She pulled herself away from Anna's effort to straighten her hat. "You are a rough child," she sobbed, "and I wish I had not stopped to speak with you. And my knitting-bag with my half-finished stocking is lost!"

At the sight of Melvina's tears both Anna and Luretta forgot all about showing her a "clam's nest," and became seriously frightened. After all, Melly was the minister's daughter, and the Reverend Mr. Lyon was a person of importance; why, he even had a colored body-servant, London Atus by name, who usually walked behind the clergyman carrying his cloak and Bible, and who opened the door for visitors. Often Melvina was attended in her walks by London, who thought his little mistress far superior to the other children.

"Don't cry, Melvina," pleaded Luretta. "We will find your bag, and we will wash the stains from your stockings and dress, and help you back up the slope. Don't cry," and Luretta put a protecting arm about the frightened Melvina. "Your hat has only slipped from your head; it is not hurt at all," she added consolingly.

Melvina was finally comforted, and Anna climbed up the slope to search for the missing bag, while Luretta persuaded Melvina to take off her stockings in order that they might be washed.

"They'll dry in no time," Luretta a.s.sured her. "I can wash them out right here in this clean puddle, and put them on the warm rocks to dry."

So Melvina reluctantly took off her slippers, and the pretty open-work stockings, and curling her feet under her, sat down on a big rock to watch Luretta dip the stockings in the little pool of sea water near by, and to send anxious glances toward the sandy bluff where Anna was searching for the missing bag.

CHAPTER III

MELVINA MAKES DISCOVERIES

The sun shone warmly down on the brown ledges, the little waves crept up the sh.o.r.e with a pleasant murmur, and Melvina, watching Luretta dipping her white stockings in the pool, began to feel less troubled and unhappy; and when Anna came running toward her waving the knitting-bag she even smiled, and was ready to believe that her troubles were nearly over.

In spite of the sunshine dark clouds were gathering along the western horizon; but the girls did not notice this. Anna and Luretta had forgotten all about the sloop _Polly_, and were both now a little ashamed of their plan to make sport of Melvina.

"Here is your bag all safe, Melly," called Anna, "and while Luretta is washing your stockings I'll rub off those spots on your pretty dress.

Can't you step down nearer the water?" she suggested, handing the bag to Melvina, who put it carefully beside her hat and agreed promptly to Anna's suggestion, stepping carefully along the rough sh.o.r.e to the edge of the water. The rocks hurt her tender feet, but she said nothing; and when she was near the water she could not resist dipping first one foot and then the other in the rippling tide.

"Oh, I have always wanted to wade in the ocean," she exclaimed, "and the water is not cold."

As Anna listened to Melvina's exclamation a new and wonderful plan came into her thoughts; something she decided that would make up to Melvina for her mischievous fun. She resolved quickly that Melvina Lyon should have the happiest afternoon of her life.

"Melly, come back a little way and slip off your fine skirts. I'll take off my shoes and stockings and we'll wade out to Flat Rock and back.

Luretta will fix your clothes, won't you, Lu?" she called, and Luretta nodded.

The stains did not seem to come out of the stockings; they looked gray and streaked, so Luretta dipped them again, paying little attention to her companions.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "WE'LL WADE OUT TO FLAT ROCK"]

Melvina followed Anna's suggestion, and her starched skirts and hat were left well up the beach with Anna's stout shoes and stockings, and the two girls hurried back hand in hand to the water's edge.

Flat Rock was not far out from the sh.o.r.e, and Anna knew that the pebbly beach ended in soft mud that would not hurt Melvina's feet, so she led her boldly out.

"It's fun," declared Melvina, her dark eyes dancing as she smiled at Anna, quite forgetting all her fears.

"It would be more fun if we had on real old clothes and could splash,"

responded Anna; and almost before she finished speaking Melvina leaned away from her and with her free hand swept the water toward her, spraying Anna and herself. In a moment both the girls had forgotten all about their clothes, and were chasing each other along the water's edge splashing in good earnest, and laughing and calling each other's names in wild delight. Farther up the sh.o.r.e Luretta, a draggled stocking in each hand, looked at them a little enviously, and wondered a little at the sudden change in Melvina's behavior.

"Now show me the clam's nest!" Melvina demanded, as out of breath and thoroughly drenched the two girls stood laughing at each other.

"All right," Anna responded promptly. "Come on down to the point," and followed by Melvina, now apparently careless of the rough beach, she ran along the sh.o.r.e toward a clam bed in the dark mud.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the black flats-mud. "There is the clam's nest--in that mud. Truly. They are not birds; they are sh.e.l.lfish.

I was only fooling."

"I don't care," answered Melvina. "I shall know now what clams really are."

"And those birds are gulls, not partridges," continued Anna, pointing to the flock of gulls near sh.o.r.e, "and come here and I will show you a real alder," and the two girls climbed over a ledge to where a little thicket of alder bushes crept down close to the rocks.

"And those splendid tall trees are pines," went on Anna, pointing to the group of tall trees on the bluff.

Melvina laughed delightedly. "Why, you know all about everything," she exclaimed, "even if your hair is short like a boy's."

"I know all the trees in the forest," declared Anna, "and I know where squirrels hide their nuts for winter, and where beavers make their houses in the river."

The two girls were now beyond the ledge and out of sight of Luretta, and Anna was so eager to tell Melvina of the wonderful creatures of the forest, and Melvina, feeling as if she had discovered a new world, listened with such pleasure, that for the moment they both forgot all about Luretta.

At first Luretta had been well pleased to see that Melvina was no longer vexed and unhappy; but when both her companions disappeared, and she found herself alone with Melvina's soiled and discarded skirts and the wet stockings, she began to feel that she was not fairly treated, and resolved to go home.

"Dan can play with Melvina Lyon if she likes her so much," thought Luretta resentfully, and started off up the slope. Luretta was nearly as tidy as when she left home, so she would have no explanations to make on her return. As she went up the slope she turned now and then and looked back, but there was no sign of Anna or Melvina. "I don't care," thought the little girl unhappily. "Perhaps they will think I am drowned when they come back and don't find me." She had just reached the top of the slope and turned toward home when she saw London Atus hurrying along the path that led to the church.

"Perhaps he has been sent after Melvina, and can't find her," thought Luretta; and she was right; the colored man had been to Captain Horton's house to walk home with his little mistress, and had been told that Melvina had not been there that afternoon; and he was now hurrying home with this alarming news.

Anna and Melvina were now comfortably seated on a gra.s.sy knoll near the alder bushes, Melvina asking questions about woodland birds, and the wild creatures of the forest, which Anna answered with delight.

"Perhaps you can go with Father and me to the forest to-morrow," said Anna. "We are going to find a liberty pole, and 'twill be a fine walk."

"I know about liberty poles," declared Melvina eagerly, "and my father is well pleased that the town is to set one up. But, oh, Anna! surely it is time that I went on to my visit with Lucia Horton!" and Melvina's face grew troubled. "Do you think Luretta Foster will have my clothes in good order?"

At Melvina's words Anna sprang to her feet. "I think she will do her best, and 'tis well for us to hurry," she responded; "but you have had a good time, have you not, Melvina?"

"Oh, yes! I would like well to play about on the sh.o.r.e often; but I fear I may never again," said Melvina; her smile had vanished, and she looked tired and anxious.

"Let us hasten; the tide is coming in now, and Luretta will have taken our things up from the beach," said Anna, taking Melvina's hand and hurrying her along over the ledges. "I am glad indeed, Melvina, that we are better acquainted, and we will often wade together."

But Melvina shook her head dolefully. "My mother does not like me to play out-of-doors," she said. "Do you think, Anna, that Luretta is quite sure to have my things clean and nice?"

The two little girls had now come in sight of the place where they had left Luretta. They both stopped and looked at each other in dismay, for the tide had swept up the beach covering the pool where Luretta had endeavored to wash the stockings, and the rocks where Anna and Melvina had left their things, and there was no trace either of Luretta or of their belongings.

"Luretta has taken our things up the slope," declared Anna. "She saw the tide would sweep them away, so she did not wait for us."

"But how can we find her?" wailed Melvina. "I cannot go up the slope barefooted and in my petticoat. What would my father say if he met me in such a plight? He tells me often to remember to set a good example to other children. And I would be ashamed indeed to be seen like this."

"You do look funny," Anna acknowledged soberly. Her own flannel dress had dried, and, except for her bare feet, she looked about as usual; but Melvina's white petticoat was still wet and draggled, her hair untidy, and it was doubtful if her own father would have recognized her at the first glance.

"I will go and get your things," said Anna. "Come up the slope a little way, and sit down behind those juniper bushes until I come back. Luretta must be near the pine trees. I'll hurry right back, and you can dress in a minute."

Melvina agreed to this plan, and followed Anna slowly up to the juniper bushes, and crouched down well under their branches so that she was completely hidden from view; while Anna scrambled hurriedly up the slope and looked anxiously about for some sign of Luretta and the missing garments. But there was no sign of either; so she ran along the bluff to where the pines offered shelter, thinking Luretta must surely be there.

And now Anna began to be seriously alarmed. Perhaps Luretta had been swept out by the tide before she could save herself. And at this thought Anna forgot all about shoes and stockings, all Melvina's fine garments, and even Melvina herself, and ran as fast as her feet could carry her toward Luretta's home. At the blacksmith shop she stopped to take breath, and to see if Luretta might not, by some happy chance, be there; but the shop was silent. Mr. Foster had gone home to his supper; but Anna did not realize that the hour was so late, and ran swiftly on.

As she neared the house she stopped suddenly, for Luretta was standing in the doorway, and Rebecca was beside her, and they were both looking at Anna. There was no time to turn and run back.