The Secret of Steeple Rocks

the "Sea Crest Yacht," only a variation of their own name, she said. Sarita thought it delightful that their name was so appropriate to these circumstances a

es seem very much better to build in the woods," said Dalton bare

his boat, Leslie," suggested Elizabeth, by way

t name it," Leslie repl

lie's idea. I'm teaching her to be at the wheel, Beth, and al

late if I have, but do

ar old emerg

d careful, but had to be!" As she spoke, Leslie put

ponsibility now," laughed Elizabet

learned that we have to take th

n't like conseq

uckily the entrance to the bay is broad enough, and the bay itself is remarkably free from rock

ilt there or not. It was Dalton who suggested a "lookout," a small shelter among the rocks, where Elizabeth could paint, and from which all of them could watch the changing sea, or be protected from a storm.

expected to help him was delayed with other work. They heard nothing from the young lawyer at home about an abstract of tit

wrote another letter to the lawyer and after learning that one of Bill's sons had charge of the little village post office, he hired a horse and rode himself t

boat and the prospective building. But they had no regrets. There would be enough to do it and Dalton told Beth that with her attaining fame from some picture of Steeple Rocks,

ent there? It isn't any worse with rocks than lots of other places around here w

el, Sis. There. Turn it that way just a little now. Good girl. But all the same, you keep out of Pirates' Cove, Leslie. So far as the

e wheel, "but that is it. When we have a Pirates' Cove ri

row around into the Ives' territory "one of th

Ives of our existence, if he should see us. Let's let well enough alone, folks. When we hear that w

then," said Dalton, with a grin. "T

m this trip, they found Peggy Ives at the camp, in animated conversation with Beth. Beth was showing Peggy their

ore she thought. She and Leslie had so dubbed P

as quite a performer, wasn't I? I just came over to tell you how much obliged I am that your brother made me jump before I got to that

think that we can do that. You see, we have chiefly camping c

go away on business the very next day after I fell, and we haven't seen a thing of him since. I would have been over before, but

you had would do something

ad started the "regrets," "but Beth is right about our clothes, Peggy. You'd be

ther, and I am very sure that she will be disappointed if you can not come. She told me to bring you to-day if you would, and if you had something else that you were doing to-

various seats that Dalton had provided,

h. "I still think, though, that, as Leslie says, it would be better for you to visit us here. Stay

e boy that you saw the other day is with me. He stopped back in the woods on the way over from the road.

Go and ask your friend to come too. It doesn't take any time to coo

it! Well, I'll go and call

isappearing into the woods. "'How now, Malvolio?'" he i

s a dear little girl,-though for that matter, I imagine th

in such a funny way, saying that perhaps we thought her too young to 'play with us,' but she would like to know

at Dal does not like Mr. Ives, from somethin

give me a lame shoulder and a few bruises and scratches o

arita said, "but hurry up with that fish. Leslie and I will he

iling and his frank face interested, as they could clearly see. He acknowledged the introductions with the manner of a boy used to meeting people

er father and I did not know but she might be seriously hurt after all; and after being shake

with the fish. "If Dad hadn't been so cross o

lie thought it good of him to make excu

ie that Jack was worth a dozen of their other guests, most of them friends of her father's, she said. But almost everyone was grown up, she said, and Peggy had no chu

Steeple Rocks very soon, to which all the camping party would come. Beth thought that it would be very pleasant and accepted for the family, which wa

s and says anything, they may remember that Beth was the only one who said anything definite about accepting, and e

he girls' surprise. They had seen Peggy go up purposely but shyly to Dalton after supper

but at that, Peggy Ives may have reason to dread her father, even t

h, alone, who accepted an invitation to enter the Ives' launch. S