teps.

Benny's eyes brightened as Edna's laugh sounded on his ear.

"You did very wrong to come to-day, Benny," she called to him brightly,
throwing her cloak about her and coming dripping up the steep steps.

Benny grinned sheepishly. "Come to see if Miss Lacey wanted any clams
to-morrer," he drawled.

Edna shook her finger at him. "We don't swim on Sunday. Understand,
Benny? We go to church and sing with all the good people--don't we?"
for Benny was changing from one foot to the other, alternately grinning
and solemn under Edna's bright gaze.

"Yes,--when you don't miss of it," returned the boy, who had hung
around the church steps to-day and peered within until he had satisfied
himself that this was one of the missing days. He was a sufficiently
docile attendant at the sanctuary whenever it meant staring for an hour
at the back of Miss Derwent's head.

"And whenever we miss, it is for some important reason," returned Edna
impressively. "This is Mr. Dunham, Benny," for here John and Sylvia
came up the steps. "He is a friend of mine from home. This is Benny
Merritt, who is going to take us huckleberrying and blueberrying
to-morrow."

"Awfully good of you, Benny, I'm sure," said Dunham, throwing down the
life-preserver, while Sylvia nodded at the boy and pulled off her
oilskin cap.

"Oh, he isn't taking you berrying. You wouldn't care for it, would
you?" asked Edna.

"I don't know. I'm like the fellow who was asked if he could play the
violin. He said he didn't know, for he had never tried."

Miss Lacey looked from one to another of the bathers, who were now
sitting in the sun. She wondered what Mr. Dunham meant by talking about
to-morrow. Was he not instantly going to get into his clothes and start
on his way to the Tide Mill?

The same question was flitting through Edna's brain. She wondered if
her mother would approve her repeating the invitation to John to visit
Anemone Cottage under present circumstances. The young man himself took
possession of the situation.

"Your arrival is very opportune, Benny," he said. "I've just been
wondering who I could get to sail Mr. Johnson's boat back to the farm."

Edna's eyelids lifted. She wondered if her old friend had determined to
invite himself.

"You know where the Tide Mill is, I suppose?" went on Dunham, for Benny
looked unillumined.

"It is Thinkright's boat he wishes to have sailed back," said Edna.

"Oh, yes," answered Benny. "I know."

"I'm going