g stretch of white, fine sandy beach, packed hard; an orderly
procession of waves, each one breaking in seething, snowy foam that ran or
crept after a child's bare feet as she skipped back and forth, playing with
them; that was Long Island to Jewel.

Of course there was a village and on its edge a dear, clean old farmhouse
where they all lived, and in whose barn Essex Maid and Star found stables.
Then there were rides every pleasant day, over cool, rolling country, and
woods where one was as liable to find shells as flowers. There were wide,
flat fields of grain, above which the moon sailed at night; each spot had
its attraction, but the beach was the place where Jewel found the greatest
joy; and while Mr. Evringham, in the course of his life, had taken part to
the full in the social activities of a summer resort where men are usually
scarce and proportionately prized, it can be safely said that he now set
out upon the most strenuous vacation of his entire career.

It was his habit in moments of excitement or especial impressiveness to
address his daughter-in-law as "madam," and on the second morning after
their arrival, as she was sitting on the sand, viewing the great
bottle-green rollers that marched unendingly landward, she noticed her
father-in-law and Jewel engaged in deep discussion, where they stood,
between her and the water.

Mr. Evringham had just come to the beach, and the incessant noise of the
waves made eavesdropping impossible; but his gestures and Jewel's replies
roused her curiosity. The child's bathing-suit was dripping, and her pink
toes were submerged by the rising tide, when her grandfather seized her
hand and led her back to where her mother was sitting.

"Madam," he said, "this child mustn't overdo this business. She tells me
she has been splashing about for some time, already."

"And I'm not a bit cold, mother," declared Jewel.

"H'm. Her hands are like frogs' paws, madam. I can see she is a perfect
water-baby and will want to be in the waves continually. She says you are
perfectly willing. Then it is because you are ignorant. She should go in
once a day, madam, once a day."

"Oh, grandpa!" protested Jewel, "not even wade?"

"We'll speak of that later; but put on your bathing-suit once a day only."

Mr. Evringham looked down at the glowing face seriously. Jewel lifted her
wet shoulders and returned his look.

"Put it on in the morning, then, and keep it on all day?" she suggested,
smil