The Secret of Steeple Rocks

. Jack was intending to enter a university in the autumn and tried to persuade Dalton to enter with him, but Dalton told him that he was the man of the family and while it had bee

or the most part the girls wore their bathing suits, with raincoats or heavy coats over them, according to the weather. They swam near the beach, they made trips to the village; they climbed over the rocks, and under Peggy's leadership they becam

liked very much, it seemed, "when we find out why is

n our side, Miss,

pers, Dal,"

ways to adapt herself to them if they forgot to adapt their plans to Peggy. Through Sarita, Peggy was introduced to the different gulls and other sea birds that flapped or sailed or flew over the bay and in the woods. Leslie knew them too and Peggy was envious, she sa

f and they were too polite to ask. That she had been christened Marguerite, Margaret, or some other more dignified name than Peggy they naturally suppo

etimes till Dad said that it wasn't very 'characteristic.'" But Peggy's

ers, little girl,

ou think that 'Ange

ly take their time to their dip. Peggy was telling them about bathing in Florida, and how she loved it. "But I'm glad to be here with you girls now and the peppy days that we usually have he

a hole in a Cove

mean, the hole in

e on, then. Let's do something.

, from one to another while they swam. By this time they had learned where it was safe for them and where the

this time Leslie and Sarita had become quite familiar with the way. They scarcely liked to appear at the great house there just because they knew that Mr. Ive

ck called her, most disrespectfully. Where she had gone Peggy did not know. The pleasant fact was enough for her she told the girls, though not in jus

summer garb. In part the gardens were formal, but there were nooks cleverly wild, yet rescued from the uncomfortable features of real wildness. They sat down on a rustic benc

erious, aren't

ather like the di

of the distance

to the rock,-I mean bored or blasted into i

I think that she mentioned a safe built into the rock. She said t

does,

t's no temptation to her t

be the most enthusiastic member of our

over to other people. Perhaps she has to. Do you remember Mrs. Peacock? She didn't do a thing but preen her feathers and play b

to tell about th

he path which led around into the rocks. They crossed the path by which they had entered the grounds from their own and the

It was not like one hollowed out by the action of water, but more like a space in the midst of rocks which some giant ha

erry pie," Peggy announced, "and there is some lemonade in the 'icy-hot.'"

asket," sympathetically said Leslie. "You should h

row place," laughed Peggy. "Besides

ou hos

are laughing at the lunch, but those were t

lie. "This isn't the first time that you have treated us. Hurrah for blueberry

Now she changed expression. "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, I smell the-smoke of

step or two she looked over the ledge, her hand on a rocky protuberance for safety's sake. "Som

seen. Mother said that Dad might be home to-day, and if

puckered her brow

f trouble. You just don't understand, that's all." Peggy g

that she only has to look at us with 'them eyes' t

you any mare, Leslie Secrest!" But Peggy was half

herself down by the other girls. "It's Bill," she said. "He was going on down, but I couldn't get a good look at

someone on it?" Leslie suggested. "This one end

up from below and see just what is near us here. That does

of the bay, our headland, the sea and a bit of the village from here. Do you suppose that we can see this with our 'min

r the shore, that sent back the spray. Beyond the rim of confining rocks and the Secrest headland, the sea surged more quietly tha

, "is the home of

exactly appropriate, P

ie. "How about

n my chair?" squeaked

rummaging in her basket and now handed out some paper napkins. "Let's have

man," said Leslie. "Put it in pl

ntly finished, flourishing a bottle of olives so vigorously that

as busily as ever of Jack, Dalton and the prospective log house; of the queer happenings at camp and a

eard said and just where it was. I want to get it str

the Count, and if either he or the Count are going to do anything to you folks, I don't want it

e and go down to the shore a while. The house was all still, you know, and I guess it must have been about two o'clock. I would have taken my bathing suit

but what I heard was interesting, so I scrooched down on the step right where I was to listen a minute. That was curiosity, I'll admit, and I ought to h

eggy; but it doe

ven off as you supposed. If I had known that what you told me was an absolute lie

ed broadly. The words were brutally frank, but Peggy's tone robbed them of sharpness. Now she was t

way to produce the effect through you. If you b

gest that we employ'-then I missed a few words just at the important place! Dad dropped his voice a little, and you know how the surf roars sometimes. But I got

ad was coming up the steps. They shook, as you remember they do a little when somebody walks. It was too far to get to t

ance, in places, to

ver saw me. I waited, because I thought the Count might come next, but he never did, and I was so curious that when I hitched up again-you ought to have seen my acrobatic performance, girls,-I sneaked down the steps to

id. "You may have taken m

t wouldn't I ha

boat against the sound of the surf

was behind a tree

ere in earnest. "You know very well, S