et on which your
house is located," said Harry's mother. "As I told the children, he had
a habit of taking things in his mouth and running away with them. And he
might have picked up the pocketbook. Of course it seems a very strange
thing to have happened, but it is possible."

"How did Mr. Ravenwood get the dog which he says in his letter he has?"
asked Mr. Brown, while Bunny and the others listened carefully.

"It is not certain this is our dog," went on Mrs. Slater. "We shall know
that when he comes here after his box. I see how it may have happened.
After Sandy disappeared my husband put advertisements about him in many
seashore papers. He asked that word of finding of the dog be sent to him
at his city office or to me here at Christmas Tree Cove. The
advertisements spoke of how fond Harry was of Sandy. I hope Harry is not
disappointed, and that this will prove to be his dog. And I hope your
wife will find her pocketbook and diamond ring."

"Oh, she will now!" exclaimed Harry.

"That is too much," said Bunny's mother. "I have given up hope of ever
seeing my beautiful ring again. Even if it was your dog that ran in and
picked up the pocketbook, he must have dropped it in some out-of-the-way
place, and there is no telling where it is."

"No, unfortunately, Sandy can not talk," said Mrs. Slater.

"But he can sit up on his hind legs and beg!" exclaimed Harry. "Oh, I
do hope I get him back!"

"So do I!" echoed Bunny and Sue.

The next day was such an anxious one for the children, who were waiting
for the appearance of Mr. Ravenwood in his motor boat with the dog he
had found, that Mrs. Brown finally said:

"Come, kiddies, we'll go for a little picnic down on the beach."

"May Harry come?" asked Bunny, for Harry was over at the bungalow
playing with Bunny and Sue.

"Yes. And we'll invite Harry's mother and Bunker Blue and Uncle Tad,"
said Mrs. Brown. "We'll spend the afternoon on the beach. It will make
the time pass more quickly."

Indeed the time did seem to drag for Bunny, Sue, and Harry. They did not
know just what time to expect Mr. Ravenwood in his boat, to claim his
box and to bring the strange dog. Every now and again the children would
ask:

"When do you think he'll come?"

Then, at last, Mrs. Brown had decided on the picnic as a means of
keeping them quiet.

Picnics were often held at Christmas Tree Cove, and could be quickly got
up. All that was necessary to do was to put up a lunch and go do