The Secret of Steeple Rocks

he horse were picking themselves up and out of some blackberry bushes. Leslie was rel

ve known better, but you held up your hands, you know. Say, I coul

y, but when she knew her better, she found that

shes would do," said Dalton, pulling a long blackberry bra

nse to throw your robe over the bush,-not that it did much g

her feet, looking questioningly at

t, Dal?" Les

to anything,-a

wo," added the n

lton, "and only eased your fall.

so good, but neither are y

crest and this is

asked if she could not help get out some of the prickles. Sarita was introduced while they drew out of t

someone to lean upon. Dalton still stood by the blackberry bushes, getting rid of briars, and wip

se?" Peggy asked. "Did

t he must have picked himself up, for I looked

tch it' at home. O

ing youth of perhaps Dalton's age. Both were riding, their horses carefully held in to keep them fr

d. That boy

ently. "Jack says that you bolted into th

aw him roll down the hill, but he isn't

to direct the boy to give Peggy his horse and go down into the village to find t

thrown his bathrobe around his shoulders and started for the beach as soon as he had seen the Ives deleg

ment after Peggy, looking back with

we what?" a

Ives bo

nyway, and maybe he did bo

e Secrest-Ives meller-d

have you now, Sarita? What was scen

aughter rescued by the hero. Leading lady, star of the movies

little younger than we are, but it's hard to tell. She has a f

ut he wants to get rid of us, that's clear, and he doesn

right. Wouldn't it be too bad if there was something crooked about the title and Father didn't know it!

dad a la

n anyhow! The salt water will near

scratches. "I'm hurrying off now," he said, after they came out of the water. "I'll probably have to get the name of the man Father bought the place of from

you. You'll not be dress

p the cliff and maybe have some accident

bossed her, and her name is Peggy

ucky about her bruises. I shouldn't be surprised but she sprained her ankl

at Steeple Rocks! You'd better go

on, his bathrobe flap

y picked themselves out of the blackberry briars, that it was not. The cold sea water felt good to it and he gave himself a vigorous rubbing both in an

rtly after his own arrival, he called to h

at Beth would go anywhere wi

d Sarita la

n't expect to play football up here, you know. P

e liniment. Handing it in through the flap of the te

ocks out my going anywhere with my good

to do would be to telephone somebody to fix it up and that would get ahead of you anyh

the village and get some means

r covering the aching shoulder. But he looked more dogged than happy as he st

anyhow we are in this lovely country. It wouldn't cost much to put our things in a truck and go somewhere else, but not on any old land of Mr. Ives'! We could r

lie, or on the bay. Maybe he just wa

ts to t

its. Elizabeth was absorbed in her first successful sketches. Dalton brought back from the village some fine fish and reported that he had

us supper, she officiated as chief nurse in making Dalton comfor

ding, Dalton," consolingly said Beth, gently rubbing in the li

ft, Beth. You are as go

Dal," returned his sister. "I've been a poor substi

over sentiment expressed. "You've had to do Father's job too. Boy,

mind-read

he place. You and the girls will want to come along sometimes, too. We'll go out and get you fine views of the shore and beach and

rishing

hus Elizabeth accepted the change of plan with