Bun came running out to see what it all
meant.

"Did you find my gold locket?" asked Rose eagerly.

"No, my dear, we didn't find that," her father answered.

"Did you get my doll back from the bottom of the ocean?" Violet called.

"Well, we pretty nearly did," answered Russ. "Anyhow, we got you one I
guess maybe you'll like as well."

Cousin Tom gave Russ one of the Japanese dolls from the box and, with it
in his arms, Russ ran toward his little sister.

"Look! Here it is!" he cried.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" gasped Violet, hardly able to believe her eyes. "Oh, what
a lovely, lovely doll!"

A disappointed look came over the face of Rose, but it changed to one of
joy when her father took out another doll and gave it to her. Then Mun
Bun set up a cry:

"I want one!"

"So do I!" echoed Margy.

"There is one for each of you," laughed Cousin Tom, as he took out two
more dolls.

"And two left over!" added Russ.

"Oh, where did you get them?" asked Rose. "Oh, I just love mine!" and
she hugged it to her closely.

"My doll's wet!" exclaimed Mun Bun, as he saw the damp dress on his
plaything.

"Mine is, too," said Violet. "But all dolls have to be wet when they
come out of the ocean, don't they, Daddy?"

"Yes, I suppose so. And that is where these dolls came from--right out
of the ocean."

Then the children were told how the queer box had been found again
floating near the beach and how Cousin Tom had waded out in his high
rubber boots and brought it to shore.

Mother Bunker and Cousin Ruth came out to see the find and they, too,
thought the dolls were wonderful.

"And we saw a fish that could walk," added Laddie when the dolls had
been looked at again and again.

Then he and Russ told about the queer-looking skate.

The doll with the wig of black hair that had been soaked off was laid
aside to be mended, as was the one the dress of which was badly stained
by sea water. But the other dolls were almost as good as new. And, in
fact, Rose and Violet would rather have had them than new dolls right
out of the store, because there was such a queer story connected with
them.

"I wonder if they came right from Japan," mused Rose as she made believe
put her doll to sleep.

"We can pretend so, anyhow," said Violet. "I'm not going to cry about my
other doll that was drowned now, 'cause I got this one. She's the nicest
one I ever had."

"Mine, too," added Rose.

I might say that the six little Bunkers never found out