the man, and with a few strokes from his
muscular arms the little skiff was soon whirling out into the deep
waters of the bay. Then he rested on his oars and floated down with the
tide.

Suddenly a clear and yet shrill voice broke upon his ear.

"Halloo! Halloo there! Won't you come to my rescue, please?"

Varrick could hear the girlish voice plainly enough, but he could not
imagine whence it came.

Again the shrill cry was repeated. Just then he observed a slight figure
standing down near the water's edge of the island he was passing.

Varrick headed for the island at once, and as he drew so near that the
face of the girl could be easily distinguished, he made a wonderful
discovery--the girl was Jessie Bain.

"I am so glad for deliverance at last!" she cried.

"How in the world came you here?" exclaimed Varrick.

"I came out for a little row," she said, "and stopped at this island for
some flowers that I had seen here yesterday. I suppose I could not have
fastened my boat very securely, for when I came to look for it, it was
gone; and, oh! my uncle would be so angry; he would beat me severely!"

Somehow one word brought on another, and quite unconsciously pretty
little Jessie Bain found herself chatting to the stranger, who vowed
himself as only too pleased to row out of his way to see her safely
home.

"Your home does not seem to be a happy one," he said at length.

"It wouldn't be, if they could have their way. It used to be different
when auntie was alive. Now my cousin beats me badly enough, and Uncle
John believes all she tells him about me. But I always get even with
her.

"In the morning my cousin went to her work (she clerks in one of the
village stores), but before she left the house she picked the biggest
quarrel you ever heard of, with me--because I wouldn't lend her the only
decent dress I have to wear. She expected her beau from a neighboring
village to come to town.

"I would have lent it to her, but she's just the kind of a girl that
wouldn't take care of anything, unless it was her own, and I knew it
would be ruined in one day.

"It took me a whole year to save money enough to get it. I sold eggs to
buy it, and, oh, golly! didn't I coax those chicks to lay, though!"

Varrick could not help but smile as he looked at her.

And she was so innocent, too. He wondered if she could be more than
sixteen or seventeen years old.

"About four o'clock she sent a note to the house, and in it sh