ut I couldn't wait to
bring this to you. I thought you would want to know about it."

"I couldn't sleep," explained Judy, "I was so afraid I had lost it."

"It's a funny coin, isn't it," said Launcelot. "Dr. Grennell knows a
lot about such things, and he says it is a very old one."

"Yes," she told him. "Father found two of them on the beach in front
of our house, 'The Breakers.' There have been others found on the
Maryland coast near it, and they say that a Spanish vessel was
shipwrecked off there years ago, and that now and then some of the
money washes in. The fishermen along the shore dig holes in the sand,
and occasionally they find one of these."

"Well, you had better leave it at home the next time you go on a wild
goose chase."

"There won't be any next time," said Judy, with a sober face.

Launcelot looked up from the coin with a quick smile, which faded as
she gave a hoarse little cough.

"Go into the house, child," he ordered, "you will take cold out here--"

"Oh," in that moment Judy was herself again, tempestuous, defiant,
"don't be so bossy, Launcelot."

"Go in," he said again, but she threw up her head and lingered.

"What a beautiful morning it is," she said. "Look, Launcelot, the sun,
it is like a ball of gold through the mist."

But Launcelot was looking at her--at the melancholy little figure in
the trailing red gown, with the dark hair braided down on each side of
the white face, and hanging in a long braid at the back.

"Go in," he said, for the third time, peremptorily. "You are tired to
death, and you will be sick--"

CHAPTER XV

THE SPANISH COINS

Three weeks after Judy's exciting experience at the gipsy camp, an
interesting party of travellers were gathered on the platform at
Fairfax station.

There was a stately old man, imposing in spite of a tweed cap and sack
coat. By his side stood a slender girl in gray, who coughed now and
then, and near them, perched on a brand-new trunk, which bore the
initials "A. B." was a small maiden, resplendent in a modish blue
serge, a scarlet reefer, a stiff sailor hat of unquestionable
up-to-dateness, and tan shoes!

And the resplendent maiden was Anne!

"You must let her go to the seashore with us," the Judge had said to
Mrs. Batcheller. "Judy hasn't been well since she took that heavy cold
the night she stayed out in the pasture--and I know the child pines for
the sea, although she doesn't say a word. And I don't want he