breakers.

Her boa and plumed hat had evidently been put away from the moths. She wore
a most becoming bathing costume of blue and white, and a coquettish silk
handkerchief was knotted around her head. It was evident that, in common
with some other summer girls, she did not intend to wet her fetching
bathing-suit, and certainly it would be a risk to go into the water wearing
the necklace that now sparkled in the summer sun.

"Come here, dearie, and see the baby lobsters," said Jewel, holding her
child carefully away from her own glistening wetness, and seating her
against Mrs. Evringham's knee.

"If lobsters could hop like this," said Mr. Evringham, "they would be
shooting out of the ocean like dolphins. Now you choose one, Jewel, and
we'll see which wins the race. We're going to place them in the middle of
the ring, and watch which hops first outside the circle."

Jewel chuckled gleefully as she caught one. "Oh, mother, aren't his eyes
funny! He looks as _surprised_ all the time. Now hop, dearie," she added,
as she placed him beside the one Mr. Evringham had set down. "Which do you
guess, Anna Belle? She guesses grandpa's will beat."

"Well, I guess yours, Jewel," said her mother; but scarcely were the words
spoken when Anna Belle's prophecy was proved correct by the airy bound with
which one of the fleas cleared the barrier while Jewel's choice still
remained transfixed. They all laughed except Anna Belle, who only smiled
complacently.

Jewel leaned over her staring protegee. "If I only knew _what_ you were so
surprised at, dearie, I'd explain it to you," she said. Then she gently
pushed the creature, and it sped, tardily, over the border.

They pursued this game until the bathing-suit was dry; then Mr. Evringham
yawned. "Ah, this bright air makes me sleepy. Haven't you something you can
read to us, Julia?"

"Yes, yes," cried Jewel, "she brought the story-book."

"But I didn't realize it would be so noisy. I could never read aloud
against this roaring."

"Oh, we'll go back among the dunes. That's easy," returned Mr. Evringham.

"You don't want to hear one of these little tales, father," said Julia,
flushing.

"Why, he just loves them," replied Jewel earnestly. "I've told them all to
him, and he's just as _interested_."

Mrs. Evringham did not doubt this, and she and the broker exchanged a look
of understanding, but he smiled.

"I'll be very good if you'll let me come," he said. "I forgot the ribbon
bo