Cricket at the Seashore

e of her hands and stu

up by those rocks? No, not near

llowed

t! See she's standing up now. I know her by the broad white flannel collar on her blue dress. Now they are coming down to the beac

r thought about the tide going out, and meant to come back and get us later. It takes so long to get used to

l Marbury. It's so pretty when the bay is full. But, Eunice, we've got to make up our minds to stay here and broil, this whole afternoon. Even if Cricket should start this minute, she couldn't get here. Do you see that broad, smooth pla

," said Eunice, philosophically, "only we never happened to be caught and obliged to stay. And it might b

Edna, looking very unresigned.

ime. We'll eat our luncheon, and then you can embroider and I'll read to you some more. Or let's go on playing that we're shipw

cted Edna, "there wouldn't be

wreck," she went on, changing her tone. "And don't let's stay here and bake in the sun any longer. I'm just drizzling away. Come back to the rocks and eat our luncheo

end if you were going to be hung. You'd play

ots easier. Besides, it's more fun. Do you suppose aunti

hat she's forgotten us. We can't be run away with very well, and nothing can happen to us here. And

h! Naughty, naughty Cricket! wah-whoo-wa

s to her mouth to form a trumpe

t! go back! You'

over the water, and they could see

she knew what would happen better than Eunice did. But Cricket evidently did

ill be all bare in two minutes, and she doesn't know it,

cherous bank, where it stuck fast. The girls watched her, eagerly, as th

xclaimed Edna, anxiously. "She

ill another flat, which was fast uncovering itself, between her and the island, but if she could only get through that, there was water enough beyond to float her to the island. That had a rock foundation, and the water was unexpectedly deep around it. But, unfortunat

ding up, carefully, and turning around. F

ghed at the obvious

at a little goose to try to get o

y. "See, now. Five minutes ago there seemed to

s were now visible in every direction, while stre

all my life, how quickly the

alculating upon it, and knowing by the looks of the water how long it will take, that we forget you don't know so well. But what will Cri

stockings, and wade in through the mu

at all to this mud, if you step in it. Keep-perfectly-still-Cricket," she h

ms perfectly heartless to sit down and eat

t do her any good," obje

ing, with my Cricket out there, sta

't help Cricket any. She would

l," replied Eunice, obst

ece, so we won't just die with hunger, then we'll call to Cricket that we won'

nice, after considering a moment

ncheon-till you-get-

ck Cricket, cheerful

as-still-as-you-can, -so-the-boat-won't-sink

ir luncheon, selected a small sandwich each. It really took considerable self-control not to satisfy two heart

ice, anxiously, glancing toward the

ver. The boys, catching sight of the signal, waved frantically in return. Presently, all the others, grandma, auntie, old Billy, and the childr

e done," sighed Edna, "exc

harder for them to be anxious about us, and about Cricket, than for us to be h

he stood up and slipped off the blue flannel skirt of her little sailor suit, standing up in her short white petticoat. She hung the skirt by the hem over the oars, and immediately she had a very fair substitute for a tent, to shield her from the

-playing-I'm-Marco-Bozzar

there was nothing to be done for the shipwrecked mariner and he

Eunice, with a thrill of envy,-but she stood fast to her reso

scarcely do, unless she deliberately jumped out, so securely was the boat held. So the time went on, and Eunice and Edna, after a while, su

h-to-talk-to-you?" called bac

ed conversation. But there was no answer, and, looking again, they saw tha

in amazement. "Well, I never knew Cricket to

at ever was! I should think it was to-morrow morning. It's worse than that day last summer when

ered Eunice, "between papa and Donald. I suppose it was funny t

in the channel? The tide is turning at last. In an hour or so, now, the water will be high

brown ooze became a smooth, even, brown paste, and then, a few minutes later, the usual transformation scene took place. The bay was so protected by the long arm of land that half surrounded it that there was not on

rls, in eager chorus. "Wake-up! wake

the situation. Quickly she pulled down her tent, and restored her skirt to

-can!" called Edna. "Roc

movement, dipping her oars lightly in the deepening water.

aving her oar, and then appl

k then to pull in shore. If the two sisters had been parted for a year, they could not have greeted each other more rapturously. They r

e luncheon was opened. "I almost thought I'd eat my shoes out in the

said Edna, munching away at the sandwiches with much s

tle row, and I played they were castaways from the burning ship. Then I took them in, and sat down to rest, and then I thought it was time to come b

gs are all coming down

g-coddies to tie the oars up with, to make my tent. Why, I had lots of fun, girls. I couldn't think of any shipwrecked hero wh

midnight in his shrouded tent

t have gone to sleep, for the sun was pretty hot, even under my tent, and it made me dreadfully s

Edna, "but we can start as soon as there is the least bit of water over it

ice, contentedly, "since Cricket is here, and

ng. Probably they mean it is safe to start now. Let's get rea

ide in the middle of the day," said Euni

surveying its mud-splashed sides. "Won't t

Cricket, quite undisturbed, as she yielded the