-strewn children, the barrels in orderly rows
waiting to be rolled to the little landing-place of the steamer, the
heap of clumsy wet netting--all told her the whole astonishing story.
And what they did not tell, Judith supplemented eagerly.

"I declare! I declare!" gasped mother in mingled pride and pity, "you
two poor things, putting in like this! You'll be tired to
death--you'll be sick abed!"

"Guess we'll weather it," nodded Jemmy Three, working steadily. "But
if you think we ain't hungry enough to eat a pine shing--"

"I'll go right home and boil some coffee and eggs and bring 'em down,
and then I'll go to work, too," cried mother energetically. "You poor
starved things!"

After a salt toilet in the surf, they ate a hurried breakfast with
keen relish. Judith had forgotten her aching joints and lame muscles,
and Jemmy Three had forgotten his sleepless night. Victory lay just
ahead of them, and who cared for muscles or sleep!

"This is the best bread 'n' butter I ever ate," said Judith between
bites.

There proved to be the "good eight" barrels, when they were done, and
they were done by six o'clock, or a very little after. By half-past
six, the barrels had been rolled down the slope of the beach to the
little wharf not far away. Then the tired two rested, and remembered
muscles and sleep.

They dropped in the soft, moist sand and rubbed their aching arms.

"I'm proud o' _you_, Jemmy!" Judith said shyly, and looked away over
the water. Her repentance had come back and lay heavily on her heart.
She longed unutterably to recall those evil thoughts--to have another
chance out there beyond to summon Jemmy Three with the little shrill
old signal. How she would send it shrilling forth now!

"Jemmy," she said slowly, as they waited, "you know our signal, don't
you? The one we used to practice so much."

For answer Jemmy Three pursed his lips and sent out a clear
"carrying" cry.

"Well, I wish--don't you know what I wish?"

"'Twas Christmas," Jemmy said flippantly, but he knew. He dug his
bare toes in the sand--a sign of embarrassment.

"I wish I'd called you out there at the school!" lamented Judith,
"even if you couldn't have heard. I wish--I wish--I _wish_ I'd called!
If I ever strike another school--Jemmy, I'd give you half o' this one
if I dared to. But I'm afraid to have Blossom wait--I don't _dare_
to!"

"O' course not," agreed Jem Three vaguely. He did not at all know
what Judith meant. Girls had