-defence. But Dorothy, in
similar fix was eating as if she were afraid of losing the dainty,
while Gerald merrily pretended to snatch it away.

"Ha! That shows the difference--greed and daintiness!"

Then in a changed tone he exclaimed:

"Pretty close shave for the pickaninny!"

Dorothy held her dripping bit of melon at arm's length and quickly
asked:

"What do you mean? Why do you look so sober all of a sudden?"

"Metty came near drowning. Tried to follow his mother over the field
to the melon-patch and fell into the water. Mrs. Calvert was walking
around the deck and heard the splash. Nobody else was near. She ran
around to that side and saw him. Then she screamed. Old Cap'n says by
the time he got there the little chap was going under for the last
time. Don't know how he knew that--doubt if he did--but if he did--but
he wouldn't spoil a story for a little thing like a lie. Queer old
boy, that skipper, with his pretended log and his broken spy-glass.
He----"

"Never mind that, go on--go on! He was saved, wasn't he? Oh! say that
he was!" begged Dolly, wringing her hands.

"Course. And you're dripping pink juice all over your skirt!"

"If you're going to be so tantalizing----" she returned and forgetful
of lame Elsa, sped away to find out the state of things for herself.

Left alone Elsa began to tremble, so that her teeth chattered when
Gerald again held the fruit to her lips.

"Please don't! I--I can't bear it! It seems so dreadful! Nothing's so
dreadful as--death! Poor, poor, little boy!"

The girl's face turned paler than ordinary and she shook so that
Gerald could do no less than put his arm around her to steady her.

"Don't feel that way, Elsa! Metty isn't dead. I tell you he's all
right. He's the most alive youngster this minute there is in the
country. Old Cap'n is lame; of course he couldn't swim, even if he'd
tried. But he didn't. He just used his wits, and they're pretty
nimble, let me tell you! There was a boat-hook hanging on the
rail--that's a long thing with a spike, or hook, at one end, to pull a
boat to shore, don't you know? He caught that up and hitched it into
the seat of Metty's trousers and fished him out all right. Fact."

Elsa's nervousness now took the form of tears, mingled with hysterical
laughter, and it was Gerald's turn to grow pale. What curious sort of
a girl was this who laughed and cried all in one breath, and just
because a little chap wasn't drowned, though he might h