Cricket at the Seashore

vourite retreats, under some big rocks. It was high tide, and the water lay dimpling and smiling in the sunlight. Down beside the dock, Will

in her favourite attitude, full length on the sand, in which her elbows we

a," she announ

" said Eunice, fanning herse

aren't you? Anyway, I have an idea,

n't let's do it, if we have to do a

you're a lazybones, you know

shed a paper? Now, then, let us have a club and pu

ed rather startled a

pieces for it?" dem

answered Cricket, super

oems, and everything,

ou needn't look at me. Rolling off a log is really very easy indeed." For Eunice, though her own language was n

na opened her mouth and eyes wid

s of stories," answered Cricket, hug

Edna. "Oh, I couldn

nsidering. "Just make them up, that's all. Thing

who had been thinking over the project. "We

h write our o

itor, and printing everything out like a real paper. We might hav

int a copy out for each one? Not if

the subscribers, and each one could pass it t

ke that. We'll just do it for fun. We'll write one number out for

They would tease and spoil th

y did tease, last summer, dreadfully, and they never played with Eunice and me, but were always with Donald." For the summer bef

least Will always is, and Archie is, sometimes

. "They would not stick to it, and they would want us to do it some other way from what we wanted,"-speaking fr

ested Edna, who often had practical id

e'll have badges with 'E. C.' on them, and we'll choose a certain colour ribbon to wear them on, always, and we'll have meetings, and oh, we'll have some by-la

ome stories written to print in it," said Eunice,

Cricket, scornfully. "We want t

" sighed Edna

t's so easy." And at last, Edna, with a

y could carry around blank books with them, and write whenever they thought of anything to say. So they tied pencils around their necks, by long ribbons, and scrib

ered that they were not

nd treasurer, and an editor, to print the paper when it is done. We must make up our rules an

, for we're all he

ith this suggestion. "We must call the meeting first, just as grown-up people do."

d Edna, laughing, bu

were completely screened from observation, both from the house, and from any one passing al

first?" asked E

he motive. Papa has often told us about it, and once I went with mamma to a club of hers. I'

but me, then," objected Eunic

o this: You say, 'All in favour say, aye. Contrary-minded, no,' and then we'll all vote. That's the way they did in

" said Edna, promptly

ng president, say aye,"

aye from the two

y-minded

sidered a unanimous election, and Cricke

minous president

minous preside

hey always say. Now we must cho

do the

writes things," sa

na, brightening. "I nomina

d things. Don't you know, Eunice, that Marjorie was secretary to

to write letters for? We've nobody to write

t all know the duties of a secretary. "And the treasurer takes care of the money,

any money, will you kindl

t stand," sugges

anyway. First, let's take up a collection to buy the paper with, for we've got to have that. And, well, i

ricket for secretary

tive-Cricket, that

I went to that meeting with mamma, they k

d the motive, but then Edna

ry and treasurer, and we'll have Cricket for editor. There won't be any

meditated Eunice. "Wouldn't this be be

et. "I'd just as lief be first edito

be secretary and treasurer, then? All in favour s

he officers are all

y-laws," answered

-laws?" aske

e," broke off Cricket, honestly. "But I think they sound very

are the laws about buying things? or wh

of conviction. "You see then, we'll have to have

we have?" went on Edna, in

write them down, Edna, for your handwriting is so n

ened her book, and

the page," directed Cricket. "Now, Rule One," w

ne? 'We make ourselves into a

od. Now fo

paper called the Echo,'" said Cric

e excused from writing

sha'n't be a rule at all," a

ad, and none of the members shall be allowed to make the others go on long walks and things when it's so roasting hot that nobody wants to stir

e president. "Let's have the third rule about our rib

Cricket, in one breath. The childr

have pale-green,"

's vote for pale-green. How would this do? 'The club will

sounds funny," comm

But that sounds as if

en ribbon to tie their pencils ro

four," said Edna, wait

, By-law one: 'The club will buy foolscap paper to print on, a

cted Eunice. "I shoul

wrote,

bscription of five cents each, and buy

d any more by-laws? Wha

Eunice. "I can't seem to think o

have the paper

sday. Have you your stories nearly done, girls? I guess

mine to-morrow

bright," sighed Edna. "I'll get it done by Frid

e ever so many more things than stories in it. We ought to have jokes, and

ve to make them up, that's all. I thi

. That won't be hard

gets married, that we kno

ity. "In a paper you can make up anything. It doesn't have to be true

anything, it would be easy enough to write of it, of course. How silly people are who make rea

little Wallops"-referring to a little black cat, lately deceased. "Then each of you must send me in some things besides your stories, and I'll ma

e a rule?" la

we make this a rule-how

na, referring to

oons, at three o'clock, in Rocky Nook.' Why, girls! I made up

did name," th

, teasingly, for the boys had given that name to

d Cricket, the unt

that we won't tell the boys?" asked Edna. "I j

hat strict secrecy was to be observed, and that t

icket, reflectively, here, "for we must h

they?" a

rs on it. We could have E. C. put on ours. Then he put a little pin on it, and s

d us the money, I guess, and let u

xt regula

f dimes, with E. C. on them, and will ask

ket, enthusiastically, surveying the neatly

rst editor, Edna, for y

I'll print the paper, any t

na, if I print all the papers. Come, girls, I'm nearly dead with sit

is hot day," answered Edna, stretching herself

to find old Billy, and t