ONS.

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."

Cricket scrambled out of bed and ran to the window to peep out.

"There they go now for their swim. Boys! Boys! wait for me!" and Cricket
dropped into h