ff.

The children were both very quiet on their return ride from the station,
and Auntie Jean began to fear that they might be homesick, with all
their playmates gone. But when they reached home again Cricket drew
Eunice into a quiet corner, and surprised her by flinging her arms
around her neck, with a gigantic hug.

"I do love Hilda and Edna," she said, "but there's nobody like my old
Eunice, and I'm _so_ glad to have you all to myself for a little while
again. I _don't_ want to be selfish, and poor Edna hasn't any sister,
but--"

"Why, you poor little thing!" said Eunice, hugging her small sister,
heartily. "I expect _I've_ been very selfish. I've never thought that,
perhaps, you were being lonely when I was so much with Edna. You always
seemed so happy."

"Oh, I am _happy_!" answered Cricket, surprised. "I always am, I guess.
But I do love to be with you, all by your lonesome, and now let's have
some real old Kayuna times. Come down on the beach, and let's talk about
it," with another squeeze. And then, with their arms about each other's
waists, they ran down the yard.

On the small sloping beach behind the big rocks, Zaidee and Helen and
Kenneth were playing by themselves. Helen and Kenneth were sitting up
very straight and stiff, with their little legs out straight in front of
them, and their small hands folded in their laps. They were listening
with intent faces, and round, wide-open eyes, to Zaidee, who, with small
forefinger uplifted, was telling them something, with a very serious
face. The girls crept softly near to see what they were doing.

"And these _naughty_ chil'en," went on Zaidee, "came out of the city,
and they made lots of fun of Lishers, and they ran after him, an' kept
calling him names, an' saying, 'Go up, ole bullhead! go up, ole
bullhead!' An' Lishers got very angry--as angry as Luke did the other
day, when I asked him if he liked to have such mixed-up eyes," (poor
Luke was very cross-eyed, and very sensitive about it), "and he said,
'There's some gre-at big bears in these woods, 'n' I'll call 'em to come
and eat you chil'en up, if you doesn't stop calling names. Only bad
little chil'en, 'thout any one to tell 'em any better, calls names.'
But they didn't one of 'em stop, an' Lishers just whistled, an'
forty-two bears came trotting right out of the woods, an'
eated--up--every--one--of--those--bad--chil'en, quicker'n scat.
'Liza said so, herself. So, Helen and Kenneth, you mustn't ever ca