that time her other frock and her hat will have arrived.'

The girls turned to go upstairs, but paused to look at Carlo, who came
running down the steps, wriggling his small body, and whining as though
he were in pain.

'What's the matter with the poor little dog?' they cried.

Every one turned round as Carlo landed on the rug, and stood yelping
distressfully.

'Whatever is the little brute going on about?' said Reggie, looking at
him with curiosity.

'Something is hurting him,' said Hamish.

'I never saw him go on like that before,' remarked Allan.

Laddie sprang forward, wagging his tail and running to every one in
turn, trying to explain that his little friend needed help.

'Look how he bites his tail,' cried Mrs. Stewart, 'why do you do that,
Carlo?'

'Hydrophobia, perhaps,' suggested Allan; and some of the bystanders
edged a little farther away.

'Poor little dog,' said Gerald soothingly; 'tell us what's the matter
with you.'

At the sound of the pitying voice the little dog gathered up his ears,
then sat up and uttered a doleful howl, accompanied by agitated
movements of his fore-paws.

'There's something clinging to his tail,' cried Reggie suddenly,
pouncing upon him. 'Why, just look at this; it's a couple of small
crabs!'

'Where can he have got them from?' asked Mrs. Stewart, looking
bewildered; 'he came from upstairs.'

'Oh, it's--it's--_I_ know,' stuttered Gerald, flushing deeply.
'It's--I'll put it all right, you needn't come.'

The remainder of the sentence was lost as he hurried upstairs.

'Whatever is he about?' said Marjorie; 'let's go and see.'

Gerald became very red again as he was discovered in the room which he
shared with Harry, collecting some small objects from the floor.

You needn't have come,' he said. 'It's--it's only my collection, and
they've been escaping----'

'Ha, ha!' laughed Harry; 'it's those snails and things that he has been
gathering on the beach, and they've crawled all over the place!'

Gerald stood, flushing to the roots of his hair, and shrinking from the
mirth of the others.

His treasures had been trying to make themselves at home in their new
quarters. The little crabs and lobsters had scattered in search of
water, and the shell-fish had crawled over the floor or attached
themselves to the wall, where they waited with tilted shells for the
tide that failed to come.

'Never mind, Gerald,' said Marjorie, as tears began to start in the
boy's eye