s with my best
wishes," and he handed Harry the long-lost wedding ring.

It was only a short distance to Mrs. Burns' house, and Harry lost no
time in getting there.

"She was just delighted," Harry told the man, upon returning to the
well. "She says Peter will send you over something for finding it."

"No need," replied the other; "they're welcome to their own."

The last part of the well-cleaning was the actual scrubbing of the big
stone in the bottom.

This stone had a hole in the middle through which the water sprang up,
and when the flag had been scrubbed the well was clean indeed.

"Now you people will have good water," declared the men, as they
gathered all their tools, having first put the top on the well and
tried a bucketful of water before starting off.

"And are there really stars in the bottom of the well?" questioned
Freddie.

"Not exactly," said the man, "but there are lots of other things in the
bottoms of wells. You must get your daddy to show you the sky through a
fireplace, and you will then know how the stars look in daylight," he
finished, saying good-bye to all and starting off for the big deep
well-pump over in the picnic grove, that had not been cleaned since it
had been dug there three years before.

CHAPTER XXII

LITTLE JACK HORNER,--GOOD-BYE

"I've got a special delivery letter for you," called the boy from the
postoffice to Harry.

Now when Jim Dexter rode his wheel with the special delivery mail
everybody about Meadow Brook knew the rush letter bore important news.

Jim jumped off his wheel and, opening the little bag, pulled out a
letter for Mrs. Richard Bobbsey from Mrs. William Minturn of Ocean
Cliff.

"I'll take it upstairs and have your book signed," Harry offered, while
Jim sat on the porch to rest.

"That's from Aunt Emily," Bert told Harry when the messenger boy rode
off again. "I guess we're going down to Ocean Cliff to visit there."

"I hope you won't go very soon," replied Harry. "We've arranged a lot
of ball matches next month. We're going to play the school nine first,
then we're to play the boys at Cedarhurst and a picked nine from South
Meadow Brook."

"I'd like first-rate to be here for the games," said Bert. "I'm a good
batter."

"You're the player we need then, for Jim Smith is a first-rate pitcher
and we've got really a fine catcher in Tom Mason, but it's hard to get
a fellow to hit the ball far enough to give us runs."

"Oh, Bert!" called Nan,