sently stooped and gathered a flower or two.

"Did yon ever see such lovely white violets?" she said; "and is not
that eyebright delicate, with its edging of colour? There are
quantities of flowers here. And have you noticed how deep and rich the
colours are? No, you have not been here long enough perhaps; but they
are finer than any I ever saw of their kinds."

"What do you find down at the shore?" said Miss Caruthers, looking very
disparagingly at the slight beauties in Lois's fingers. "There are no
flowers there, I suppose?"

"I can hardly get away from the shore, every time I go to it," said
Lois. "O, I have only begun to explore yet. Over on that end of
Appledore there are the old remains of a village, where the people used
to live, once upon a time. I want to go and see that, but I haven't got
there yet. Now take care of your footing, Miss Caruthers--"

They descended the rocks to one of the small coves of the island. Out
of sight now of all save rocks and sea and the tiny bottom of the cove
filled with mud and sand. Even the low bushes which grow so thick on
Appledore were out of sight, huckleberry and bayberry and others; the
wildness and solitude of the spot were perfect. Miss Caruthers found a
dry seat on a rock. Lois began to look carefully about in the mud and
sand.

"What are you looking for?" her companion asked, somewhat scornfully.

"Anything I can find!"

"What can you find in that mud?"

"_This_ is gravel, where I am looking now."

"Well, what is in the gravel?"

"I don't know," said Lois, in the dreamy tone of rapt enjoyment. "I
don't know yet. Plenty of broken shells."

"Broken shells!" ejaculated the other. "Are you collecting broken
shells?"

"Look," said Lois, coming to her and displaying her palm full of sea
treasures. "See the colours of those bits of shell--that's a bit of a
mussel; and that is a piece of a snail shell, I think; and aren't those
little stones lovely?"

"That is because they are wet!" said the other in disgust. "They will
be nothing when they are dry."

Lois laughed and went back to her search; and Miss Julia waited awhile
with impatience for some change in the programme.

"Do you enjoy this, Miss Lothrop?"

"Very much! More than I can in any way tell you!" cried Lois, stopping
and turning to look at her questioner. Her face answered for her; it
was all flushed and bright with delight and the spirit of discovery; a
pretty creature indeed she looked as she st