Cricket at the Seashore

hay was just as sweet and soft to jump on as the haymows were at dear old Kayuna. There was a little added excitement in the fact that Luke was not nearly so good-natured

hey heard him coming, and breathlessly fly around corners, and eagerly report if the "coast was clear," but, after all, all this was more for fun than anything else. This morning they had a clear thre

off on to the soft hay far below. Zaidee ambitiously tried to follow. But half-way up the ladder her courag

er she had rescued her small sister for the tenth time. "If you do, I

dee, stoutly. "It's only when I get

an. At any rate, don't

as a born rebel, and resented any orders of her old

idee!" begged

d then she'll be sorry. Let's j

t great, high beam, with shrieks of fun and laughter, that Zaidee tried the experiment again, of climbing up herself. She

unice, severely. "Now you must stay there and scream till you promise me not to try it again

ke me down, Eunice!" she

down, Eunice, a

it again she would certainly leave her there and go away where she couldn't hear her

came flying back

worms! She's eaten two woolly ones, and one plain one. I'm af

" exclaimed Eunice, as Eliza h

ng disagreeable to herself. Sometimes she says she won't eat any luncheon or dinner, or won't go to

ppermints," suggested Edna. "It's such a hot day, and peppermints make your t

ego her diet of worms, watched the three gi

o," she called

ou stay with 'Liza," said Eunice, but speak

here lots of times with 'Liza. If you're

u some of his, then. Zaidee,

eat. She had lately heard some one speaking of running away

for the way to manage Zaidee was not to take much notice of her. She wa

en," repeated Eunice, look

the slight incline to the village. The treeless road was made of white s

awfully," said Cricket. "I wish I had wooden legs

, 'cause he ain't built that way," chanted Eunice, in

Cricket. "I love stilts. Here we are. Le

ls strolled leisurely into the yar

sked Eliza, hastily, seeing

e those tiresome children done now? They ought to be put in barrels and

Zaidee ran past, saying she wa

e was quite equal to letting them call, if she were in a fit of temper. But they searched in vain. Kenneth insisted they went "that way," pointing down the beach, but Billy

Will, presently. "I think the li

passers-by, and of the immediate neighbours, with no better result. The children had not been seen. Faces began to grow grave, and feet began to fly faster in

by Eunice, had marched disconsolately down

gotten out of the wrong side of the bed that morning, for ever

un to?" asked Hel

for no particular reason. It led them back of the house,

eese factory, which stood upon one side of a little brook. There was a dam here

e called it. Finding the door open, and no one there, she entered, boldly. As it

that were three or four vats or tanks, only, of course, the children did not know what they were. Thes

covered that there were spigots in the tanks. Of course Zaidee instantly proceeded to turn

ng down and spatting her hands in the trough, and then throw

ells so loud," said dai

iffed, cr

it pretty? Let's look over the w

ich she immediately dragged up on the little platform, to stand on. She climbed up and looked in. It was not the vat

dee cried, eagerly. She stretched down her hand to grasp some. She could jus

he cried, puzzled, as s

was too interested to get down. A bigger piece of curd came floating towards her, and she le

with astonishment at Zaidee's sudden disappearance; then she quickly climbed upon the stool to see for herself. Zaidee stood immersed to her waist, with her short, silky black hair plastered to her head with

t face on her wetter sleeve. "It's nasty stuff. It's wor

can you get out? Can you s

eces when you squeeze them," said Zaidee, grasping some with both ha

g on it. P'raps I can pull y

and tried to climb up the smooth, tin-lin

, the children stared

stay there always?" said Hel

sted a little bit! Helen!" with a sudden inspiration, "you jump over here and I'll stand on your

is plan did not str

and my dress wet, too." Helen was one of the children whom dirt distresses, and no soil ever seemed to cling to her

. I don't like it. Please jump in and boost me out;" for the problem of

ot touched the whey. Then she shivered, and hesitated. Zaidee took hold of her leg for fear she would draw it back, but, pulling it a little harder than she

ed and wheyey

n spluttered in her turn. "Doesn't it feel awful nas

ng in a smooth, even layer over the top of the whey. Zaidee slapped and splashed it about in high glee

the planks outside, and t

xclaimed one, coming hastily forward. "Look at the w

ence settled on

n I went off to dinner," said anoth

urds for seaweeds. Helen's floating golden hair, all stringy with whey, was a funnier sight even than Za

hin' in this cheese, for sure

which never long deserted her. "We don't like this w

er man. "Where did you

grandma's. Take us out,

our vats, and a-spilin' good curds and whey? You don't

that she wanted to get out of her

don't like this white water, truly we don't. There are such funny little

spigot?" demanded he

had forgotten about

rn it again," she

take the kid out,"

them city folks down by the beach. Them city children dunno nothin'-can't expect

little figures he had lifted out. "Hull batch spiled. Now, scoot.

t, that did not trouble her. Once outside of the cheese factory they got le

," said Helen, tiptoein

ld not yield to her small fingers. Helen's were loose, and unbuttoned easily. When she got her shoes off

" she said. "The palms of my feet hu

h some difficulty, crowded her feet into her wet shoes again, the children started off in search of a new adventure. The hot sun on

the stream stood a little sawmill. The children ran across the bridge,

ing forward and throwing herself full length into one, bringing a c

ere wallowing in the soft, light dust. In the somewhat damp

aid Zaidee, gleefully. "You're all fuzzy wit

wn, and Zaidee heaped a

ied Zaidee, as Helen emerged, presentl

aidee said, wriggling, but enjoying the sensation, as Hel

listen, at the sound of children's voices. Following this, he immediately discovered

Scaring people into fits, for two hours! By Jove! where have

'm hungry," was all th

ittle figures coming slowly around the house, golden hair and black all of a colour, faces begrimed with dust and streaked wit