Cricket at the Seashore   By: Elizabeth Weston Timlow (1861-1931)

CRICKET AT THE SEASHORE

BY ELIZABETH WESTYN TIMLOW

AUTHOR OF "CRICKET: A STORY FOR LITTLE GIRLS"

ILLUSTRATED BY HARRIET ROOSEVELT RICHARDS

BOSTON

ESTES AND LAURIAT

PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1896

BY ESTES & LAURIAT

Colonial Press:

C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

TO

My Mother

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. OLD BILLY 11

II. A BROKEN WHEEL 21

III. CRICKET'S DISCOVERY 33

IV. KEEPING STORE 45

V. A BATH IN CURDS AND WHEY 61

VI. BEAR ISLAND 79

VII. THE EXILES 101

VIII. A NEW PLASTER 117

IX. GEORGE W. AND MARTHA 132

X. THE ECHO CLUB 147

XI. THE "ECHO" 165

XII. THE HAIRS OF HIS HEAD 180

XIII. A WRESTLING MATCH 192

XIV. PLAYING NURSE 204

XV. A KNITTING BEE 213

XVI. TWO LITTLE RUNAWAYS 223

XVII. HILDA ARRIVES 237

XVIII. A SAILING PARTY 251

XIX. BECALMED 267

XX. A NEW HIDING PLACE 287

XXI. BILLY'S PRAYER 306

XXII. HELEN'S TEXT 323

XXIII. THE JABBERWOCK 333

XXIV. AFTER THE SACRIFICE 344

XXV. THE END OF THE SUMMER 359

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

"CRICKET WENT TO THE WINDOW AND PEEPED OUT" Frontispiece

"OLD BILLY TELLS HIS STORY TO THE TWINS" 31

LANDING ON BEAR ISLAND 87

"THE EXILES" 99

FEEDING GEORGE WASHINGTON "CRICKET BORE OFF HER CHARGE TO THE KITCHEN" 137

"SHE BURIED HERSELF IN HER NEXT STORY FOR 'THE ECHO'" 205

HILDA'S ARRIVAL 235

"CRICKET SAT DOWN ON THE BEACH WITH THE CHILDREN" 293

CRICKET AT THE SEASHORE

CHAPTER I.

OLD BILLY.

The summer at Marbury had begun. On the 20th of June, after seeing the Europe bound party off for New York, the Ward children had arrived, bag and baggage, under Auntie Jean's escort.

Early the first morning after their arrival, Cricket awoke Eunice with a punch.

"Eunice, what do you think I am going to do to day? and I'm going to do it every day till I succeed."

"Don't know, I'm sure," said Eunice, sleepily. "Don't tumble round so. It isn't time to get up."

"Oh, you're such a lazybones," sighed Cricket, whose light, active frame required less sleep than Eunice's heavier build. "It's six o'clock, for the clock just struck. Now I'll tell you what I want to do. Let's dig in the sand banks every day, and see if we can't find mamma's money bag, that she and auntie buried there so long ago."

"All right, and let's search in the cove for the little turquoise ring you lost two years ago, in bathing," answered Eunice, still sleepily, but with much sarcasm.

"Now, Eunice, you needn't come out with any of your sarcastic sinuates," said Cricket, tossing her curly head. " I'm going to do it anyway, and I'm going to find it. I feel it in my bones, as 'Liza says, and I'm going to begin straight after breakfast, if we don't do anything else. Don't tell any one, for I want to surprise everybody."

"I think you're safe to do it, if you want to. I won't tell. Wonder if they've sailed yet," with a thought of the travellers.

"The steamer doesn't sail till eleven; don't you remember? Prob'ly they're just getting up. Come, Eunice, get up. I hear the boys, now."