will be here, " said Molly thoughtfully, "and we canhave our first tea-party in her honor. "

"Yes, and she can help us make our Fourth, " said Uncle Dick, laughing. "She has never known our great and glorious Fourth over there inEngland. "

"Of course not, " said Polly. "I forgot she was a wicked Britisher. "

"Not very wicked, " said Uncle Dick. 

"But we must never let her think we have any grudge against her becausewe were the ones that won the Revolution, " said Molly. "It wouldn't bepolite to pick at her because she isn't an American. Do you supposeshe will be very snippy, Polly? and will be disagreeable and run downAmerica?"

"Oh, my, I hope not; I'd hate her to be that way, " returned Pollyalarmed at such a prospect. "It would be dreadful for us to bequarreling all the time and of course we couldn't keep still if sheruns down our country. What shall we do if she does?"

"Send her to me, " said Uncle Dick. 

This settled the matter and was a relief to both little girls, whoconsidered that what Uncle Dick didn't know was not worth knowing, besides he had a smiling way of putting down persons who bragged toomuch, as the cousins well knew. 

"I am just crazy to see her, and yet somehow I dread it, " Polly toldMolly. 

Molly confessed to much the same feeling and declared that she would beglad when the first meeting was over and they were all acquainted. Then she undertook to show Polly more of her favorite haunts and it wassuppertime before they had begun to see all they wished to. 

The next week Mary arrived with Mrs. Shelton who remained but a shorttime before she resumed her journey. Mary was a slim, pale, plainly-dressed little girl who looked not at all as her cousinsimagined. She did not seem shy but she had little to say at first, sitting by herself in a corner of the porch as soon as dinner was overand answering only such questions as were put to her. 

"Did you have a pleasant trip?" asked Molly by way of beginning theacquaintance. 

"No, " returned Mary. "Fancy being seasick nearly all the way. "

"Oh, were you? Wasn't that disagreeable?"

"Most disagreeable, " returned Mary. 

There was silence for a few minutes and then Mary put her firstquestion: "Do you always eat your meals with your parents, or only whenyou are at a curious place like this?"

"Why, we always do, " Polly answered. "Where would you expect us to eatthem? In the kitchen?"

"No, " returned Mary; "in the nursery. "

"There is no nursery here, you know, " Molly informed her. 

"Yes, I know; that is why I asked. But in the city, or in your ownhome you have a nursery?"

"Yes, we have, " Polly told her, "but we don't eat there. "

"Really?" Mary looked much surprised. "And do you come to the tablewith the grown persons?"

"Why, certainly. "

"How curious!"

Polly looked at Molly. "Don't you ever go to the table with yourparents?" asked Polly. 

"Sometimes we go for dessert. "

"Well, " returned Polly, "if I couldn't stay all the time, I must sayI'd like better to come in for dessert than just for soup. "

Mary looked serious, but Molly laughed. "Don't you want to go down onthe rocks with us?" asked the latter. 

"I think I would prefer to sit here, " said Mary. 

"All by yourself?" said Molly, surprised. 

"Oh, yes, I like to be alone. "

This was too decided a hint for the others not to take, so they marchedoff together. "Well, " said Polly when they were out of hearing, "Idon't think much of her manners, and I don't think I shall trouble hermuch with my company. She likes to be alone; well, she will be, as faras I am concerned. "

"Oh, she feels strange at first, " said Molly by way of excusing herEnglish cousin. "After while she will be more 'folksy, ' as Luellasays. "

"Well then, when she wants to come with us she can say so. I shall notask her, I know. She is just like what I was afraid she would bestand-offish and airish. She reminds me of 'the cat that walks byherself. ' I was always afraid the girls I might meet would be thatway. "

At this Molly looked quite hurt. 

"Oh, I don't mean you, " Polly went on, putting her arm around hercousin to reassure her. "You are just dear, Molly. I loved you rightaway. "

Molly's hurt feelings disappeared at this. "I am sure, " she remarked, "Mary needn't be so high and mighty; she hasn't half as pretty clothesas we have. "

"And she doesn't look nice in those she does have, " returned Polly. 

From this the two went on from one criticism to another till finallythey worked themselves up into quite hard feelings against Mary, andresolved to let her quite alone and not invite her to join their plays. This plan they began to carry out the next day to such a marked extentthat their Aunt Ada noticed it. 

"I did suppose Molly and Polly would want to show more hospitality totheir little English cousin, " she said to her brother. 

Dick smiled. "They will in time, " he said. "A dose of their ownmedicine might do them good. "

"Perhaps Mary has really said something to offend them, " said Miss Adathoughtfully, "or possibly they misunderstand each other's ways. Iwill watch them for a day or two and try to discover what is wrong. "She kept Mary at her side after this, and when she was not doingsomething to entertain her, Dick was, till both Molly and Polly beganto add jealous pangs to their other grievances, yet they would onlysidle up to their aunt and uncle or would sit near enough to hear whatwas said without joining in the conversation. 

"They are jealous; that's what it is, poor dears, " said their aunt toherself. "I must gather them all together in some way. " So the nextevening when she and Mary were established in a cozy corner by the openfire, she called the other two little girls, "come here, lassies. Maryhas been telling me some very interesting things about England. Don'tyou want to hear them, too?"

Molly and Polly came nearer and sat on the edge of the wood-boxtogether. 

"Now, " said Miss Ada, "I think it would be a good way to pass the timeif each were to tell her most exciting experience. Mary can tell ofsomething that happened to her in England; Polly can give us someexperience of hers in Colorado, and Molly can choose her own locality. Molly, you are the eldest by a month or two, you can begin. "

Molly was silent for a few minutes and then she began. "My mostexciting time was last fall when we were going home from here. We tookthe early boat, you remember, Aunt Ada, and the sea was very rough. Wewere about half way to the city when a tremendous wave rushed toward usand we were all thrown down on deck. I went banging against the rail, but Uncle Dick caught me, though he said if the rail hadn't been strongwe all might have been washed off into the sea. It was two or threeminutes before we could get to our feet and I was awfully scared; sowas everybody. "

"It was not rough at all when we came down here from the city, "remarked Mary. 

"It is usually very smooth, " said Miss Ada, "but the time of whichMolly speaks it was unusually rough and we all had reason to beterrified. Now your tale, Polly. "

Polly sat looking into the fire for a moment before she said, "I thinkthe time I was most scared was once when Uncle Dick and I were ridinghome on our ponies. It was most dark and the sun was dropping behindthe mountains; it always seems lonely and solemn then anyhow. I wasn'triding my own pony that day for he had hurt his foot, so I had Buster, Ted's broncho: I'd often been on him before and I wasn't a bit afraidto ride him. Well, we were coming along pretty fast because it wasgetting so late and we were a good distance from home. Of course therewere no houses nearer than ours, and that was three miles away. I wasa little ahead when a jack-rabbit jumped up right before Buster's noseand he lit out and ran for all he was worth. I held on tight, but hekept running and pretty soon I saw we were making toward a bunch ofcattle. Buster used to be a cattle pony and I thought: suppose thatbunch should stampede and I should get into the thick of them. I wasalways more scared of a stampede than anything else. Well, the cattledid begin to run but I jerked at Buster's bridle and managed to workhim little by little away from the cattle, but he never stopped runningtill we got home and then I just tumbled off on the ground, somehow, and sat there crying till Uncle Dick came up. He had no idea thatBuster was doing anything I didn't want him to, but just thought I wasgoing fast for a joke and because I wanted to get home. "

"I think that was tremendously exciting, " commented Molly, "and I thinkyou were very brave, for it lasted so long. It is easy to be brave fora minute, but not for so long. "

"Fancy living in such a wild country, " remarked Mary. 

"Oh, but it is beautiful, " said Polly enthusiastically. "The mountainsare bigger than anything you can imagine, and it is so fine and free. Oh, you don't know till you see it. "

"I am quite sure I should like England better, " declared Marypositively. "London is much finer than New York, which is very ugly, Ithink, and our dear little villages are so pretty. I never saw suchqueer tumble-down places as you have here in the country. I think ourhedge-rows and lanes are much prettier. "

"Never mind, now, " said Miss Ada gently. "Tell us about your mostexciting time. "

"Really, I never did anything very exciting, you know, " returned Mary. "Once I was in Kensington Gardens and got lost from nurse. I wasfrightfully scared for a little while. However, I sat quite still andshe came up after a bit. "

Molly gave Polly a little nudge; it seemed a very tame experience afterPolly's wild ride. 

"I am afraid Mary is something of a little prig, " said Miss Ada to herbrother when the little girls had gone to bed. 

"Polly will broaden her views if any one can, " aid Uncle Dick. "Don'tlet her flock by herself too much, Ada; it isn't good for her, and sheneeds a little Americanizing. "

"I don't think Polly will be harmed by Mary's gentleness. She has sucha charming voice and Polly might well subdue hers. "

"They'll do one another good, " repeated Uncle Dick. 

_CHAPTER IV_

_The Rhinestone Pin_

In spite of Miss Ada's efforts to bring the three little cousins nearertogether, it was some time before they actually did become realfriends: Mary, seeing that anything she could say against Americaaroused a fierce contradiction from Polly, slyly teased her whenevershe could, and Polly, who was loyal to the backbone, grew more and moreindignant, often on the verge of tears, rushing to her aunt or unclewith a tale of Mary's abuse of her beloved country. 

"And her father is an American, too. I don't see how she can do it, "she complained one morning. "She is half American herself, and I toldher so. "

"What did she say?" asked Aunt Ada. 

"She said she was born in England and so was her mother, so of courseshe was English, and besides, although her father was once American, that now he lives in England so he must be English, too. She makes funof everything, or at least she sniffs at us and our ways all the time. Now, is that polite, Aunt Ada? I live in the west, but I'd be ashamedto make fun of the east. "

"I think Mary will learn better after awhile, when she has been herelonger. "

"I wish I could show her what my mother wrote to me in the letter thatI had from her this morning, " said Polly. Then, with a sudden thought. "Aunt Ada, won't you read it aloud to all three of us?"

"Bring it to me, " said Miss Ada, "and I will see. "

Polly ran off and came back with the letter which her aunt read overcarefully, nodding approvingly from time to time. "Where are theothers?" she asked presently. 

"Out on the porch, " Polly told her. 

Miss Ada picked up her knitting bag and Polly followed her to asheltered corner where Molly and Mary were playing with a store ofpebbles they had picked up on the shore. 

"Polly has had such a nice letter from her mother, " said Miss Ada. "Don't you all want to hear it? She gives such interesting accounts ofthings out there, and Mary will get quite an idea of ranch life fromit. " She sat down and read the pages which were full of a pleasantrecital of every-day doings, interesting to those unaccustomed to thegreat west, and more interesting to Polly. At the last came thesewords:

"There is one thing I want my little girl to remember: the essence ofgood breeding comes from a good heart. It is both unkind and ill-bredto give offense in a house where hospitality is shown you, to findfault or criticise what is set before you, to draw comparisons betweenthe locality where you live and that which you are visiting so that thelatter will appear in a bad light. Persons who have not beenaccustomed to the society of well-bred people think it is very smart tofind fault with things which are different from those with which theyhave been familiar. Now, I don't want my Polly to be that way, and Imust ask her not to be so rude as to abuse hospitality by belittlingthe customs of a house or the town, state or locality in which it is. I want my Polly to be considered a true lady, even if she is from thewild and woolly west. "

Mary looked a little startled while this reading was going on and whenPolly stole a glance at her she became very red in the face and turnedaway her head, but to Polly's great satisfaction, from that time shewas less ready to criticise things American. In consequencewarm-hearted little Polly tried to be magnanimous and because Aunt Adaasked her to help her to show a generous hospitality, she overlookedMary's praise of England, and would answer her remarks by saying:"Well, we have some nice things, too. " Her clear loud voice, moreover, she tried to tone down when Aunt Ada told her to notice the differencebetween her way of speaking and Mary's. As to Mary the benefits of hervisit were only beginning to tell. Later they showed more plainly, butit was not till there was much heart-burning and many tears were shed. 

It all began in this way: Molly rushed in one morning, her face allaglow with the importance of the news she had to tell. "Oh, Aunt Ada, "she cried, "they are going to have a dress-up party at Green Islandhall, fancy costumes, you know, and we are all invited, you and UncleDick and we children. The Ludlows have come and it is Miss Kitty'sbirthday. Will you go? and what can we wear?"

"Oh, mayn't I be a grown-up lady and wear a long skirt?" asked Mary. "I have always longed to do that. "

"Why, I am sure I don't object, " replied Miss Ada. "Tell me more aboutit, Molly. Where did you find out all this?"

"I met Edgar Ludlow just now, and he gave me this note, " and Mollythrust an envelope into her aunt's hand. "He told me all about theparty. "

Miss Ada opened the note and read:

"DEAR ADA:

"Come over to the hall to-morrow night, you and your brother, and bringthe youngsters. We are going to celebrate my birthday by dressing upin any old thing we can find around the house. Come in any characteryou choose, from the Queen of Sheba to a beggar maid, only don't failto come and bring the girlies. 

"Lovingly, "KITTY. "

The three cousins watched their aunt's face anxiously. "You will go, won't you, Aunt Ada?" asked Polly. 

"I most certainly will. The first thing to do is to see what odds andends I have in the attic. "

From this time on for the next two days there was great excitementeverywhere in the house, for with five costumes to devise out ofscraps, Miss Ada had her hands full. But when the moment came for themall to start forth, each one had been provided with something suitable. Miss Ada herself wore a Puritan cap and kerchief which distinguishedher as Priscilla, the Puritan maiden; Uncle Dick looked stunning, hisnieces agreed, as a Venetian gondolier; Mary was perfectly happy with along trained skirt, short waist and powdered hair, her crowning glorybeing a pin which her aunt had lent her; it was set with rhinestones, which in her innocence she mistook for real diamonds, but she was sodelighted with the shining brilliants that Miss Ada did not have theheart to undeceive her. Polly insisted upon going as the wild Indianher uncle had suggested to Molly that she looked like, and though hercostume did not accord very well with her fair hair, she was painted upskilfully and with blanket, beads and moccasins was quite content. Molly made a pretty butterfly with yellow paper wings, and as they allset out across the hummocks to the little landing every one wasentirely satisfied. Green Island was not far away, and, as it wasbright moonlight these nights, no one minded the trip across the narrowchannel between the point and the island. The little hall was gay withdecorations of Japanese lanterns and wild flowers, and looked sofestive that even Mary declared it was perfectly lovely. 

There were not very many children present, and the cousins felt quitelike grown-ups when they danced with Uncle Dick and other young men ofhis age, the music being furnished by whoever would volunteer to playtwo-steps and waltzes. Mary felt the necessity of crossing the room agreat many times that she might have the pleasant consciousness of thetrain sweeping behind her. Polly as a dancer did not excel except infunny whirls and figures and in a Spanish dance which she had learnedfrom her father's Mexican servants, and which won her great applause. Molly had danced often enough in this very hall to which she had goneevery summer since she could dance at all. 

It was Mary's first experience of such an affair where young and oldshared the entertainment. Never before had she been to any suchassemblage which was not intended for children alone, and while forsome time her friends had been slowly converting her to a moreflattering view of American ways, this completely won her heart, and atonce all her childish home festivities paled before it. In herenthusiasm she turned to Polly and said: "Oh, I do love America!" andPolly, unmindful of her painted face, threw her arms about her andkissed her. 

At ten o'clock the guests departed, and after their water trip in asmall motor boat, they went stumbling home by the light of the moon. 

Luella was there to welcome them, eager to hear all the account of theevening's doings. "You summer folks beat me out!" she exclaimed. "Land! to see you rig up in all this trash and dance them funny dancesis as good as a circus. I was watching you through the windows, me andsome of the other girls. "

"Was Granville there?" asked Polly. 

"You go 'long, " returned Luella, coyly. "I won't tell you whether hewas or not. " The girls were much interested in the young fisherman whosaw Luella home every night, and thought his high-sounding namebeautiful. Luella had confided to Polly that they were going to getmarried some day and that she had already begun to piece her quilts. 

It was something of a task to get off their toggery and to ridthemselves of paint and powder, but finally the butterfly wings wereunfastened, the powder shaken from Mary's locks and the red paintwashed from Polly's face and hands. It was during the process ofundressing, however, that Mary made a discovery which took away all thejoy of her evening. The beautiful shining pin was gone! She clutchedthe front of her frock where it had been pinned; she examined the fallof lace; she shook out the folds of the skirt. In her distress andfear she commenced to search eagerly around on the floor with hercandle. 

"What are you looking for?" called Polly from the next room. 

"I have dropped a pin, " said Mary, in agitation. 

"Well, I wouldn't fuss about it; the mice won't eat it up, " said Polly, sleepily, "and nothing will carry it off in the night. Wait tillmorning and it will be just where you dropped it, just the same. "

This Mary felt to be the truth, and she finally crept into bed, stillmiserable, but hopeful and determined to waken early to make a searchfor the precious pin. 

As soon as the sun showed its golden disc over the edge of the oceanshe was up, creeping softly around the room on her hands and knees, andtrying not to waken her sleeping cousins in the next room. At last, after she had searched in every possible nook and cranny, she concludedthat she must have lost it on the stairs or on her way home, so, afterdressing herself, she stole downstairs, looking upon each step as shewent, then through the living-room and out on the porch. 

The air was soft and sweet. The song-sparrows were singing from thehouse-tops; across the ocean the sun shone gloriously, and pouring itsbeams upon the dew-sprinkled grass, turned their blades into sparklingsheaths which mocked poor Mary, searching for false diamonds. No onewas in sight but a lobsterman out in his dory. From one or twochimneys the smoke was beginning to curl, showing that there were otherearly risers. Mary stepped along anxiously, looking this side andthat, and with her hands pushing the grass aside in places. Little bylittle she made her way toward the landing. She would search so farand if it were not to be found this side the separating channel ofwater she would trust to luck to take her to the island later. 

But no pin was to be found that morning, hunt faithfully though shedid, and the child returned to the cottage in great distress of mind. She was afraid to confess the loss to her aunt, and she could not makeup her mind to tell one of her cousins. "I must find it! I must!" sheexclaimed, clasping her hands as she left the last turnstile behindher. "I hope, I do hope Aunt Ada will not ask for it first thing thismorning. "

This Aunt Ada did not do, thinking, indeed, no more of the littletrinket after having pinned it into Mary's frock. No one noticed thatthe little girl was very quiet at the breakfast table, for all weretalking merrily over the fun of the evening before, and no one observedMary's troubled little face nor the fact that she scarcely tasted herbreakfast. Her Uncle Dick, however, at last did remark that Mary hadnot much to say. "I am afraid grown-up parties are too much for Mary, "he said, after breakfast, drawing her to his side in the hammock andcuddling her to him. "Are you sleepy, Mary, or don't you feel well?"

Mary leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't feel sleepy, " shetold him, "and I am only a bit tired. Uncle Dick, are diamonds thepreciousest things in the world?"

"Those glittering out there on the grass, do you mean? They are fairydiamonds, you know, and they disappear as soon as the sun gets high up. "

"I know. I didn't mean those; I meant the kind human people wear. "

"They are sold at rather a respectable price. Are you thinking ofinvesting or are you considering the display Miss Millikin made lastnight? I think I counted thirteen on one hand. All are not diamondsthat glitter, Marybud. Miss Millikin isn't a bit more precious becauseof her diamonds, so don't you go thinking I'll love you any better ifyou have six diamond rings on one hand. "

"But they are most costly, aren't they?"

"They cost like fury. That's why I can't be engaged to a girl; I can'tafford to buy a ring. "

Mary took this perfectly seriously. "I suppose six little diamondswould cost as much as twenty pounds, " she said. 

"Yes, one might get six, not too big, for that price. The little onescost much less than the big one in proportion. A large solitaire costsmuch more than a number of small ones taking up as much space. But whythis sudden interest in diamonds? Have you twenty pounds to spend andare you thinking of spending it all in diamonds to take home as a giftto your mother?"

"Oh, no, I have only one pound to spend, and mamma wouldn't wish me tospend all that upon her. "

"Then let's talk of something else; song-sparrows or sand-peeps orsea-gulls, or something not so sordid as gold and diamonds. Look atthat yacht out there, isn't it a corker? Now, when I have money tospend I shall not buy diamonds, I shall buy a yacht. By the way, didyou know we were all going out sailing this afternoon, to Rocky Point?"

"Are we?" said Mary listlessly. 

"Why I thought you would enjoy it. We have been talking of this sailfor two or three days, and you little kitties were wild about it, Ithought. "

"I am delighted; of course I am, " returned Mary with more show ofinterest. "Shall we take supper there? I heard Aunt Ada and Luellatalking about sandwiches. "

"Yes, that is the intention. We shall not try sailing by the outsideroute but will go around by Middle Bay where it is not rough. Pollyhas not tried sailing yet, and we must be sure of smooth waters. If itgets too much for her we can set her ashore somewhere and she can comeback by the next steamboat. She is calling you now. "

Mary slipped away to join Polly and Molly. "We are going to look forwild strawberries, " they said; "Aunt Ada said we might. "

"I'm going barefoot, " Polly informed her, "but Molly won't; she isafraid of taking cold; you aren't, are you, Mary?"

Mary was most decided in her refusal to take off her shoes andstockings, declaring that her mother would certainly disapprove, buther heart leaped within her when told that they were to look forstrawberries. She would then have an excuse to continue her search forthe lost pin, and therefore she set for herself the bounds whichincluded the path to the landing. But it must be confessed that shefound few strawberries and was crowed over by the others. 

"You might have known you couldn't find near so many there along thepath, " Polly told her. "Why, they are as thick as can be over therewhere nobody walks. "

Mary made no excuse for her choice, and indeed made no reply. 

"You aren't mad, are you?" asked Polly after looking at her for amoment. 

Mary shook her head. 

"Tell me, are you homesick, Mary? I won't tell any one if that is whatis the matter. "

Again only a shake of the head in reply. 

"Well, you needn't tell if you don't want to, " said Polly, walking off. She was a quick-tempered little soul, easily offended, and when Marydecided that she would rather stay at home with Luella that afternoon, than run the risk of being seasick, Polly made up her mind that eitherMary really was homesick, or that she did not care for the society ofher American cousins. 

"I'm not going to insist on playing with her. She needn't think I'm socrazy about it that I can't keep away from her, " she confided to Mollyafter they had set sail. 

"Oh, but maybe she really is homesick, " said Molly, "and maybe we oughtnot to have gone away and left her. "

"But Uncle Dick and Aunt Ada said we should. "

"That was because Mary was so determined not to go. She was seasicknearly all the way coming from England, and Aunt Ada thinks that is whyshe was afraid to go to-day. "

"Oh, nonsense! Nobody could be seasick on this smooth water, " saidPolly, looking over the side of the boat at the blue waves. "Isn't itjolly, Molly?"

"Jolly Molly sounds funny, " laughed Molly. 

"So does jolly Polly, " returned Polly. Then, fumbling in her uncle'spocket, she found a bit of paper and a pencil; in a moment she handedto Molly the following brilliant production:

 "Golly, Molly, It's jolly, Polly

This sent them both into shrieks of merriment, for it took very littleto start the two laughing, and they soon forgot Mary. 

"Look here, " called Uncle Dick, "I shall have to make you two laugh theother side of the mouth, for you're tipping the boat all to one aide. Shift them a little bit further, Ada. We're going to run into the covefor supper. "

The beautiful little cove made a quiet and safe harbor. Here theyanchored and made ready to make coffee, roast potatoes and toastmarshmallows. 

_CHAPTER V_

_Mary and the Boy_

Meanwhile Mary at the cottage was disconsolate enough. To be sureLuella was rather a cheerful companion, and even Miss Ada's Maltesekitten, Cosey, was not to be despised as giving a comforting presence. Yet the weight of her loss lay heavily upon Mary, and she soon escapedfrom Luella to begin again the weary search. She was on her kneesbefore a large rock when she heard a voice above her say: "What youlooking for? A sparrow's nest? I know where there is one. "

Mary looked up to see a barefooted boy peering down at her. He had apleasant face and appeared much as other boys, though she saw at oncethat he was a fisherman's son, and not one of the summer visitors. "No, I'm not looking for a bird's nest, " she said slowly; "I've lostsomething. Did--did--do you know if any one has found a piece ofjewelry?" It flashed across her that she might do well to confide inthe little lad. 

"Why, no, I don't, " he replied, "but I'll help you look for it. I'djust as lief as not. What was it like?"

Mary glanced around her. "I'll tell you, " she said, "but I don't wantany one else to know. I am so afraid my aunt will be vexed. It is abrooch, a diamond brooch in the shape of a star, that I wore to theparty the other night. I lost it coming home, I think. "

"It will be pretty hard to find, I'm afraid, " said the boy. "Why don'tyou tack up a notice in the post-office?"

"Oh, because I don't want my aunt to know. I thought if I could onlyfind it, I'd so much rather not tell. "

"But, say, you don't stand near so good a chance of finding it ifnobody knows. "

Mary pondered over this, her desire to find the pin battling with herdesire to keep the loss a secret. "I'll look a little longer, " shesaid at last, "and then if I don't find it I will have to tell. "

"I guess you do feel pretty bad about it, " said the boy. "Diamonds arevaluable and if anybody found the pin it might be a temptation to keepit, especially if it wasn't known who it belonged to. We're prettyhonest about here and I guess the Green Island people are, too, so, ifit's found, I guess you'll get it again as soon as it's known who lostit. "

"I've looked and looked all the way from here to the landing, " saidMary disconsolately, "and I don't believe it is here. I do wish Icould get over to Green Island somehow. "

"Why, it's easy enough to get there, " said the boy. "Us boys go overoften to pick berries, or sell lobsters to the hotel. I'll row youover in my brother Parker's boat; I know he'll let me have it. "

"Oh, how very kind! I would be so relieved. It is most kind of you tooffer to take me. Could we go now, before the others get back?"

"Why, I guess so. You come on with me and I'll see. Park's down tothe fish-house, and I know he won't be using the boat to-day. You knowwho I am, don't you? I live in that yellow house just this sideHobbs's store, and I'm Park Dixon's brother Ellis. I'm goinglobstering next year; I'm big enough. "

Mary looked him over. He was not very big, she thought, but she didnot know just what was the necessary size for one to reach in order togo lobstering, yet it seemed rather to place him in a position to be asafe guide, and she was glad he had told her. "I'm sure, " she saidfollowing out her thought, "that you're quite big enough to take me. "

"Of course I am, " he said. "I've sot over quite a lot of people toGreen's Island. I sot over a man last week. "

Mary hesitated before she asked, "If you please, what is sot over?"

"Why, row 'em over. If you don't take the steamboat there ain't noother way than to be sot over, you see. "

"Oh, I see. Thank you. Shall we go to the fish-house now?"

"Why, yes, or you can wait here if you'd rather. "

Upon considering, Mary concluded it would be more satisfactory to go, for perhaps Ellis might give her the slip, or, if the big brotherobjected, she might add her persuasions to Ellis's and so clinch thematter. Yet while she stood waiting for Ellis to make his request forthe boat, she had many compunctions of conscience. She had neverbefore done so bold and desperate a thing. She had scarcely everappeared on the street without her governess, and indeed it was thestrict measures of this same governess which made the child timid aboutconfessing the loss of the pin. As she thought about the trip to GreenIsland with a strange little boy to whom she had never even spokenbefore that day, it seemed a monstrous undertaking, and for a momentshe quailed before the prospect. Yet what joy if she should returnwith the precious pin and be able to restore it without a word ofcensure from any one. This thought decided her to follow when Ellisbeckoned to her. Big Parker Dixon smiled and nodded from where he wasunloading shining mackerel and big gaping cod, and Mary knew hisconsent had been given. 

"It is a very smelly place, " she remarked as she picked her way alongthe wet fish-house floor. 

Ellis laughed. "That's what you summer folks think; we like it. "

"Fancy liking it, " said Mary, then feeling that perhaps that did notshow a proper attitude toward one so kind as Ellis, she hastened tosay, "No doubt it is a lovely smell, you know, and if I were anAmerican perhaps I should prefer it, but I am English, you see. "

"That's what makes you talk so funny, " said Ellis bluntly. 

"Oh, really, do I talk funny? I can't help it, can I, if I am English?"

"Oh, some of the folks that live other places not so far away think wetalk funny, " Ellis went on to say. 

"Do they? Then there is as much difference in liking ways of talkingas in the kind of smells you like. Now, I never could bear the smellof onions cooking, and yet nurse says they smell so 'earty andhappetizing; she drops her h's, you know. "

Ellis stared. He had never heard of dropping h's, but he was too wiseto say so. "I'll go get the _Leona_, " he said by way of changing thesubject. "That's the name of my brother's boat; he named it after hiswife. You'd better come on down to Cap'n Dave's wharf; it is easiergetting aboard there. "

Mary followed down a winding path to the shore of the cove and waitedon the pebbly sands till the boat was shoved up and then she waveringlystepped in, fearfully sat down where Ellis directed, and in a momenthis sturdy young arms were pulling at the oars. The deed was done andMary felt as if she had cast away every shred of home influence. Whatwould Miss Sharp say to see her? Polly wouldn't hesitate to do such athing, she reflected, and after all she was in America which was aperfectly free country, so Molly and Polly were always telling her, then why not do as she chose? So she settled herself more comfortablyand really began to enjoy the expedition. 

It was but a short distance to Green Island, and the water of thedividing sound was too smooth to produce any uncomfortable qualms sothat Mary felt only a pleasant excitement as she stepped ashore and waspiloted by Ellis to the little hall where the fancy dress party hadbeen given. All the way along they looked carefully to see if bychance anything could be discovered of the missing pin, but there wasno sign of it. Ellis started inquiries, putting the question to eachone he met: "You hain't heerd of anybody's findin' a breastpin, hev ye?I'll ask at the post-office, " he told Mary. "They won't know who youare and if anybody finds it, I'll leave word it's to be returned to me. "

"Oh, I'm sure you're very kind, " said Mary gratefully. "I can give areward. Isn't that what persons do?"

"I don't know, I'm sure. Nobody about here wants any reward. I guessany of us is ready to return property when we know where it belongs. "

"Oh!" Mary felt properly rebuked. Really Ellis was a very superiorsort of person if he did murder the king's English. It was quiteevident that his morals were above question. She pattered by his sidetill they reached the hall. The door was open and the placeunoccupied. It no longer seemed enchanted ground. The Japaneselanterns looked out of place in the glare of daylight, and the flowersstill remaining, were faded and drooping. Instead of being bright andfestive, it appeared bare and desolate to Mary. 

She and Ellis walked slowly around, looking in every corner, but theirsearch was not rewarded, and they returned to the boat, stopping at thepost-office on their way. The postmaster and his entire family weregreatly interested in Ellis's tale of the lost trinket. 

"A diamond breaspin, did you say?" asked Jim Taylor. "Wal now, ain'tthat a loss? I'll put up a notice right away. Marthy, you ain't heerdof nobody's findin' a diamond breaspin, hev ye?" he questioned a girlwho came in to mail a letter. "Some of the P'int folks has lost one. If you hear of its bein' found, tell 'em to fetch it here. " Hecarefully wrote out a notice which he pinned up alongside anadvertisement of a boat for sale, a cottage to let, and a moonlightexcursion. "That'll fetch it, " he said. "If it's been found on thisisland, you'll get it. You tell 'em over to the P'int we're on thelookout. How is it you're undertakin' to look it up, Ellis? Who's thelady?"

Ellis glanced furtively at Mary, squirming his bare toes on the dustyfloor. "Wal, I cal'lated I could find it, " he replied. "I undertookit on my own hook, and I guess I'll see it through. I'd like the funof restorin' it, if I can, Jim. "

The postmaster laughed. "You're right cute, Ellis, " he said. "Parkergone a-fishin' yet?"

"No, " Ellis told him; "he's goin' on Cap'n Abe Larkins' boat. They'reloadin' up now. They cal'late to get off in a day or two. "

Jim Taylor nodded, and, having despatched the business with Ellis, heturned to wait upon a customer, for this was store and post-office aswell. 

Mary was surprised to find that every one, young and old was called bythe first name; it seemed to her a queer custom. She would have saidMr. Taylor, but Ellis called even the old men Joshua and Abner and allthat. She did not criticise, however, for she was very grateful toEllis for not disclosing her secret. Really he was a boy of very finefeelings, she decided, and she spoke her thought by saying: "You arevery good to do all this for me, Ellis. "

Ellis looked confused. He had not been brought up to receive praise. "Oh, it ain't nothin', " he said awkwardly. Then changing the subjectsuddenly, he exclaimed: "There's Luella Barnes!"

"Where?" cried Mary in alarm. 

"Comin' out of the ice-cream saloon with Granville. I guess he fetchedher over. "

"I wonder if she's come after me, " said Mary looking scared. 

"Did she know you were comin'?"

"No, but I said I would go over to the Whartons'. I meant to go when Itold her, so maybe she thinks I am there and thought there was no needfor her to stay in. She goes somewhere every afternoon anyhow, so Ifancy she hasn't come for me, after all, though I'd rather not see her. "

However this was not to be avoided, for Luella had caught sight of Maryand was about to bear down upon her when her attention was distractedby a friend who hailed her and in the meantime Mary slipped out ofsight. "That was Mary Reid as sure as shootin', " said Luella toGranville. 

"I guess not, " he replied. "What would she be doing over here?"

"I cal'lated she'd gone to Whartons', " said Luella, pinching her underlip thoughtfully as she looked down the road. 

"Maybe she did go and they've fetched her over in their launch. "

Luella "cal'lated" that was just the way of it, and gave herself nofurther uneasiness, so Mary escaped by plunging down the bank andskirting the shore till she reached the spot where the boat lay. 

"I'll row you over to Jones's Island, if you'd like to go. 'Tain't buta little way. There's lots of strawberries there, " the boy said. 

This was a temptation Mary considered. The afternoon was but halfgone; the evenings were long, and the sailing party would not returnbefore sunset. They enjoyed most of all the coming home when sea andsky were a glory of color and light. It would be a delightful way topass the remainder of the afternoon, and to carry home a lot of berriesfor supper would be an excuse to Luella for her long absence. "Whatwill we get the berries in?" she asked Ellis, when her thoughts hadtraveled thus far. 

"I'll run up to the store and get some of those little empty fruitboxes; Jim'll give 'em to me. I saw a pile of 'em lying outside. Youwait here. " So Mary waited. If it should be discovered that she hadgone off with Ellis in the _Leona_, she would at least have the berriesas an evidence of what they had gone for. Mary was getting more andmore crafty. 

The end of it all was that they did row over to Jones's Island. Abarren looking, uninhabited spot it seemed from a distance. Barren oftrees it was, but when one once reached it there were great patches ofstrawberries, clumps of wild roses and bayberry bushes, pinky-whiteclover, deliciously sweet, tiny wild white violets and many otherlovely things. Then, too, it was the haunt of birds which, undisturbed, had built their nests there year after year. 

It did not take long to pick as many berries as they could eat and asmany as they wanted to carry away, and then when the sky was shininggold and pink and blue above and the water shining blue and pink andgold beneath, they started home, reaching there just as Luella, standing on the porch, was watching earnestly for the little girl'sreturn. Ellis had parted from his companion at the point where theirroads separated. His supper hour was over long ago, though he did notsay so, his parting words being: "I'll let you know first thing if Ihear anything of the breastpin. "

"Thank you so much, " said Mary. "I cannot tell you how much I haveenjoyed the afternoon. "

"I thought maybe you'd stayed at the Whartons' for supper, " saidLuella, as Mary came up. "Land's sake, where did you get all themberries? I know you didn't get 'em about here. There, now, I said Iseen you to Green's. That's just what I said. Did you have a goodtime? Whartons' is real good about their la'nch, ain't they? Nowthere's Roops hardly ever takes anybody out but their own folks. Icall that mean. Come on in and get your supper. Them berries is sofresh I guess they'll keep till tomorrow, and you'll want the others tohave some. I cal'late you've eat your fill of 'em anyway. "

Glad that Luella's flow of talk did not demand answers, Mary followedher into the house and when the young woman drew up her chair sociablyto eat supper with her, Mary did not feel any resentment, so happy wasshe that no explanations were expected. 

_CHAPTER VI_

_Discoveries_

But the end was not yet for Mary. To be sure her strawberries weremuch appreciated, and every one was good enough to say she had beenmissed, and that it was too bad she had decided to stay at home. "Though after all you weren't lonely, " said Molly, "and I'm glad youwent over to the Whartons'; they are such nice, friendly people. "

"I think they are, too, " said Polly. "Luella told us they took you toGreen Island on their launch. "

"I am delighted that you had that pleasure, " said Aunt Ada. 

"And I am pleased that you were so industrious as to pick all thoseberries, " Uncle Dick put in his word. 

Poor Mary felt very uncomfortable. "I am a wretchedly deceitful girl, "she told herself. "Why can't I tell them the truth? But, oh, dear, itis harder to now than it was at first. " So she summoned voice to sayonly, "Yes, I did have a real nice time. Green Island is almost aspretty as the Point, isn't it?"

"We don't think it is near so pretty, " said Molly, loyally. 

"But it is lovely, " admitted Miss Ada. "I wish you could have seenRocky Point, Mary; that is the wildest spot imaginable. Perhaps aftera while you will get over your fear of being seasick and can go with uson another trip there. "

"Oh, it is such a fine place to have supper, " put in Polly. "We had adear little fireplace, and it was so still you could imagine you werehundreds of miles away from a house, and there was nothing to disturbus----"

"Except ants and grasshoppers and mosquitoes, " interrupted Uncle Dick. 

"I'm sure there were very few of them, " protested Molly. "Anyhow itwas just fine, Mary, and you must be sure to go next time. We had theloveliest sail home through the sunset. "

"Through the sunset, " said Uncle Dick scornfully. "One would supposewe were in a balloon. "

"Well, but it was sunset on the water, too, " persisted Molly. "The seawas just as colorful as the sky. "

"When anybody coins words like that I'm ready for bed, " said UncleDick. And Mary, feeling that the subject of the afternoon's doings wasexhausted, drew a breath of relief. 

The three cousins played together most amicably all the next morning. In Mary's breast hope was high, for might not Ellis appear at any timewith the pin? She counted much on that notice in the Green Islandpost-office. She was brighter than she had been for days so that Mollyconfided to Polly: "She seems more like us. "

"I'm beginning to like her real well, " admitted Polly. "She isn't sostiff as she was at first. "

"I suppose her Englishism is wearing off, " returned Molly. 

But that afternoon when she returned from the post-office, whither shehad gone for her Aunt Ada, she beckoned to Polly who was playing jackswith Mary. They had a set of jackstones which they had collectedthemselves from the pebbles on the beach, and the place was much moreinteresting because of them. 

"What do you want?" asked Polly following Molly into the house. "Arethere any letters for me?"

"No, " said Molly, "but just wait a minute and I'll tell you. I musttake Aunt Ada her mail first. " Her manner was mysterious and Pollywondered what mighty secret she had to disclose. 

"Let's go down to the rocks, to the lion's den, " proposed Molly whenshe came back into the room. "We'd better go around by the back way. "

Polly looked surprised. "Why? What for?"

"I've something to tell you and I don't want any one to bear. You willscarcely believe it, Polly, and I'm sure I don't know what to do aboutit. "

"Oh, dear, what can it be?" said Polly. "Is it anything about Luella?Is she going to leave?"

"Oh, dear, no. It is about some one much nearer than Luella. "

They avoided being seen from the front of the house till they were wellaway, and then they ran down to the rocks and settled themselves out ofsight below one of the great ledges. 

"Now tell, " said Polly, all curiosity. 

"You must promise not to breathe a word. "

"I promise on my sacred word and honor. "

"Well then; it is about Mary. "

"Mary! Oh, Molly!"

"Yes, what do you think? She wasn't at the Whartons' at all yesterdayafternoon. "

Polly looked as astonished as Molly expected, though she said, after apause: "Well she never said she was. "

"She let us think so. She didn't deny it. "

"But did she go to Green Island? Now I think of it, all she said wasthat she thought it was a pretty place. She knew that because she sawit when she went over there to the party. "

"Yes, I know that, but it wasn't at Green Island that she got thestrawberries, Polly, and she didn't go anywhere with the Whartons. "

"How do you know?"

"I saw Grace at the post-office. I said to her: 'It was real nice ofyou all to take Mary out in the launch yesterday, ' and she looked sosurprised when she said: 'Why, we didn't take Mary. We didn't go outat all yesterday, for Uncle Will had some of his friends up from townand they were using the launch all day. '"

"What _did_ you say?"

"I didn't know what to say. 'Did Mary tell you she was with us?' Graceasked, and I had to crawl out by saying: 'No, Luella thought so. ' ThenGrace said--now what do you think of this, Polly--she said: 'Why, I sawMary going out with Ellis Dixon in his brother's boat. I watched themrowing off. I am sure it was Mary. I couldn't be mistaken for no onearound here has a hat like hers. '"

Polly was silent with amazement and Molly went on: "I had to say, 'Oh, very likely Aunt Ada knows all about it, ' and then I came away as fastas I could. "

"Why Molly Shelton!" exclaimed Polly finding her voice, "do you supposeshe sneaked off that way with a strange little boy when she says hermother is so particular that she doesn't even let her go on the streetalone? I can't believe it. I think Grace must have been mistaken. "

"No, she wasn't. I know that. "

"How do you know?"

"I saw Parker Dixon and he said, 'Did the little girl get home allright? She was pretty safe with El, but I didn't know as your auntmightn't hev been oneasy, seeing they was just two children. You tellher she needn't hev no fear of El; he can handle a boat as good as Ikin. '" Molly unconsciously imitated Parker's manner of speaking. 

"Then it is true; of course it is, " decided Polly. "Are you going totell Aunt Ada?"

"I don't know what to do. I feel as if I ought, and yet I feel sort ofsorry for Mary. She is 'way off from all her people and we've beenpicking at her for being so particular and not doing this and not doingthat, so maybe she thought she was doing no more than we would havedone if we had been in her place. "

"I know, and maybe we would have done the same, but she needn't havebeen deceitful, " returned Polly. "She could have asked if she mightgo. "

"She didn't have a chance, for we had gone sailing, you know. "

"Then she ought to have told the first thing, as soon as she saw AuntAda. No, she is a sneaky, horrid girl and I am not going to haveanything more to do with her, if she is my cousin. I was beginning tolike her, too. " Polly spoke regretfully. 

"So was I, " agreed Molly. "But now the main thing is, shall we tell orshall we not? I hate to be a tattle-tale. "

"Then don't let's tell, but don't let's be more than polite to her andshe'll see that something is wrong and maybe she will tell of her ownaccord. I wish she'd go. I don't like sneaky girls; I'd rather they'dbe out and out naughty. "

"Why do you suppose she didn't tell?" said Molly thoughtfully. "Shemight have known that Aunt Ada wouldn't punish her or even scold. Shewould only have said: 'I'd rather you'd always tell me, Mary, beforeyou undertake such trips again. '" Again Molly imitated the person shequoted. "It doesn't seem to me she could be scared of Aunt Ada whenshe's always so gentle and kind. "

"Well, I don't care whether she was scared or not, she wasn't honest, and I think anyhow it was very queer for her to sneak off with a boyshe didn't know. "

"But I know him; I used to play with him when I was only four yearsold, " said Molly. "He is a very nice boy. Aunt Ada says that he hasbeen very well raised and that any mother could be proud of him. He isreal bright, too: why, he can manage a sail boat as well as a man, andhe's always so ready and willing to do anything he can for any of us. He is very different from some of the others who just can't bear thesummer people. "

"Never mind about him; I suppose he is all right; it is Mary I ambothered over. "

"Well, the only thing we can do is to wait and see if she will tell ofher own accord; maybe she hasn't had a good chance yet to see Aunt Adaalone; we are giving her the chance now, so we will wait and see whathappens. "

This Polly agreed was best, but they returned to the house to turn acold shoulder to Mary, and to ignore her in every way they couldwithout being directly rude. So directly opposite was this course ofconduct from that of the morning, when her cousins had been all smilesand sweetness, that Mary's fears again arose and she was so miserablethat at bedtime when Molly went in to her English cousin's room to geta bottle of cold cream with which to anoint her sunburned face, sheheard a soft little sob from Mary's bed. 

Immediately her sympathies were aroused. Mary was far from home andmother. What if she had done wrong? She was alone among comparativestrangers and who knew the exact truth of yesterday's proceedings? Shecrept softly to Mary's bedside. Her cousin's face was buried in thepillow, and she was shaking with sobs. Molly leaned over her. "Areyou sick, Mary?" she whispered, "Do you want me to call Aunt Ada?"

"No, " came feebly from Mary. 

"Is anything the matter? Please tell me. I'll get into bed with you. "And suiting the action to the word she slipped in beside Mary, puttinga sympathetic arm around her. "What is it?" she repeated. 

Only sobs from Mary. 

"Please tell, " persisted Molly. 

"Oh, I can't, I can't, " said Mary, her tears flowing fast. 

"I won't tell a soul. I cross my heart I won't. "

Mary checked her sobs a little as she gave heed to the earnest promise. It was a relief to have Molly's comforting presence near by there inthe dark. But in a moment her tears gushed forth again. "I want mymother, oh, I want my mother, " she wailed. 

"Are you so homesick? Is that it?" asked Molly with concern. "Nevermind, Mary, you'll see your father soon, and--and--I'm sorry, " shewhispered, "I'm sorry we were horrid to you. Is that why you arehomesick, because Polly and I weren't nice to you?"

"Oh, n-no, it isn't that, " replied Mary. "I deserved it, Molly, butoh, you won't tell, you won't tell, will you?"

"Tell what?"

"Oh, Molly, I've lost Aunt Ada's diamond pin, and I can't find it. I've looked and looked and Ellis Dixon helped me, too. I thought if ithad been found we would know by this time. That is why we went over toGreen Island. "

"Then you did go with Ellis. "

"Yes, he came along while I was looking for the brooch, after you hadall gone sailing, and he offered to take me to Green Island in hisbrother's boat, and when we got there the postmaster put up a notice inthe post-office and we looked all over the hall everywhere, and allalong the road and asked every one we met, but it was no use, and now Iam afraid to tell Aunt Ada, and diamonds cost so much I could never buyanother like it. " It was a relief to Mary to thus unburden herself. 

"I don't seem to remember exactly about the pin, " said Molly. "AuntAda is always getting some pretty new thing, but I don't believe sheshowed me any diamond pin; it must be quite new. I was so excitedabout my own costume that night, I forget about any ornaments you wore. Perhaps you could buy another one some time. I have some money, fivedollars, and I'll give it to you; I'll take it out of my bank when wego home; that would help. "

"Oh, Molly, how good you are!" Mary turned over to put her arm aroundher cousin. "I have a pound, too, and that might be half enough, ornearly half, but I am afraid it would be a long time before we couldget the rest. "

"Well, I wouldn't be scared of Aunt Ada, Mary, " Molly said. "She is adear, and she'll be very sorry, but she will know it was not your faultthat you lost it. "

"Miss Sharp would say it was my carelessness, and she would be so veryvexed. "

"Then she's a mean old thing, and not a bit like dear Aunt Ada. Dotell her, Mary. "

"Oh, I can't, I can't, " persisted Mary, terror again seizing her, "I amso afraid she will be vexed. "

"Then let me tell. "

"Oh, no, please. Wait a little longer. Perhaps the broach can befound. Oh, I am so miserable; Aunt Ada will think I am so careless anddeceitful, and everything bad. "

Molly now felt only a deep pity for the poor little sinner, and shebegan to kiss away the tears on Mary's cheeks. "Please don't bemiserable, " she begged. "I think maybe you ought to have told atfirst, but I see how you felt, and I'll not be horrid to you any more, Mary. I'll stand up for you straight along, and when you want Aunt Adato know I will go with you to tell her. "

Mary really began to feel comforted. "I think you are a perfect duck, Molly, " she said. "Fancy after all I have been doing, for you to be sokind. But please don't tell Polly; I know she doesn't like me. "

"She did like you, " said Molly truthfully, "until--until we heard thatyou had not been where Aunt Ada thought you were. "

"And she thinks I am deceitful; so I have been, and I hate myself forit. "

"But Polly doesn't know why you did it. "

"Then don't tell her; I'd rather anything than that. "

"Don't you want Polly to like you?"

"Yes, but I don't want her to know I lost the brooch. "

It was useless to try to rid poor Mary's mind of the one idea, and atlast Molly gave up trying, but she did not leave her forlorn littlecousin, and Polly, in the next room while she wondered what could bekeeping Molly, fell asleep in the midst of her wondering. 

_CHAPTER VII_

_In Elton Woods_

Polly was all curiosity the next morning. "Why in the world didn't yousleep with me?" she asked, sitting up in bed as Molly came in from thenext room. 

"Because Mary needed me. She was in awful trouble, " replied Mollysoberly. 

"What was it?" asked Polly eagerly. 

"I can't tell you. "

"I think that's real mean, " returned Polly indignantly. "You're just aturncoat, Molly Shelton; first you're friends with me, and then you'rethick as can be with Mary. "

"I'm not a turncoat, " retorted Molly, angry at being called names. "She's as much my cousin as you are, and I reckon if you were way offfrom your mother and had a dreadful thing happen that you couldn't talkto her about, you'd want some one to be a little sorry for you. "

"I think a dreadful thing is happening to me when you talk that way tome, " said Polly, melting into tears. "I just wish I had never comehere, I do so, and I reckon I want my mother as much as Mary does hers. I am going to tell Uncle Dick how you act, so I am. "

"Oh, please don't tell him!" exclaimed Molly, alarmed. "We don't wantany one to know. "

This but whetted Polly's curiosity. "I think you might tell me, " shepouted. 

"I can't. I promised I wouldn't. You shall know as soon as Mary saysI may tell. "

"Oh, I don't care then. Keep your old secrets if you want to, " andPolly flounced out of bed and began vigorously to prepare for her bath. For the rest of the time before breakfast she did not speak a word toMolly who felt that she was indeed between two fires. She had promisednot to tell Aunt Ada and if Polly were to tell Uncle Dick that morningthat something was wrong, it might add to Mary's troubles. Shepondered the matter well while she was dressing, and by the time shehad tied on her hair ribbon she had concluded to forestall Polly bytelling her Uncle Dick something of what was the matter. She decidedthat she could do so without betraying Mary's confidence. So shestepped down-stairs ahead of Polly and joined her Uncle Dick who wasenergetically walking up and down the porch. 

"Hello, Mollykins!" he cried. "I'm getting up an appetite forbreakfast. Come and join me. "

"As if you ever had to do anything to get up an appetite, " retortedMolly, slipping her hand under his arm. "Oh, you take such long stepsI have to take two to keep up with you. "

"So much the better, then you work twice as hard and can have twice asmuch. I peeped into the kitchen, but Luella looked as fierce as asitting hen, and I didn't dare to stay; however, I know we are to havehot rolls for breakfast; I saw them. "

"The pocketbook kind, with the lovely brown crust all around? Good! Icertainly want a double appetite for those. Uncle Dick, you oughtn'tto tell other people's secrets, ought you?"

"No-o, not usually. Whose secret is burning in your breast?"

"Why--promise not to tell a soul. "

"Is it a murder?"

"No, of course not. "

"Is it grand larceny?"

"I don't know what that is. "

"It is stealing something worth while, not like a loaf of bread nor apin, nor anything of that kind. You know the copy-book says: 'It is asin to steal a pin. '"

"Is it a sin to lose a pin?"

"Why, no, not unless it is a breastpin or a scarf-pin and you wilfullythrow it to the fishes. "

Molly drew a sigh of relief. "Suppose you lose something that belongsto some one else; is that a sin?"

"Why no, it is a misfortune, not a crime. You don't do it on purpose, you see, and in fact I think the loser generally feels worse than theone the thing belongs to. What have you lost? Not my favoritescarf-pin, I hope. Have you been using it to pin rags around yourdoll?"

"Oh, Uncle Dick, of course I haven't. I was only asking, just becauseI wanted to know. "

"As a seeker after ethical truths. It does you credit, Miss Shelton. You will probably join a college settlement when you are older, or atleast write a paper on moral responsibilities. "

"Oh, Uncle Dick, you do use such silly long words. "

"I forget, when you tackle these abstruse subjects. I will come downfrom my lofty perch, Molly. What more can your wise uncle tell you?"

"If a person loses something very costly, something that has been lentto her, ought she to pay it back?"

"It is generally supposed to be the proper thing to replace it, buthalf the world doesn't do it; sometimes because they can't andsometimes because they don't want to. Then, sometimes the one to whomthe thing belonged, insists upon not having it replaced, and would feelvery uncomfortable if it were, though, from the standpoint of stricthonesty, one should always make good any borrowed article whether lost, strayed or stolen. "

"Would you insist upon its not being made good?"

"I shouldn't wonder if I were that kind of gander. "

"Would Aunt Ada?"

"I think she's probably that kind of goose. "

"Oh, I am so glad she is a goose. "

"Glad who is a goose?" said Aunt Ada from the doorway. 

"We were talking about you, " said her brother laughing. "Molly wascalling you a goose. "

"Oh, Uncle Dick, you began it. "

"Did I? Well, never mind. I smell those rolls, Molly, and I feel thatI can demolish at least six. Come on, let's get at them. "

Although she had not really carried the subject as far as she wanted, Molly felt that matters were not so bad for Mary as they had at firstappeared, therefore, she took the first opportunity to reassure her onthat point. Polly walked off to the Whartons' immediately afterbreakfast, announcing with quite an air of wishing it generally knownthat she would probably spend the day with Grace in the woods, and thatLuella had given her a lunch to take. 

Miss Ada smiled when this announcement was made. She realized thatthere had been some childish squabble and she never paid much attentionto such. Mary saw at once that Polly was jealous of Molly's attentionsto her small self, and Molly felt so grieved at Polly's desertion thatshe could hardly keep back the tears. It was very hard to do right inthis world, she thought. If she were loyal to Mary she must losePolly's companionship, and she did love to be with Polly more than anyone she had ever known. If she clung to Polly, she must give up Maryat a time when Mary most needed her. 

She looked after Polly skipping over the hummocks to Grace Wharton'sand wished she were going, too. It was so lovely in the woods. As ifreading her thought, her Aunt Ada came up and put a hand on hershoulder. "Suppose we all take our luncheon in the woods to-day, " shesaid. "It is too lovely to stay indoors a minute. Should you kittieslike to go? Dick is to be off sailing with Will Wharton and we threecould have a nice quiet time. I'll take some books; you can have yourdolls, and we'll go to Willow Cove. "

"That's where Polly is going, " said Molly quickly. 

Aunt Ada smiled. "Suppose we go to Elton woods instead, then. "

"I like it better anyhow, " said Molly truthfully. "I'd like nothingbetter than to spend the day there, you dearest auntie. "

"Then there we will go. Luella wants the day off, anyhow. She saysshe must go to town to have a tooth out, for 'the tooth aches somethingawful. ' That is the third since we came. If she keeps on at thisrate, she will not have a tooth left in her head by fall. It will bemuch easier to have a nice little lunch in the woods than to cook adinner at home, don't you think? Suppose you and Mary run over to Mrs. Fowler's and see if she can let us have a boiled lobster; she generallyis ready to put them on about this time of day, and you might stop atSkelton's on your way back and get some of those good littleginger-snaps. "

"Aunt Ada is such a dear, " said Molly, as the two started off. "Idon't believe she would ever, ever want you to get another pin, Mary, and if I were you I would tell her all about it to-day; it will be sucha good chance. "

"I'll see about it, " said Mary evasively. 

There was no lovelier spot on the Point than Elton woods. Here thegreat trees grew to the very edge of the cliffs, and the way to themwas through paths bordered by ferns, wild roses, and woodland flowers. In some places the trees wore long gray beards of swaying moss andstood so close together that only scant rays of daylight crept underthem; in others they shot up high and straight above their carpet ofpine-needles, which made a soft dry bed for those who lingered beneaththem to gaze at the white-capped waves chasing each other in shore, orwho, lying down, watched the fleecy clouds drifting across the sky. Near by was a pebbly beach where one could gather driftwood for a fire, or could pick up smooth water-washed stones to build walks and wallsfor tiny imaginary people. There was no end of the material the placeafforded for amusement, and when they reached there, Molly eagerly fellto devising plays. 

Yet, alas! She missed Polly's fertile brain and imaginativesuggestions. Polly was always able to discover fairy dells andgnome-frequented caves. It was she who invented the plays which werethe most delightful. Mary was rather tiresome when it came to anythingmore than sober facts. She would play very nicely with the dolls, but, when it came to make-believe creatures, she was sadly wanting, and thebest response Molly could expect to get when she built a fairy dwellingwas: "Oh, I say, that is a proper little house, isn't it?" or "What aduck of a tree that is you are planting; it is quite tiny, isn't it?"

"We always take some of these little bits of trees home with us, " Mollytold her, "and they live ever so long. "

"I wonder could I take one to England, " said Mary. 

"Why, yes, I should think you could easily. We will get some the verylast thing, and I am sure they'll live quite a while. "

"It would be jolly nice to have one, wouldn't it?" said Mary as shewatched Molly patting the ground smooth around the one she had justplanted in the fairy garden. "I'd like to take some pebbles and somestarfish, too. Reggie would be so pleased with them; he would be quitevexed if I brought him none after telling him about them. "

"How often you say vexed, don't you?" remarked Molly. "We hardly eversay vexed. "

"What do you say?"

"Oh, I don't know; we say mad and angry and provoked. "

"But then I really mean vexed, " returned Mary after a moment's thought. "I don't mean anything else, " and Molly had nothing more to say. 

It was after they had finished the lobster, the egg sandwiches, thebuttered rolls and gingersnaps and were delicately eating some wildstrawberries the children had gathered, that Molly made a suddenresolution to plunge Mary into a confession. 

"If you lent some one a diamond pin and she were to lose it would yoube very--very vexed, Aunt Ada?" she asked, after a hasty glance at Mary. 

"If I possessed a diamond pin I might be, but as I haven't such a thingI couldn't be vexed, " her aunt said. 

Mary jumped to her feet, startled out of her usual reserve. 

"But, Aunt Ada, you did have one!"

"When, please? You must nave dreamed it, Mary, dear. "

"But you did have. Oh, do you mean you know it is lost?"

It was Miss Ada's turn to look surprised. "What do you mean, child?"she said knitting her brows. "I never had a diamond pin to myknowledge. I always liked diamond rings, and I have two or three ofthose, but a pin I never possessed. What are you talking about?"

Mary laced and unlaced her fingers nervously. "I mean the one you lentme to wear the night we dressed up for the party at Green Island. Wasit some other person's, then? Oh, Aunt Ada, had some one lent it toyou, for if they did"--she faltered, "I lost it coming home. " She sankdown at Miss Ada's feet on the mossy ground and buried her face in heraunt's lap. 

Miss Ada put a kind hand on her head. "And all this time you have beendistressing yourself about it, you poor little kitten? I ought to havetold you, but you were so pleased in thinking it was real I thought Iwould let it go, and I have not thought of it since. Why, dear, it wasof no value at all, a mere trumpery little rhinestone that cost only acouple of dollars. "

Mary lifted her tearful eyes. "Oh, I am so relieved, " she said. "I'vesearched and searched for it ever since. "

"Yes, Aunt Ada, and she has been nearly sick over it, " put in Molly. "She cried herself to sleep last night, and the reason she wouldn't gosailing with us the other day was because she wanted to hunt for thepin. "

"You poor little darling, how can I make up to you for all thistrouble?" said Miss Ada compassionately. "I am so sorry; it is all myfault for not telling you in the first place. "

On the strength of this there seemed no better time to confess herdoings of the afternoon when she had gone to Green Island in the_Leona_, and so Mary faltered out her tale, Molly once in a whilecoming in with excuses and comments so that in the end Miss Ada was not"vexed" at all but only said, "If it had been any one but Ellis, Imight feel inclined to warn you against going out in a row-boat, but heis a good, careful little lad, and if you will call it quits, Mary, Iwill, for I am conscience-stricken my own self; but next time, dearie, ask me when you want to go on the water. "

"Oh, I will, I will, " said Mary fervently. "It was because I felt sodreadful at losing the brooch that I didn't tell this time. "

"It is a perfect shame, " said her Aunt Ada, cuddling her close. "Ihope now you will never find the old pin. I never want to see itagain, for it would remind me of how my dear little niece suffered. "

"But I was bad. I deceived you. " Mary's head went down again in heraunt's lap. "I was afraid to tell you, " she murmured. 

"Afraid of what, dear child? Not of your Aunt Ada?"

"I don't know, oh, I don't know why I was so scared. Miss Sharp isalways so terribly severe when we are careless or try to get out of anything we have done wrong. "

"But I'm not Miss Sharp, honey. Just forget all about this, if youlove me. Of course you weren't quite frank, but you were scared and itis as much my fault as yours; mine and Miss Sharp's, " she added half toherself. 

Yet they were destined to see the pin again, for that very afternoon, as they were coming home, whom should they meet but Polly and Grace. "Guess what we've found!" cried Grace. 

"See, Miss Ada, we were looking for birds' nests between your cottageand ours, and we found this caught in the grass just near where asparrow had built. Polly says she thinks it is yours, that it lookslike one you lent to Mary to wear to the party. " And she held out thelittle shining star in the palm of her hand. 

Miss Ada took it and gave a whimsical look at Mary. "Yes, I believe itis mine, " she said. She tossed it back and forth from one hand to theother as she stood thinking. 

"Ellis Dixon came along just after we found it, and he seemed awfullypleased, " Grace went on. 

Miss Ada laughed softly. "Thank you very much, Grace, dear, " she said. "It was good of you to bring it right to me. " Then changing thesubject she asked, "How is your grandmother to-day?"

"Not so very well, " Grace replied. Then with sudden remembrance, "Imust go right back, for she worries if I am not in time for supper. "And she sped away. 

Miss Ada stood still smiling and looking from one of her nieces to theother. She continued to toss the little star from one hand to theother. "I know what I am going to do with it, " she said looking atMary. "I'm going to give it to Luella for a wedding present. "

_CHAPTER VIII_

_Ellis and the Baby_

That evening Polly was told the whole story and was properly contrite. She felt a little aggrieved that she had not been one of the party togo to Elton woods, but she realized that it was her own fault, andoffered at once to "make up" with Molly and Mary. So all was sereneagain, and the three children sat side by side all evening before theopen fire, listening to a fascinating story Uncle Dick read aloud tothem, and at last the three fell asleep all in a heap, Molly's head inPolly's lap, and the other two resting against Miss Ada's knees. Whenthey all stumbled upstairs to bed, they were not too sleepy, however, to kiss one another good-night, and indeed were so bent upon showing nopartiality that they all tumbled into the same bed, which happened tobe Mary's, where they went to sleep, hugging each other tight. 

The brightness of the restored pin seemed to be reflected upon them allafter this. Uncle Dick was so tremendously funny at breakfast thatPolly fell from her chair with laughter, and Luella giggled so that sheheld a plate of griddle cakes at such an angle that the whole pile slidoff on the floor; then every one laughed more than ever and Molly saidthat her jaws fairly ached and that she would have to spend the daywith Cap'n Dave's old white horse, for he had such a solemn face itmade you want to sigh all the time. Of course this started thechildren off again and they left the table in high spirits. 

Yet before the day was over they had occasion to look serious withoutthe society of old Bill horse, for about ten o'clock Ellis appeared, trouble puckering his pleasant face into worried lines. He hadforgotten all about the finding of the pin in a more personal interest, for the cares of life had been suddenly thrust upon him. His brotherParker the day before had sailed away to the Grand Banks forsword-fishing. He had left his young wife and little baby in Ellis'scharge. Now Leona had fallen ill, "and, " said Ellis, "it's up to me totake care of the baby. "

"Is there no one else?" asked Miss Ada, as Ellis told his doleful tale. 

"Ora Hart is taking care of Leona, " Ellis answered; "but she has asmuch as she can do to look after her own children. She's Leona'scousin and she's awful good to come in at all. You see mosteverybody's got folks of their own to see to, and they can't spare muchtime, although they're all willin' enough to do what they can. I ain'tmuch used to babies myself. I got Nellie Brown to look after her whileI come up here. I knew you'd wonder why I didn't bring them clams Ipromised, and so I come to tell you why. I hope it won't put you out, Miss Ada. "

"We can have something else just as well, " she told him. "We arerather used to not getting just what we plan for, " she went on, smiling, for be it known one could never tell, at the Point, just howan order might turn out. If one expected lamb chops like as not "HenRoberts hadn't fetched over no lamb, " or if mackerel had been orderedlike as not the fish delivered would be cod, and the excuse would bethat some one came along and carried off the entire supply of mackerelbefore the last orders were filled; therefore it was no new experiencefor Miss Ada to have to alter her bill of fare. 

"I'm awful sorry about havin' to stay home just now, " said Ellisdisconsolately, "for this is when I expected to get in some time withthe boat. I promised two or three parties to take 'em out, and nowI'll have to get some one else to take my place, but I'll have to let'em go shares. Park's let me have the _Leona_ whilst he's away, but, if I could run her myself, I could make twice as much. "

The three little girls listened attentively, and presently Pollytwitched her Aunt Ada's sleeve. "Couldn't we take care of the baby?"she whispered. 

Miss Ada looked down at her with a smile, but shook her head. 

"Oh, why not?" said Polly in ft louder whisper. "I'd love to. "

"So would I, " came from Molly on the other side. 

Miss Ada beholding the eager faces said: "Wait a moment, Ellis. I wantto talk over something with these girls of mine. " She led the wayindoors, leaving Ellis on the porch. "Now, lassies, " she said whenthey were all in the living-room, "what is it you want to do?"

"We want to take care of Ellis's baby, " chanted the two, and Marycoming in as a third repeated the words. 

"But do you realize what it would mean? You would have to give up muchof your playtime, and could not go off sailing or rowing or picnicking. "

"We could go picnicking, " insisted Polly, "because we could take thebaby with us. "

"Very well, we will leave out the picnic. I might get Luella to stayafternoons sometimes, but you know she goes home to help her mother, for Mrs. Barnes has more laundry work than she can do, and Luella hasto help her when she can; those were the only terms upon which shewould consent to come to me; so you see we can't count on Luella. "

"It may not be for very long, " said Polly, hopefully. "Leona may soonget well. "

"If it is typhoid, as they suspect, she is likely to be ill a longtime. "

"Well, I don't care; I'll give up my afternoons, " decided Polly. 

"And I'll give up my mornings, " said Molly, not to be outdone. "Andthen the baby does sleep some, so we can play while she is asleep. Oh, Polly, we could have lovely times playing with something alive likethat. "

"Wouldn't it be jolly to have a real live baby for a doll, " put in Mary. 

"I see you are not to be put off, " said Miss Ada, laughing, "so I willallow you to undertake the charge for a week, and at the end of thattime if I think it is too much for you, I shall have to insist that yougive it up. "

"Oh, we'll never think it is too much, " declared Polly with conviction, and the others echoed her. 

So they all trooped out to Ellis. "We have the loveliest plan, " Mollybegan eagerly. 

"You can have all your time, " put in Polly. 

"I am so very pleased to be able to do something for you when you wereso kind to me, " said Mary earnestly. 

Ellis looked bewildered. 

"The girls propose to take care of your brother's little baby for aweek, Ellis, " Miss Ada explained. 

"Oh, I can't let 'em do that, " said Ellis bashfully. 

"Oh, but we are just wild to, " Polly assured him. 

"Yes, we truly are, " Molly insisted. "We adore babies. When can youbring her over, Ellis? Shall we keep her day and night, Aunt Ada, andmay she sleep with me?"

"Oh, Ora's sister says she can take her at night, " Ellis hastened tosay. "She can't leave home very well, and she is too busy during theday to look out for her, for she has a lot of children, but none ofthem are little small babies; the youngest is three, and she says shedoesn't mind having the baby at night. "

"Then we'll arrange for the day only, " said Miss Ada with decision;"that is when she would require your time, Ellis, and we are glad tohelp you out so you can take out the boat when you have theopportunity. "

"I'm sure I'm much obliged, " said Ellis awkwardly. Like most of the"Pointers" he was unused to showing his gratitude. To his mind anydisplay of appreciation was poor-spirited. He was too proud to let anyone see that he felt under obligations and to say even as much as hedid was an effort. Nevertheless, he trotted off feeling a great weightremoved, and in half an hour was back again with the littlefour-months-old baby. 

For that day, at least, the small Miss Myrtle Dixon was overwhelmedwith attentions. Polly sat by when she slept, ready to pounce upon herand take her up at the slightest movement. Molly was on hand to urge abottle of milk upon her if she so much as whimpered. Mary dangledbe-ribboned trinkets before her the minute she opened her eyes, andthey were all in danger of hurting her with overkindness. 

The second day she was less of a novelty, though sufficientlyentertaining for each of her three nurses to clamor for her. 

"She is too dear for anything, " said Molly ecstatically. "See herlaugh, Mary, and flutter her little hands. She is to be my baby thismorning. Let's go around the side of the house, where it is shady, andplay. You can have the place under the porch for your house, Polly, and Mary can have the wood-shed. I'll take the cellar. "

"Oh, but that will be too cold and damp for the baby, " said Mary. "Youtake the wood-shed and I'll take the cellar, " she added generously. 

Molly agreed and presently baby was established in a crib made of theclothes-basket where she lay contentedly sucking her thumb. Mary, hugely enjoying herself, kept house in the cellar. She sat at the doorin a rocking-chair which she rocked back and forth with a blissfulexpression on her face. If there was any American comfort which Marydid appreciate it was a rocking-chair. She had never seen one till shecame to the United States, neither had she ever before made theacquaintance of chewing-gum. This was a luxury seldom allowed thelittle girls. "It is a disgusting habit, " Miss Ada declared, "and Idon't want you children to acquire it. Your mother, Mary, would beshocked if she saw you use it. " But once in a while Uncle Dick slylyfurnished each with a package and Miss Ada allowed them to have it, though protesting all the time to her brother. This special morningUncle Dick had hidden a package under each of their breakfast plates, and it is needless to say that three pairs of jaws were workingvigorously as they played house. 

"I'm agoing to ask Aunt Ada if we may go barefoot, " announced Molly;"it is plenty warm enough to-day. "

Mary jumped up, tipping over her rocking-chair as she did so. "Oh, does she allow you to do that?" she cried. "I've always secretlylonged to, but Miss Sharp is perfectly horrified when we ask her. "

The other two looked at each other with a little smile, for it was notsuch a great while before this that Mary herself had been horrified atthe suggestion. 

"Aunt Ada doesn't care, if it is warm enough, " Molly informed her. "Ialways go barefoot up here, if I feel like it and it isn't too cold. I'll go ask her now. Watch the baby for me, girls. "

They promised to be faithful nurses while Molly went on her errand. She was gone some time and when she returned she was carefully bearinga plate of fresh doughnuts. "Which would you rather have, Polly, " shecried, "doughnuts or chewing-gum? you can't have both, Aunt Ada says. "

"Doughnuts, " decided Polly without hesitation taking the chewing-gumfrom her mouth and slapping it securely against a stone in thefoundation of the porch. "Don't they look good? So brown and sugary. I do think Luella makes the best doughnuts, " and she helped herself toa specially fat, appetizing one. 

"Which do you choose, Mary?" asked Molly. 

Mary continued her rocking and chewing. "I'll keep the gum, thank you. "

Molly laughed. "That is what Aunt Ada said you would do. And girls, we may take off our shoes and stockings. How's the baby, Polly?"

"Sound asleep. "

"Good! Then I reckon we can leave her for a while, I do want to get mybare toes on the grass, don't you? Come on, Polly, and let's hunt forsnakes. "

"Snakes!" Mary jumped to her feet in horror. "Are there snakes here?Fancy!" She gathered her skirts about her and looked ready to fly. 

"Why, yes. Do you mind them?" returned Molly calmly. "Polly and Ilove the little green grass snakes; they are perfectly harmless and areso pretty. "

"Pretty? I could never imagine anything pretty about a snake, " repliedMary, recoiling. 

"My word! Molly, just fancy your talking so of a horrid snake. "

Molly laughed at her horror. "They aren't poisonous, Mary. "

"But the very idea of them is so loathsome. "

"It isn't unless you make it so, " put in Polly. "I like all kinds oflittle creatures so long as they don't bite or sting, and some ofthose, like bees, for example, I like, though I don't want them to gettoo near me. Of course when it comes to rattlesnakes or copperheads, or such, I am afraid of them, but these little grass snakes aredifferent. "

But Mary could not be persuaded to give up her prejudices and wouldnone of the snakes, so they decided to gather buttercups, and wanderedoff among the soft grasses on the hilltop. But it was only when theysaw Luella wildly waving the dish-cloth to attract their attention thatthey remembered the baby. Then they started toward the cottagepost-haste, arriving there to find Miss Ada walking the floor with thebaby and trying to still its cries. 

"What is the matter with her?" cried Molly rushing in. "We thought shewas sound asleep. "

"Babies don't sleep forever, " remarked Luella sarcastically. "Here, Miss Ada, I'm used to 'em. Let me see if there's a pin stickin' heranywhere; there's no knowin' what foolin' with her clothes thesechildren have been doin'. "

The children dared not protest against this charge while Miss Ada said:"Oh, I have looked and she seems all right, " but she relinquished thebaby into Luella's capable hands. 

That young woman turned the screaming infant over, felt for anoffending pin, turned her back again, and finally laid her across herknees and began to pat her on the back. "I guess she's got colic, " shedecided. "Molly, you just step up to Mis' Chris Fisher's and see ifshe's got a handful of catnip. She mostly does keep it, seein' shealways has got a baby on hand. There, there, there, " she tried tosoothe the child on her knees. "Miss Ada, you'll either have to takeher or see to them pies in the oven; I can't do both. "

"Oh, I'll see to the pies, " responded Miss Ada escaping to the kitchen. 

Molly was already on her way to Mrs. Chris Fisher's. Polly vainlytried to attract the baby's attention by every means within her power. Mary stood by suggesting alternately mustard poultices and ginger tea, which suggestions Luella contemptuously put aside. 

"I don't see what's the matter with her unless it is colic, " sheremarked. "She may be subject to it; I ain't heard say. I'll ask Oranext time I go out. When was she fed last?"

"Why, I don't know. " The two little girls looked at each other. "Didyou give her the bottle, Mary?" asked Polly. 

"No, " was the reply. 

"Maybe Molly did. I reckon it was Molly; she was playing she wasmother this morning, you know. " Luella said nothing but continued therocking movement of her knees till Molly came in, breathless, with thebunch of dried catnip. 

"I suppose she's been fed regular, " said Luella addressing Molly, "andyou've took care to give her the milk warm. "

"Oh, dear!" Molly stood still. "I forgot she had to be fed oftenerthan we are, and oh, Luella, I am afraid the last milk she took wasn'treal warm. "

"Then no wonder she's yellin' like mad, " said Luella disgustedly. "You're a nice set to take care of a young un. Here, some of you holdher whilst I get her milk and give it to her right. If she ain't gotcolic from cold milk she's starvin'. "

Molly meekly took charge of the screaming child who did not cease itscrying till Luella, returning with the bottle of milk, thrust therubber nipple into its mouth; then suddenly all was quiet. "Just whatI thought; half starved, " said Luella. "It looks as if I'd got to seeto the youngster, if she stays here. Miss Ada's not much better thanthe rest of you. What does she know about babies? I guess Ellis canbeat the best of you, after all, when it comes to 'tendin' babies. "

The little girls felt properly abashed. Only the second day of thebaby's stay and she had gone hungry for an hour, while the day beforeshe had been overfed. It did not look as if their benevolent planworked very well, and indeed, by the end of the week, Miss Ada decidedthat Miss Myrtle must return to her own. This was made easier by hergrandmother's arrival upon the scene, and there were helpers enough torelieve Ellis for at least half the day. However the interest inParker Dixon's family did not end at once. 

_CHAPTER IX_

_New Burdens for Ellis_

The three cousins were having a tea on the rocks with their friendGrace Wharton. Luella had baked them some tiny biscuits and some weeginger-snaps; they had made the fudge themselves, and as for the tea, the amount Miss Ada allowed them would not affect the nerves of any oneof the four. There was plenty of hot water in the little brasstea-kettle, and an unlimited supply of milk and sugar. A big flat rockserved as a table, and smaller ones gave them excellent seats. 

They had just finished eating the last of the cakes and were nibblingthe fudge when Polly, perched highest on the rocks, exclaimed: "There'sGranville talking to Luella! I wonder what he is doing up here thistime of day. They look real excited. There, Luella is going into thehouse. Now Aunt Ada has come out with her and they are all talkingtogether. I believe I'll go up and see what it is all about. Don'teat up all the fudge. "

"Hurry back then, " Molly called after her. "Let's hide it, girls, andpretend when she comes back that we've eaten it all up. "

"I'll hide it, " said Grace. She ran down a little way below them andpoked the remaining pieces of fudge into a crevice in the rock, andthen returned to await Polly's return, who in a few minutes camerunning back. "Oh, " she said, "I have something to tell you. Our poorlittle baby hasn't any father. He has been drowned. "

"Oh, how dreadful!" Three pairs of startled eyes showed how this newsaffected the little tea-drinkers. 

"Do tell us about it, " said Molly setting down the cup from which shewas draining the last sugary drop. 

"I didn't hear all about it, " Polly told them, "but I know he tried tosave one of his shipmates and couldn't, and they were both drowned. Luella is going down to stay with Ora's children this afternoon. Theyhaven't told Leona yet, and poor Ellis is perfectly distracted, Granville says. Isn't it sad, when Leona has been so ill and now thisdreadful thing has happened?"

"I feel so very sorry for Ellis, " remarked Mary. 

"So do I, " said Polly, "for the baby isn't big enough to know, andmaybe Leona can get another husband, but Ellis can't get anotherbrother. "

They all agreed that this was a plain fact and sat quite solemnlylooking off at the blue sea which had so cruelly swallowed up Parker. 

At last Polly gave a long sigh, and she broke the silence byexclaiming, "There, you mean piggies, you ate up all the fudge!"

"You were gone so long, " said Molly giving Grace a nudge. 

"I don't care; you ought to have saved an extra piece for my bringingyou such exciting news. "

"But it was such sad news, " said Grace turning away her head so Pollycould not see her smile. 

"If it is sad you needn't laugh about it, " said Polly severely. "Ibelieve you hid it!" she exclaimed suddenly. 

"If you think so, look for it, " said Molly. And Polly immediately setto work to search each one of the party, but could not find a crumb offudge. 

Then she seized Molly, playfully shaking her. "Tell me truly, did youeat it all?"

Amid her struggles to free herself, Molly confessed that they had not. "But, I can't find it, " Polly persisted. "Do you know where it is, Molly?"

"No. "

"Oh, Molly!" This from Grace. 

"I don't exactly know. You hid it, " said Molly. 

"Then Grace Wharton, tell me. " Polly loosed her hold upon Molly, andturned to Grace. 

"No, the first that finds it can divide it and can have an extra piece. "

In vain the three searched up and down the cliff. "Grace said she hidit between two rocks, " announced Molly at last. 

"Then she's just got to find it, " said Polly. "Grace! Grace!" shecalled. And Grace responded by appearing on the rocks above them. 

"You'll have to show us where you hid it. "

On Grace's face was an expression of concern as she came swiftlyclambering down to them. "Why, girls, " she cried as she reached thespot where they stood, "I'm awfully afraid that---- Oh, dear, whydidn't I remember about the tide; I'm afraid they're spoiled. " She ranto a rock a little lower down. 

"Look out or you'll get splashed, " warned Molly. "There's a big wavecoming in. "

Grace sprang back to avoid the swash of water which poured over therock at her feet; then she exclaimed ruefully: "If I wasn't surebefore, I am now! The fudge is just under that rock, between those twosmall ones. "

"Then it's simply all salty, if it isn't gone entirely, " declaredMolly. True enough when they examined the spot, during a lull in theinpour of waves, they discovered only a couple of water-soaked bits offudge, fast melting away. 

"Our joke didn't turn out very well, " said Molly turning to Polly. 

"Oh, never mind, " returned Polly cheerfully, "it would all be eaten upand forgotten anyhow if I had not gone up to the house, so what's thedifference?"

"I'll make some very soon, " Grace assured her. "I'll do it to-night. "

"Oh, no, don't mind, " said Polly. "We've had enough for to-day. See, there is Aunt Ada coming down to us. She will tell us more about theDixons. "

Miss Ada came with a scheme to unfold. "I'm going over to GreenIsland, " she told them, "and if I am not back in time for supper youchildren hunt around and get something for yourselves. Luella has goneto stay with Ora's family so Ora can be with Leona. She will need allthe comfort she can get. We must try to help the poor girl, for herillness and all this will take everything they may have saved. Ellisis pitifully sad, but he says he means to support the family. Poorlittle chap, as if he could! I am going to try to arrange a bazaar orcake sale or something to help them; you children may help if you like. "

"Oh, may we? How lovely!" cried Molly. 

"I've helped at fairs, " said Grace. 

"And once I helped my aunt at a tea she gave the village children, "said Mary. 

"I'll do everything I can, though I never saw a fair or a bazaar, " saidPolly. "Tell us more about it, Aunt Ada. "

"Tell her all you know, girls, " said Aunt Ada. "I must go now. Youwill not be afraid to stay alone till I get back, will you?"

Her nieces assured her that they would not, and she left them in quitea state of excitement, for, sad as the occasion was, they could nothelp anticipating the pleasure of the bazaar. "We will have such alovely time getting ready for the sale, " said Molly. "We have had themhere before, and they are lots of fun. I know what I am going to do. I'm going to the wood-pile and strip off a whole lot of birch bark tomake things of. "

"What kind of things?" asked Mary. 

"Oh, all sorts of things; napkin rings and picture frames and boxes. "

"Oh!" Mary was interested. She had never seen such things exceptthose that the Indian peddlers brought around to the cottages, andnever did one appear over the brow of the hill, bowed under the burdenof his baskets, that she did not run for her purse, and by now hadquite an array of gifts for her English friends. To add to these asupply of birch-bark souvenirs which she could make herself was aprospect truly delightful. "It is very convenient that a quarter isabout the same as a shilling, " she remarked, "but I can never rememberthat a penny is two cents; it seems as if an American penny should bethe same as an English one. "

"I should think you would be glad it isn't, " said Polly, "for when youare counting at the rate of our pennies you have twice as many as youwould have English ones. "

"Well, I don't know, " said Mary thoughtfully. "I had a whole poundwhen I reached here, and Uncle Dick had it changed into American money. I thought I had such a number of pennies and I found they were onlycents, but then one can buy a great many things here for a cent thatone would have to pay a penny for at home, especially sweets. "

That evening she sat fingering her little hoard while Molly was busypreparing her birch bark. "I think I can do very nicely, " announcedMary. "I shall have a dollar to spend at the bazaar. Oh, is that theway you do the napkin rings, Molly? Could I do some, do you think?"

"Of course you could, " said Molly, encouragingly. 

"I know what I am going to do, " said Polly, jumping up; "I'm going toget some tiny pine trees to put into little birch-bark boxes; they willlook so pretty. Come on, Molly, it isn't dark yet. "

"Oh, but we mustn't get them now, " replied Molly. "We must wait tillthe very last thing, so they will look as fresh as possible. "

Polly stopped short. In her impetuous way she had forgotten thisimportant point. "Oh, I never thought of that, " she said. "Well, anyhow, we can make the boxes. "

"I don't believe we can do those either, " returned Molly, furtherdampening Polly's ardor. "We ought to have some small wooden boxes totack or glue the bark on. We can try some little baskets with handles, and we can fill those with fudge or some kind of home-made candy. "

"Oh, very well, we'll begin on those, then. " And Polly sat downcontentedly with the others to try her ingenuity. They became soabsorbed in their work that they forgot all about supper, the more sothat their afternoon tea had taken the edge from their appetites, andit was not till the maid from the Whartons came over for Grace, sayingthat her grandmother was wondering how much longer they must save hersupper for her that they realized how late it was. Then Grace havingscurried home, the three cousins searched about to see what was in thelarder for themselves. They found plenty of bread and butter, ginger-snaps and stewed gooseberries, but not much else, so they satdown contentedly to this fare while the sunset turned from rose topurple and then to gray. It was late enough in the season for theevenings to become chilly after sundown, and Polly proposed that theyshould have an open fire. "We can sit around and tell stories, " shesaid, "and we can go on with our work at the same time, so the timewill pass very quickly till Aunt Ada comes back. "

"I'll love that, " declared Molly. "I think telling stories is the verynicest way of passing away the time. "

"So do I, " said Mary, "when I don't have to tell the stories. I neverknow anything interesting. "

"Oh, but you do, " protested Polly. "We like to hear about England, ofhow you have to take off your shoes and put on slippers in theschoolroom, of how you can't walk out without your governess or someone older and all about not having sweet potatoes nor corn, and of howtomatoes are grown under glass and all those ways that are so differentfrom ours. "

"But that isn't a real tale, " objected Mary. 

"Never mind, we like to hear it, " said Molly. "What are you doing, Polly?"

"I am building the fire; there must be a whole lot of light stuff toset it going. "

"That looks like a good deal, " said Molly doubtfully regarding the pileof bark, shaving and light wood that Polly was stowing in the fireplace. 

"It will kindle all the quicker, " returned Polly in a satisfied voice, touching the kindling with a lighted match. In an instant not only wasthe light stuff all ablaze, but the flames, leaping out, caught thewhite apron which Polly had put on, half in sport, when they weregetting their supper. It was one of her Aunt Ada's and reached toPolly's ankles, so that she seemed enveloped in flames. She shrieked, but stood still. Quick as a flash Mary caught up the pitcher of waterstanding on the table and dashed it over her cousin, then she grabbedher and threw her on the floor, snatching up the rug from the floorbefore doing so, thus protecting herself, and at the same timeproviding a means of putting out the fire which she did by rollingPolly in the rug. 

Molly was perfectly helpless with fright and all she could do was towring her hands and cry, "Oh, what shall we do? What shall we do? Oh, Polly, Polly!"

Just as the fire was all crushed out, the door opened and in walkedtheir Uncle Dick. Molly rushed to him. Throwing herself in his arms, she cried: "Oh, Polly is burning up! Save her! Save her!"

"What is all this?" said Dick springing forward. 

Mary arose from where she was kneeling over Polly. "I think it is allout now, " she said. 

Polly unwound herself from her mummy-like case. "Are you badly hurt?"her uncle asked anxiously. 

"No, " she said with a sobbing breath; "only my legs hurt me. "

"How did it all happen?" said her uncle, picking her up and setting herin a chair. 

"We were kindling the fire, " explained Mary, "and Polly's apron caught. "

"And Mary saved her life, " sobbed Molly completely unnerved. "Shethrew water on her, and rolled her in the rug. "

"That is what my governess said we should do in such cases, " said Maryquietly, though her face was twitching. "I never loved Miss Sharpbefore, " she added with a little laugh. 

"You certainly did save Polly's life, " said her uncle as he examinedPolly's clothing. "Fortunately she has on a woolen frock and has beenonly slightly scorched about the legs. The fire evidently did notreach her bare flesh. You didn't breathe the flames, did you, Polly, for I see the fire did not go above your waist. "

"I am sure I didn't breathe any flames, " Polly assured him. "Mary wasso quick. She saw at once that I had caught fire and she threw thewater over me right away, but oh, Uncle Dick, I may not be burnedbadly, but it does hurt. " And she buried her face on her uncle'sshoulder to hide her tears. 

"Poor little girl, I know it hurts, " he said. "Get some salad oil, Molly, and some baking soda; then see if you can find an oldhandkerchief or two and some raw cotton. We must try to ease thiswounded soldier. How did you children happen to be here alone?"

Mary explained, her uncle listening attentively. "I wish I had knownit, " he said; "I would not have stayed to supper with the boys. Wecame in on the Gawthrops' yacht about supper-time and they persuaded meto stay, but somehow I felt that I ought to get home soon after. Youchildren must not be left alone again. "

"I'll never try to kindle another fire, " said Polly woefully. "Mollysaid I was putting on too much light stuff and it just leaped out likea tiger to bite me. "

Molly had returned with the oil and other things by this time, and soonPolly was made as comfortable as her hurts would allow, but it was somedays before she could run about, and if there was anything lacking inher affection for her English cousin before this, now it was that shecould not bear her out of sight, for Mary, by her coolness and capablehelp, had proved herself a heroine to be loved and admired. 

Although this scare was the important topic with the family for sometime, the scheme for helping the distressed Dixon family went forwardrapidly and the next week when Polly's burns gave her no moreuneasiness, the bazaar was held. There was no prettier table thelength of the room than that at which Miss Ada presided, assisted byher three little nieces. Their Uncle Dick had cleverly helped themwith the decorations as well as with their birch bark boxes in whichwere planted the little pine trees. These were so much admired thatnot one was left after the sale, and Mary had to bespeak some to bemade for her to carry home. Some little packages of fudge andhome-made candies went off rapidly, and of Luella's famous doughnutsnot one was left. 

It was at the end of the sale when the biggest, finest cake was yetwaiting a buyer that Polly had a whispered talk with her Uncle Dick andafterward stood in front of the cake table holding fast to her purse. The cake in all the deliciousness of nut-spotted icing and richinterior, was delivered to her when she paid over the amount asked forit. Taking the treasure in her hands she bore it over to where Marywas helping her aunt count up the money they had taken in. Polly setthe cake on the table before Mary. "There, " she said, "it is allyours. "

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Mary. "Who said so?"

"I say so. I bought it for you because you said it looked so perfectlydelicious. "

Mary was quite overcome by Polly's generosity, but she understood themotive, and accepted the cake graciously, promising to divide it withthe family. It certainly was a delicious cake, and Polly reallyenjoyed her share of it, feeling that in this instance she could haveher cake and eat it. 

"Over a hundred dollars! I can scarcely believe it, " said Miss Adawhen all the receipts were in. But so it was, and so did little EllisDixon have his burdens lifted, for a hundred dollars will go a long waywhen fish can be had for the catching, and when one has his own potatopatch. 

_CHAPTER X_

_Arabs_

Of all the things which most amused the three little girls and theirfriend, Grace, they enjoyed dressing up at dusk, and, in their queercostumes, going around from cottage to cottage to call. Uncle Dick wasvery clever in painting their faces so that they appeared as birds withowl-like eyes and beaks or as cats, rabbits or some other animal. Atother times they were Indians in war paint and feathers; again theywere Egyptians or Chinese and dressed to suit the character. 

"What shall we do this evening?" said Polly one day when the questionof the evening's fun was being talked over. "We want to go to Mrs. Phillips's this time because she gives us such good cakes. "

"It's pretty far, " said Molly doubtfully. "It is almost to thevillage, and there are some rough boys down that way. I don't mindgoing to Mrs. Phillips's in the morning, but if we should happen to getcaught there after the sun goes down I shouldn't like it. "

"We needn't get caught late, " Polly protested, "besides, it is so muchmore mysterious to go around when it is a little bit duskish. It isn'tas if any one of us would be alone; there will be four and nobodyaround here would do anything to hurt us, anyhow. "

"No, I don't suppose any one really would, " Molly returned weakly, herobjections over-ruled. And therefore when the cottages began to loomdarkly against the evening sky, the four little girls sallied forth, draped in white sheets, and made their way over the hilltop to the roadbeyond. They had usually confined their visits to their acquaintancesin the immediate neighborhood, so their aunt did not trouble herself toinquire where they were going that evening, otherwise she might haveforbidden the walk they had in mind. 

"Don't they look like four dear little Arabs?" said Miss Ada to herbrother. "They make a perfect picture as they go over the hill in theevening light. How much they enjoy these little frolics. " She turnedfrom watching the white-sheeted four who soon disappeared down the road. 

It was great fun, thought the girls, to call upon their various friendsand pretend they were foreigners who did not understand the language ofthose whom they were visiting; yet they understood enough to acceptrefreshments offered them, and managed to say, "thank you" and"good-bye. "

It was after they had been regaled upon cakes and lemonade at Mrs. Phillips's that the moment came which Molly had been dreading. Theshadows had deepened and the stars were trying to come out, while alittle light still lingered in the western sky. "We'd better not takethe short cut, " said Molly. "It is so rough that way, and it is muddyin places; we'll go around by the road. " The lights were twinkling outfrom the fishermen's homes and from the vessels anchored in the cove. There were not many persons on the road, and the four little girlshastened their steps. 

Presently a shout, then the bark of a dog arose from behind them, andin another minute they were surrounded by a crowd of jeering boys andbarking dogs. "Yaw! Yaw! Yaw!" shouted the boys. "Sic 'em, Sailor!Sick 'em, Towser!" The dogs nipped at the retreating heels and theboys twitched the flowing robes of the four Arabs. 

"Oh, let us alone! Let us alone!" shrieked Molly. 

"Who be ye?" cried one of the boys peering into their faces. 

"What ye doin' dressed up this here way?" said another. The paint upontheir faces so disguised them that they were not recognized by any ofthe boys, if, indeed, any knew them. 

"They ain't none o' our folks, " said another boy, trying to jerk offPolly's head covering. 

She turned on him fiercely. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, "she cried. "How would you like any one to treat your sisters so?"

"How'd you like any one to treat your sisters so?" mimicked the boy ina piping voice. "I ain't got no sister, and if I had she wouldn't betraipsin' 'round the P'int in circus clothes. "

Wrenching herself from the boy's grasp, Polly started to run, the othergirls following. One boy thrust out his foot tripping Grace who fellsprawling in the dusty road. Her companions stopped in their flight tocome to her rescue. "Oh, you bad, bad boys, " cried Molly indignantly. "If I don't tell Cap'n Dave on you. "

"We ain't feared o' Cap'n Dave, " was the scoffing reply. 

The girls picked up the weeping Grace. "Are you hurt?" they whispered. 

"I don't know, " whimpered Grace. "Oh, how can we get home? I want togo home. "

Her weeping caused cessation in hostilities for a moment, but as soonas the four figures started forward they were again surrounded and theteasing recommenced. 

But just as the girls were in despair of ever escaping from theirtormentors, another boy came up. "What's up?" he asked. 

"Oh, nawthin', " replied one of the boys laughing. "We cal'late to keepfurriners away from the P'int, and these here ain't dressed likeAmur'cans. "

"Who are they?" The boy bent over to peer into Molly's face. She gavea joyful cry. "Oh, Ellis, Ellis, save us from them. They won't let usgo home. "

The newcomer turned. "Say, you fellows, " he said. "You'd ought to beashamed. These here is friends of mine. If any of you fellows touchesone of 'em, I'll pitch into him like sin. Don't you know who they are?They're the little gals up to the Reid cottage, that's been so good tous, nursing the baby and gettin' up that fair and all that. "

The boys slunk away. "We didn't know it was them, " the largest onesaid. "Why didn't they say so? We thought it was that crowd of sassyyoungsters over by Back Landing; they're always so fresh. One of 'emsneaked off with Dan's boat yesterday and we wanted to pay 'em back. "

"I'm awful sorry we scared you, " said another boy, coming up. "Was youhurt, sissy, when you fell down?"

"Oh, no, not so very much, " replied Grace, ceasing her sobbing. 

"We'll see you home safe, " said one of the boys. "Come on, fellers. Lem, go get a lantern; we're nearest your house. "

Lem ran obediently and in a few minutes returned with the big lanternin his hand. He stalked on ahead, the others trooping after, the dogsat the heels of their masters. All the way they escorted the littlegirls, Ellis not ceasing to voice his indignation, nor the boys toexplain and excuse themselves, and it is needless to say that it was arelief to all concerned when the wandering Arabs were safe within theirown dwellings. 

In spite of the outcome of their adventure, the girls did not care torepeat it and never again wanted to go beyond the cottages in their ownimmediate vicinity. Yet, unpleasant as the experience was, it resultedin more than one effort on the part of the gang of boys to make up fortheir ill behavior. The very next morning after the affair, Polly, whowas the first down-stairs, saw a tall boy coming toward the cottage andwent out on the porch to meet him. 

"You one of the little gals that was down the road last night?" heasked as he came up. "One of them that was dressed up?"

Polly nodded. "Yes, I was there. "

"Us boys didn't know you lived here. We wouldn't have hurt a hair ofyour head if we had knowed who you was. " Then he added somewhatshamefacedly, "I fetched ye a salmon. Maybe ye ain't never see asalmon jest out of the water. They're pretty-colored, ain't they?"And he held up to view the glistening pink fish. 

"Oh, how beautiful it is. It seems too pretty to catch, doesn't it?"said Polly bending over to examine the fish the boy laid on the grass. 

He stared at her, not quite comprehending how any one could think anyfish too pretty to be caught. "They're awful good eatin', " he went onto say, "but they don't often come in here. "

"How did you happen to get this one?" asked Polly. 

"It was in my father's pound this morning, and I begged him for it. Shall I take it into the kitchen for you?" he added hastily. 

"Oh, do you mean to give it to us? How very good you are, " said Pollyappreciatively. 

The boy gave a short laugh. "I wasn't very good last night, was I?" hesaid, and Polly understood that this was a peace-offering. 

That afternoon two younger lads were seen hanging around the housebearing a mysterious something done up in a newspaper. "What inconscience do them boys want?" said Luella, looking out of the kitchenwindow. "It's Billy Laws and Horeb Potter. What are they peekin'around here for I want to know. " One of the boys now advanced towardthe house, but at the appearance of Miss Ada on the porch, he took tohis heels, and lurked in the distance where his companion was uneasilywaiting. 

Luella went out to Miss Ada. "Them boys has got some errant here, " shesaid, "but they won't come in whilst they see you on the piazza. " MissAda reëntered the house. The three little girls peeped from thewindows, looking out from behind the blinds. In a few minutes the boyscame stealthily forth, tiptoed toward the house, halted fearfully, tooka few steps back, came on more quickly. He who bore the newspaperpackage was suddenly pushed violently forward by the other and came onwith a trot, bolted into the kitchen, laid the package on the tablebefore Luella and exclaimed hastily: "It's for the little gals!" thenhe took to his heels, not stopping till he was clear out of sight. 

Luella came laughing into the living-room. "Here's another present, "she announced. "You open it, Miss Ada. "

"What can it be?" exclaimed the children, gathering around their auntwho untied the string of the damp parcel, unwrapped it and disclosed toview a huge lobster, fiery red, and still warm from recent boiling. 

"Isn't he a monster?" exclaimed Miss Ada. "I don't believe I ever sawa larger. We'll have him for supper, Luella. I hope you took half thesalmon to Mrs. Wharton, for we couldn't eat that and this, too. Children, you will have to invite Grace over to have her share. Isuppose some of it is due to her anyhow. "

"She ought to have it all, " said Polly, "for she was the only one whowas hurt. "

"I'm afraid she'd suffer more still if she attempted to devour thisentire lobster, " laughed Miss Ada. "We'd better spare her little turn, Polly, and help her eat this. "

It was after such of the lobster as they could eat had been disposedof, and the children with no desire for long wanderings, were safelygathered around the fire, that a tap was heard at the door. Uncle Dickarose to open it and received into his hands a large cold jar, while asmall lad piped out: "Jerry sent this to the little gals. They'llkeep. " And then the figure vanished into the darkness. 

"I don't know who Jerry is, nor what 'this' is, " said Uncle Dick, bearing in the glass jar and setting it on the table. "It's for the'little gals' I was told. Great Caesar! It's clams, carefullyshelled. See here, Ada, we won't have to buy any more provender thisseason at this rate. When we get short of provisions we can send outour Arabs on the road, for behold the result of their evening'smigrations. "

Every one laughed at this latest gift, and it was set away for the nextday's use. But the end was not yet. On the door sill the next morningwas discovered a splint basket. To the handle was tied a scrap ofpaper on which was awkwardly written: "To the little gals. " Molly wasthe finder of this. "Hurry down all of you!" she called to the others. "There is a present. "

"Another one?" said Polly over the baluster. "What is it?"

"I haven't looked, " was the reply. 

The other children, joined by Miss Ada, came down as soon as possible, their curiosity excited. Molly lifted the wet seaweed covering thecontents of the basket and they saw a pile of shining little mackerel. 

"Tinkers!" cried Miss Ada. "What a nice lot of them! Oh, and thereare some butter-fish, too. They are all cleaned beautifully, and wemust have some for breakfast; it will take only a few minutes to cookthem. Yon children can run over to Grace with her share. "

This the little girls were glad to do, but returned with their platterfull explaining that smaller lot had been left at the Whartons'. 

But two more conscience offerings were received after this. Four thickbraids of sweet grass were found hanging on the door-knob, and, duringthe day a man delivered a mysterious box slatted across one end. Thiswas found to contain a beautiful kitten of the variety called "Coon. "The children were wild over this last gift, the only drawback to theirdelight being the difficulty of deciding which one should take it home. Their Aunt Ada came to the rescue by telling them not to bother aboutit till the time came and then to let circumstances settle it. Her ownlittle cat, Cosey, was not inclined to favor the intruder at first, butin a few days she began to mother it and they soon became good friends. 

"Are you glad that the boys scared us that night?" asked Polly one daynot long after the "day of gifts" as the children called it. 

Molly weighed the subject. "When I think of the dear kitten and thesalmon and the tinkers. "

"And the lobster. "

"Yes, and the sweet grass, then I am, but when I think of howdreadfully frightened we were, I'm not. "

"I don't intend to remember the scare, " said Polly philosophically. 

"Neither do I, " added Mary. "I'd be an Arab again for the sake offinding out how really good-hearted those boys are, " which showed thatMary had a good heart, too. 

_CHAPTER XI_

_The Roseberry Family_

The green grass of June had turned to russet; the bay berry bushesbegan to look dingy, and the waxy cranberries in the bog were turningto a delicate pink. It had been a dry season and the children couldsafely traverse the bog from end to end without danger of getting theirfeet wet. Ellis was their pilot to this fascinating spot, and the dayof their introduction to it was one long to be remembered. 

It was one morning when Ellis came around to the back door to deliverclams that they first heard of the bog. He added to the weekly order alittle bag of pinky-white cranberries. "I thought maybe you'd like'em, " he said. "Miss Alice Harvey says they're much better whenthey're not quite ripe. Ora tried some and they were fine, but theytook a lot of sugar. "

"Thank you for remembering us, " said Miss Ada as she received theoffering. "How much, Ellis?"

"Nawthin'. They're easy to pick and there's plenty of 'em, " he madereply. 

Miss Ada accepted the gift in the spirit in which it was intended. "I'm sure we shall enjoy them, " she declared. "Where is the bog, Ellis? Is it very wet there?"

"'Tain't wet at all this year. This has been such a dry season. It'sdown back of Cap'n Orrin's barn. "

"Oh, is that the place?" Molly was peeping over her aunt's shoulder. "I've always longed to go there but I was afraid it was all sloppy andmarshy; some one said it was. "

"Would you like me to go there with you?" said Ellis bashfully. "Iknow where the cranberries grow, and there's lots of other things downthere, the kind you city people like to get, weeds, we call 'em. "

"Oh, may we go?" Molly appealed to her aunt. 

"Why yes, I have no objection. It is perfectly safe if it's not wet. I suppose you may encounter a garter snake or two, but you don't mindthem, Molly. "

"Wait for us, Ellis, " said the little girl speeding away for hercousins with whom she returned in a moment. All three werebreathlessly eager to start on the voyage of discovery, for with Ellisas leader, into what regions of the unknown might they not penetrate. 

Over the hill they went, leaving Cap'n Orrin's mild-eyed cows gazingafter them ruminatively as they crept under the fence which separatedthe pasture from the wild bottom land at the foot of the hill. On theother side arose the ridge along which were ranged cottages lookingboth coveward and seaward. A winding path led past runty little appletrees and huge boulders, and finally was lost in the tangle of growthoverspreading the marsh. 

"It is dry enough now, " said Mary exultantly, setting her foot on atuft of dry grass. "Where are the cranberries, Ellis? I want to seethose first. "

"You are standing right over some, " he said smiling. 

Mary looked down, but only a mass of weeds and grass greeted her eyes. "I don't see them, " she declared. 

Ellis laughed, bent over and parted the grass to disclose the delicatewreaths of green, and the pretty smooth cranberries, tucked away in thedry grass. 

"As if they were afraid of being picked, " remarked Mary. "You will notescape me that way. " And down on her knees she went in search of thepink fruit. 

Molly meanwhile had gone further afield, and was gathering flowersstrange to her, and grasses as lovely as the blossoms. Earlier in theseason, she had delighted in the rosy plumes of the hard-hack, thesweet pinky-white clover, the wild partridge peas, but here were newacquaintances which were not to be found outside the marsh, and uponthem she pounced eagerly. 

It was Polly, however, who discovered the Roseberry family, for Polly, who had spent her life far from cities, had developed her imagination, and could fashion from unpromising material the most fascinatingthings, and though she, too, picked her share of cranberries, she alsogathered a lot of roseberries which she declared were the biggest shehad ever seen. These she bore away in triumph, while Molly carried herbouquet with a satisfied air and Mary was quite content with having thelargest showing of cranberries. So they returned, well pleased, to thecottage. 

"We had the splendidest morning, " said Molly, setting her flowers in alarge vase. "I never knew that bogs could be so perfectly fine. Whatare you doing, Polly?"

Polly was seated on the floor industriously picking off her roseberriesfrom the twigs. "Wait and you will see, " was her answer. "Do get mesome pins, Molly, a whole lot. Aunt Ada will give you some. "

Molly's curiosity being aroused, she rushed off to her aunt, returningwith a paper of pins. She squatted down on the floor by Polly's side. Mary, meanwhile, had gone to the kitchen to superintend Luella'scooking of the cranberries. Polly stuck a pin in one side of thebiggest, fattest roseberry, then another in the other side. "This isMr. Roseberry, " she said, "and these are his two arms. Now his headgoes on, and then his legs. I use the pins, you see, because you canbend them so as to make the people sit down. " She held up thecompleted mannikin. "Now I must pick out some berries for Mrs. Roseberry, and then I'll make the children. "

"Polly, you are so ridiculous, " said Molly in a tone of admiration, "but do you know, they are awfully funny with their little round headsand bodies. " Polly worked away industriously till she had completedher entire family. "Now what?" said Molly. "What in the world isthat?"

"It is a lamp, " returned Polly, deftly fitting a base to her red globe. "Now, if I had some pasteboard I could make some furniture, and we'dplay with the Roseberry family this afternoon. "

"Dinner is nearly ready now, " said Molly, "but it will be fun to playwith them this afternoon. We could have two or three families. Whatcan I name mine?" She watched Polly interestedly as she put the lasttouch to a vase in which she stuck a bit of green. 

"You might call them Pod, " said Polly. "These are really the seed podsof the wild roses, you know. They are like little apples, aren't they?"

"Oh, I'll call them Appleby, " said Molly. 

"We know some people named that. Save that tiny one for the baby, Polly. "

"The cranberries are perfectly delicious, " said Mary, coming in fromthe kitchen, "but they have to cool before we can eat them. Luellasays they take so much sugar that they will keep perfectly for me totake some home. Oh, what curious little figures. "

"This is the Roseberry family, " Polly told her, indicating the dolls onthe right, "and these, " she pointed to those on her left, "these arethe Applebys. "

"You must have some, too, Mary, " said Molly. "What shall you callyours?"

Mary had picked up one of the little figures. "Why, they are made ofhips, aren't they?"

"What are hips?" asked Molly. 

"That is what we call the berries of the briar-rose, and in England thehawthorn berries are haws. "

"Hips and haws, " sang Molly. "Don't they go nicely together? Shallyou call your people Mr. And Mrs. Hips?"

"Why, yes, I can. I think that would be a very good name. Are wegoing to play with them?"

"After dinner we are, if Polly can find anything to make furniture of. "

Polly's ingenuity did not fail her here, for, by the use of some matchends, birch bark and a needle and thread she contrived all sorts ofthings and then each girl hunted up a box for a house, so that thesenew playthings proved to be very fascinating. 

But at last the every-day commonplaces grew too dull for Polly, and shesuddenly exclaimed: "I'm tired of just visiting and talking aboutmeasles and nurses and mustard plasters! I'm going to take theRoseberry family down to the shore. They're going to have anadventure. "

"Oh, Polly, what? Can ours go, too?" cried Molly. "I would like tohave the Applebys meet an adventure, too. "

"And I'd like Mr. And Mrs. Hips to have one, " echoed Mary. 

"Are they very wicked, black-hearted people?" asked Polly, darkly. 

"Why--why----" Mary hesitated and looked to Molly for her cue. 

"Do they have to be wicked to have an adventure?" asked Molly. 

"If they join the Roseberries, they'll have to be, for the Roseberriesare wreckers and smugglers. " Polly spoke impressively, and at thisflight of fancy Molly and Mary gazed at her admiringly. Yet they werenot quite willing that their families should give up their morals totoo great an extent. 

"What do they have to do?" asked Mary, determined to find out the worst. 

"Mine have a cave, " said Polly, mysteriously. "It is on an island--Iknow what island I am going to have--and there they hide theirtreasures. They are counterfeiters, too, " she added to their list ofcrimes, "and they have chests of counterfeit money--sand dollars. "

Molly laughed and Polly looked at her reproachfully. "It is as good asany other counterfeit money, " she remarked. 

"Never mind the money. Go on, Polly. " Molly was enjoying her cousin'sinventions. 

"Well, they go out in a boat on stormy nights and when a vessel is indistress, instead of helping, they don't do anything but just wait tillthe vessel is wrecked and then they help themselves, to what they canget. They have, oh, such a store of diamonds and rubies and preciousstones in their cave, and they have their own vessel that flies a blackflag. "

"Then they're pirates, " said Mary recoiling. "I don't want the Hips tobe pirates. "

"They don't have to be, " Polly calmly assured her. "They can be asgood as they want to, and can be on one of the vessels that getswrecked. "

"Then they'll all get drowned. "

"No, they needn't; they can cling to a raft and go ashore on somedesert island. "

Having saved the lives as well as the reputations of the Hips family, although they would probably lose everything else, Mary was satisfied, but Molly was ready to compromise. A little spice of wickedness seemednecessary to make her Applebys interesting. "My family can besmugglers, " she announced, "but I don't want them to be pirates and Idon't want them wrecked either. Smugglers aren't so wicked as pirates;they only bring in things that you ought to pay duty on, Uncle Dicktold me, and Mary's father told her that in England almost everythingcomes in free, and that the United States is as mean as can be aboutmaking people pay for what is brought into the country. A lady, Mollysaw on the steamer when they came over, had an awful time about ashabby old sealskin coat she'd had for years, and just because she woreit ashore from the steamer, they made an awful fuss about it. "

"Well, I don't understand about it, but if the United States said itwas wrong, of course it must have been; they are always right, " saidPolly loyally. "I don't exactly know about smuggling, " she confessed, "however, the Roseberries are going to be smugglers. "

"Uncle Dick was telling us about smugglers the other night. "

"Yes, I know, that is what made me think of it. He showed me theisland where there used to be a smuggler's cave. "

"I remember it; we saw it when we were out sailing one day. "

"We must build a birch bark ship for the Hips family, " said Polly, changing the subject. "Your Applebys can live on my island and if theydon't want to associate with the Roseberries they can have a cave tothemselves. "

"Roseberry is such a nice pleasant name for wicked people, " remarkedMary. "Why don't you call them something else?"

"Nobody ever does call them that, " returned Polly readily. "The fatheris the leader of the gang, and he is Bold Ben. His three sons areOne-eyed Peter, Crooked Tom, and Sly Sam. They call his wife Old Mag, and then there are two cousins, twins; they are Smiling Steve andGrinning Jim. "

"Oh, Polly, how do you think of such names?" said Molly delightedly. "What does Old Mag do?"

"She pulls in things from the wreck and she cooks the meals. Then, when the men are all away smuggling, she sits in the cave and spendsher time looking at the jewels and letting them drip through herfingers. "

"Jewels can't drip, " observed Mary in a matter-of-fact way. 

"Well, they look as if they could, " returned Polly. "The diamonds arelike drops of water, the pearls like milk and the rubies like blood. "

"I know where you found that, " said Molly; "in the fairy tale we werereading the other day. "

Polly admitted the fact and the ship being now ready to launch, theyproceeded to the shore where Polly pointed out the island. This was alarge rock, nearly covered at high tide, but now showing quite asurface above the water. Its rugged sides held caves quite largeenough for persons of such size as the Roseberry family, and they werepresently hidden behind their barnacled barriers. In a little pool theHips family were set afloat while the Applebys contented themselveswith gathering stores of supposed precious stones from the little beach. 

The Hips family had hardly set sail before Polly invoked a storm andstirred to monster waves the waters in their pool, so they were ingreat danger. "Oh, dear, the youngest Hips is floating away and Ican't save him, " cried Mary. 

"Never mind, let him go; there are plenty more of them, " returned Pollyheartlessly banging her stick up and down in the water so the shipwould rock more violently. "They've got to be wrecked, you know, " sheadded. "I'll drive them on that rock, then you can grab them beforethey sink and get them on the raft. "

Mary managed to rescue all but one more of the family, and these wereset adrift on a piece of birch bark to which Polly tied a string thatthey might not go beyond return. She also allowed the storm to cease, but this was because the gang of wreckers had to haul up the ship andgather in their plunder. She kept up so lively an account of theirdoings that Molly left the Applebys to their own devices and Mary drewthe Hipses to shore that she might listen to Polly's blood-curdlingaccount of Bold Ben and the rest. Polly did not have to drawaltogether from her imagination, for her brothers had been too oftenher playmates for her not to be ready with tales of plunder andadventure. 

Time passed very quickly and the children became so absorbed in themanoeuvres of the gang that they did not notice the stealthy rise ofthe tide till Mary exclaimed, "Oh, the Hipses have floated off and theywere quite high on the beach!"

Polly looked around her. "No wonder, " she said; "the tide is rising. We'd better start back. " Leaving Bold Ben and his comrades to theirfate, she ran to the further side of the rock, but here she hesitated. The sea was steadily making in, sending little cascades over theweed-covered ledges each time it retreated. 

"Can't you get across?" asked Molly, as she came up with her Applebys, and saw Polly standing still. 

"I'm almost afraid to jump, " said Polly, "for if a big wave should comein suddenly it might wash in over my feet and the sea-weed is soslippery I'm afraid to trust to it, where it is shallower. " Mollylooked up at the rocky shelf jutting out above her. "If we could onlyget up there, " she said. 

"But we can't; it is too far to climb to that first jutty-out place, and we can't crawl under and then up, like flies. "

Mary bearing the sole survivor of the unfortunate Hips family now cameup. "I had to let the rest go, " she said. "They were beyond reach. Ifished this one out of the water just in time. What is the matter?Why don't you go on, Polly?"

For answer Polly pointed silently to the creeping waves at her feet. 

"What are we going to do?" asked Mary in alarm. 

"Stay here till the tide goes down, I suppose. This rock is nevercovered, " said Molly. 

"But we may get dreadfully splashed, " returned Mary. 

"I hadn't thought of that, " said Polly dubiously. She looked at therock above her, and then at her two cousins. "Which of you two couldstand on my shoulders and get hold of that rock so as to draw herselfup and go for help?"

"Oh, I never could do it in the world, " said Mary, shrinking back. 

Polly turned to Molly. "Could you?"

"I'm afraid I couldn't pull myself up so far, but I could stand and letyou get on my shoulders, if you could do the pulling up part. "

"I could do that easily enough, " Polly told her. "I've often practicedit with the boys, and we have swung ourselves up the rocks in themountains out home. Are you sure you can bear my weight, Molly?"

"I can try. "

"We'll both do it, " Mary offered. "You can put one foot on my shoulderand one on Molly's, then you won't be so heavy for either one. "

"All right. Steady yourselves. Here goes. " And in a moment Polly hadclambered to the supporting shoulders, had caught hold of the juttingrock and had drawn herself up. As she gained her feet and sped awaycrying: "I'll be right back, " Molly breathed a sigh of relief. "I wasso afraid a piece of the rock would split off and she'd fall, " sheconfessed to Mary. 

It took but a little time to bring Uncle Dick and one of his friendswho swung themselves down easily and set the two stranded children upona safe spot, none too soon, for a big wave almost immediately sent ashower of salt spray over the rock where they had been standing. 

"You would have been drenched to the skin, " said Uncle Dick as he ledthe way to the house, while, left to their fate, the wicked Roseberriesperished miserably. 

_CHAPTER XII_

_East and West_

By the middle of September the cottages on the Point were nearly alldeserted, though the Reids lingered on, to the children's satisfaction. 

"Oh, dear, I don't want to go back to school, to horrid old examplesand things, although I do want to see my dear Miss Isabel, " said Molly, one morning just before the close of their stay. 

"I don't want to see Miss Sharp, I can tell you that, but I do want tosee mother and Reggie and Gwen, " said Mary. 

"I hate to leave you all, " Polly put in, "though I shall be glad to seemamma and papa and the boys. I'll like to see the ponies too, and themountains and everything, but I do wish you girls were going with me. "She really had fewer regrets than her cousins for Polly loved thefreedom of the west, and the miles between seemed very long to thelittle girl who had seen neither father, mother nor brothers for threemonths. To Mary the delights of unlimited supplies of sweet potatoesand corn, bountiful plates of ice-cream, freedom from the vigilance ofa strict governess, and the range of fields and woods, where one neednot fear of trespassing, and which were not enclosed by high walls, allthese compensated much for her separation from her family. 

The time for her leave-taking of America was drawing near, however, forher father wrote that they would probably sail about the first ofOctober, and Uncle Dick would take Polly home about the same time. Aunt Ada, too, had promised to go to Colorado for a visit so Polly feltthat she had anticipations the others did not have. 

"I wish we could all go to Polly's; that's what I wish, " declaredMolly. "I wish my father and mother and Mary and Miss Ainslee were allgoing. "

"I speak for Miss Ainslee to sit with me, " said Uncle Dick coming upwith an open letter in his hand. He handed a second letter to Molly. "Can you read it?" he asked. 

"Of course I can, " returned Molly indignantly. Then she added, "Mammaalways writes to me on papa's typewriter. "

Her uncle laughed, though Molly could not see why. 

"You'd better read every word in it, " he remarked, "for there is bignews there for a young woman of your size. "

Molly hastily tore open the envelope and began to read. She had notfinished the page, however, before she cried out: "News! News! Ishould think it was news. What do you think, Mary? What do you think, Polly?"

"Can't imagine, " said Polly. Then as a second thought occurred to her, "Oh, is your mother going to let you go home with me? I know my motherhas asked to have you, for I wrote to her to beg that you could come. "

Molly shook her head. "No, it's east instead of west, Polly. Motherand I are going to England with Mary and Uncle Arthur. "

"Oh!" Mary jumped to her feet and clasped her hand ecstatically. "Oh, Molly, I am so glad. Aren't you?"

"Yes, I am except for one thing; I know I shall be scared to death ofMiss Sharp. Is she really so very, very strict?"

"My word! but you'd think so. Fancy never being allowed to run, nor toclimb nor to do anything one really likes to do, and, oh, Molly, Iwonder will you eat your meals in the nursery with us children. There's nasty rice pudding twice a week, you know, and there are neverhot rolls nor biscuits for breakfast as you have here, then we do havehorribly cold houses in winter. "

"Oh!" Molly looked quite disturbed by this report. But presently herface again broke into smiles. "But then, to see England and to be withyou, Mary. We shall go up to London in the spring and we shall spendthe winter in Cornwall or Devon, where it is not so very cold, mothersays. "

"Oh, we are to be in the country, then, " said Mary. "I'm glad of that. Papa thought we should take our country home again this winter; we werenot there last year. "

"It's so funny to go to the country for winter and the city forsummer, " remarked Polly. "We do just the opposite. "

"Oh, but we like the country in winter, " Mary explained. "It's jollygood sport to be there then. We have a proper little pony of our own, you know, and we really have quite good times. " Polly laughed. "It isso funny to hear Mary say a 'proper' pony. We would say a real pony, wouldn't we?"

"I shall be corrected a great many times for the American things I havelearned to say, " said Mary. "I've no doubt but that Miss Sharp will becontinually coming down on me for saying them. She is a sharp one, true enough. I'll have to watch myself. "

"She needn't try to correct me, " Molly put in. 

"Oh, but you are an American, " Mary hastened to reassure her, "andyou'll do just as your mother bids you, of course. "

This relieved the situation for Molly. The prospect of frequent drivesbehind the "proper little pony, " and the pleasure of a real EnglishChristmas, which Mary had described in glowing colors, cheered her up, and she stated that she thought she could stand Miss Sharp as long asher own mother would always be on hand to refer to. 

As the three were talking it all over, Uncle Dick appeared at the door. "Well, Mollykins, " he said, "how do you like your news?"

"Oh, do you know it, too?" she said, running up to him. "I like itvery much, but I wish you and Aunt Ada and Polly were going, too. "

"That would be too many at once, " he returned. "Go in and see yourAunt Ada; she has something to tell you. "

"Who is it about?" asked Molly. 

Uncle Dick walked down the porch steps. "It concerns me very much, " hesaid over his shoulder. 

"Concerns him? Do you suppose he is going to England, too?" said Mary. 

"Let's go and find out, " returned Molly. And the three ran indoors towhere Miss Ada sat. 

"Well, kitties, " she said as they came in, "there is a lot of newsto-day, isn't there?"

"Yes, isn't it fine that mother and I are going to England? That iswhat you meant, isn't it?"

"Not all. "

"Uncle Dick said you had something to tell us, " said Polly. 

"So I have. It concerns Polly more than any of you, though it mightconcern Molly if she were not going abroad. "

"That sounds like a puzzle, " laughed Polly. "But Uncle Dick said itconcerned him. "

"The silly boy!" Miss Ada drew down the corners of her mouth. "Nodoubt he'll make it his concern. Why Polly, it is this: Mr. Perkins, your tutor, has had a good offer in Denver and as he is so well andstrong now he thinks he must accept it, and as Walter is old enough togo away to school, your father and mother thought a man was not neededto teach you and the others, so you are to have a new teacher. Guesswho it is to be?"

"Oh, I can't. Tell me. " Polly was all eagerness. 

"Miss Ainslee. "

"Not my Miss Ainslee?" cried Molly in surprise. 

"Your Miss Ainslee. "

"Oh, I'm jealous, " said Molly. "Oh, Polly, to think you will have herall to yourself. Oh, dear!"

"But you will not be here, honey, " said her aunt, "and besides it isbetter for Miss Ainslee that she should go, for the doctor thinks shecannot get along in the east, and that she must either stop teaching orgo to another climate. She isn't ill exactly, but it is better thatshe should not wait till she is. So you see----"

"Oh, I see, but I am sorry all the same, " said Molly dolefully. 

"And I am tremendously glad, " said Polly. "I liked Mr. Perkins verywell, but Miss Ainslee is such an improvement on him. Is she to go outwith us, Aunt Ada?"

"Yes. "

"Then that is what Uncle Dick meant when he said it concerned him. Hewas thinking how nice it would be to travel all that way with her. "

"He's looking further than that, " remarked Miss Ada with a smile. "Ifthings keep on this way I don't believe she will ever come east againto live, Polly. "

"She won't if I can help it, " said Uncle Dick from the doorway. "Whatdo you think of our scheme, Pollywog?" he asked as he caught Polly andtousled her. 

"I think it is grandiferous, " replied Polly, squirming out of hisgrasp. "But you'd better behave yourself, Mr. Dicky-Pig, or I'll tellon you. "

"Just see how she gets me in her power, " said Uncle Dick to his sister. "I'll not be safe a moment from that wicked child's malicious tales. "

"Don't you call me a wicked child, " said Polly darting at him. "Nowfor your nose. "

"Spare me! Spare me!" cried her uncle, putting up both hands. "I'llbe good, Polly; I will indeed, but if you spoil my features, how canyou expect Miss Ainslee ever to like me? If you'll promise to be goodand say nice things about your dear uncle, I'll let you be bridesmaid. "

"Oh, Dick, you silly boy!" expostulated his sister. "Don't fill thechild's head with such notions. He hardly knows Miss Ainslee, Polly, and it will make her so uncomfortable that she will leave, in a month, if your Uncle Dick keeps up this sort of nonsense. "

This hushed up Master Dick and he began to ask Polly such sillyquestions as: "What is the result of half a dozen ears of corn and apint of Lima beans?"

"You can't add ears and pints, " protested Polly stoutly. 

"Oh, yes, you can, " returned her uncle jauntily. "Luella does it oftenand the result is succotash. "

Polly made a contemptuous mouth at him. 

He laughed and went on. "Here's another. When apples are ten cents aquart how much are blueberries?"

"Why, why--they're just the same. Aren't they?" Polly appealed to herAunt Ada. 

"The blueberries are less; they're always less; they're smaller, yousee, " her uncle answered. 

"That's no answer at all, " said Polly in a disgusted tone. "I won'tplay, " and she stalked off to join her cousins. 

Yet, as the poet Burns says: "The best laid plans of mice and men gangaft agley, " and, after all, things did not turn out exactly as was atfirst expected; for when the children had made their rounds to say goodbye to Ellis and Myrtle, Leona, Ora and the rest, and when they wereactually on the boat with Cooney safe in a big basket, Uncle Dickpulled some letters out of his pocket and began to look them over. "Ifound these in our box this morning when I went into the post-office, "he said. "There's one for you, Ada, and here's one for me fromArthur. " He glanced down the page. "Well, well, well, " he exclaimed, "this settles your hash, Miss Molly. "

"What do you mean?" asked Molly, leaving her seat and coming over tohim. 

"Why, listen. This is from Mary's father. 'A turn in the businesswhich brought me over, compels me to remain at least three monthslonger, so I am accepting John Perrine's kind offer to keep my littlegirl till I am ready to go back home. I am sure the dry climate ofColorado will complete the good work of the summer and that I shall beable to take Mary home with her health entirely established. '"

Polly rushed tumultuously at Mary and gave her a hearty squeeze. "I'mgoing to have you! I'm going to have you!" she cried. "Won't we havegood times?"

Molly sat with a very grave face looking on. Her uncle smiled down ather. "Looks as if you were out of it, doesn't it, Mollykins?" he said. 

Molly turned a mournful countenance upon him and gave a long sigh. "Is'pose mother and I will not be going to England at all, " she said. 

"I' s'pose' not, " said her aunt. "In fact I am quite sure of it. " Sheput down the letter which she was reading. "There is a change of plansall around, Molly dear, and you're not left out, as you will see. Youknow, my dearie, that your mother was taking the opportunity ofvisiting England because your father expected to make a business tripwhich would keep him away from home all winter, and your parents hadconcluded to rent their house to some friends. Now that the house isactually rented and you are not going to England your mother will gowith your father, and you, Molly, my kitten, will go to Colorado thatyou may still have your lessons and be in good hands. Your father andmother will stop for you on their way home. As for me----"

Molly did not wait for the last words, but rushed over to where Maryand Polly with heads together were excitedly talking over the plans forthe coming winter. Molly precipitated herself upon them in a tumult ofexcitement. "I'm going, too! I'm going, too!" she cried. 

"Where? Where?" exclaimed Polly. 

"To Colorado! to Colorado, with you and Mary!" chanted Molly. 

A squeal of delight from Polly was followed by one scarcely less joyfulfrom Mary, and then the three took hold of hands and danced around thesteamboat cabin till they dropped in a heap at the feet of their auntand uncle. 

"Just think, " said Molly when she had recovered her breath. "We'll allbe together just as we were this summer, you, Polly, and Mary and UncleDick and Aunt Ada. "

"You must count me out, Molly, " said her Aunt Ada. "I shall do no morethan see you all safely at the ranch, and then I am going to spend thewinter further south with my dear friend Janey Moffatt who has beenmarried a whole year and whom I have never yet visited. I have justhad this letter setting the time for me to come. I think Miss Ainsleeand your Aunt Jennie can keep you three in order. "

"If not, there am I, " put in Uncle Dick scowling savagely. 

"As if you----" began Polly. But he made a dive at her and shedisappeared behind a pillar of the cabin. 

"Now, " said Miss Ada, "it is just as I said: there will be nodifficulty in deciding where Cooney is to go, and to tell you thetruth, my dears, I think he will thrive better in a cool climate thananywhere else, for with their fluffy coats, these little coon cats areliable to fall ill and die where it is too warm for them. The ranchwill be just the place for him. " So Cooney's future was assured and intime he reached his new home safely, none the worse for the longjourney, during which he was tenderly cared for. Luella had gladlytaken charge of Cosey, promising to return to Miss Ada the next summerand to bring the little cat with her. 

"Even if I'm married, " she said, "Granville says I may live with yousummers, Miss Ada, whilst he's off fishing. "

When Molly had spent two weeks with her parents and Mary had seen herfather, the three little girls were ready to set out upon their longerjourney, though it must be confessed that at the last Molly found ithard to say good-bye, and Mary looked rather grave. Polly, however, reminded Mary that there would be no Miss Sharp at the ranch, and UncleDick whispered to Molly that he didn't see how any one could be otherthan happy at the prospect of spending part of each day in MissAinslee's company, and from that began to make such delightful plansthat in a short time they were happy in thinking of the good timesahead of them. Uncle Dick promised to provide each with a safe littlebroncho to ride. Aunt Ada told them that their Aunt Jennie had putthree small beds in her biggest room, so that the little girls couldroom together. Miss Ainslee told Molly confidentially that it made allthe difference in the world to her that she was to have one of her ownlittle pupils with her, and Polly, who really loved Cooney more thaneither of the others, was so delighted at not having to give him upthat she was ready to share him generously with her cousins, and alwayslifted him over into Mary's or Molly's lap whenever one of them said:"Now, Polly, you have had him long enough. "

Altogether the long journey was not unpleasant, and when the travelersat last arrived, though they were weary, they were very happy, and thatnight cuddled down in their little white beds while around theirdwelling place towered up the great mountains, steadfast as thefriendship which was born that summer in the hearts of the three littlecousins and which lasted their lifetime.