e little face. She could talk to the baby about
the country. How often she had told him the story of that brief
fortnight!

"And you know, baby, there were real flowers growing; we picked them,
Ben and I, and we rolled about in the grass; yes, we did. You needn't
believe it unless you like, baby, but we did. Oh! it was fine. I had no
headaches there, and I could eat almost anything, and if you never heard
doves cooing, why, you never heard what's really pretty. But never mind:
your time will come--not yet awhile, but some day."

On this particular July afternoon the sun was so hot and the air so
close that even Netty could not find it in her heart to be cheerful.

"Oh, dear!" she said, with a deep sigh, "I do wish it were my turn for
the country this year. I would take you with me--yes, I would, baby. I
wouldn't mind a bit lugging you about, though you are getting heavy. I
wish it were my luck to be going this year, but there isn't a chance."

She had scarcely uttered the last words before Ben's face was seen
peeping at her from behind a corner.

Ben was a year older than his sister; he had long trousers very much
patched about the knees, and a shock head of rough red hair. Next to
baby, Netty loved him best in the world. He beckoned to her now, looking
very knowing.

"I say, come here--here's a lark," he said; "come round the corner and
I'll show you something."

Netty jumped up and, staggering under the weight of the heavy baby,
approached the spot where Ben was waiting for her.

"Such a lark!" he continued; "you never heard tell anything like it. I
say, Netty, what do you say to the seaside for a whole day, you and me
together? We can go, yes, we can. To-morrow's the day; I have the
tickets. What do you say?"

"Say?" cried Netty; "why, of course I say go; but it isn't true--it
can't be true."

[Illustration]

"Yes, it is," answered Ben. "I was standing by the scholars at the
school-house as they was coming out, and they were all getting their
tickets for the seaside treat, and I dashed in behind another boy, and a
teacher came round giving out the tickets and I grabbed two. He said to
me: 'Are you a Sunday scholar?' and I said: 'Yes, I am,' and there was a
big crowd and no one listened. I got two tickets, one for you and one
for me, and we'll go to-morrow. It's to a place called Southend. There's
a special train for us, and we'll take our chance. Oh, isn't it fun?
We'll see the waves and we'll feel the