A BREATH OF THE SEA
It was with Polly and Rose that Sprite was happiest. She liked Lena
and Leslie, and all the others.
The boys were her trusted friends, and she looked forward to a gay
winter with these new friends. One sunny morning Uncle John Atherton,
with Rose in the motor beside him, drove over to Sherwood Hall to call
for Polly and Sprite.
"We're going for a long ride, Rose, so tell Polly and Sprite to take
their coats."
They were soon ready, and running down the walk, their coats on their
arms.
"Where are we going?" they cried, as they reached the sidewalk. Without
waiting for an answer they clambered into the car.
"Where are we going?" they asked again. "Oh, let's all three sit on
one seat!"
Uncle John turned to look at the three eager faces.
"Well, well! What a lucky man I am!" he cried. "Three fine young ladies
all out for a ride with me. Are you ready?"
"All ready!" cried the merry chorus, "but where are we going?"
"Now _that's_ my secret," Uncle John said, with a laugh, "but I will
say that some business took me to a very charming place this morning,
and I thought I'd like company on the way. I trust you're willing to
go?"
"Oh, yes, yes!" cried three laughing voices.
"Then we'll start at once," said Uncle John, as if he had been waiting
in order to be re-assured.
Over the road they flew, talking and laughing gaily.
"Rose, do you know where we're going?" Polly asked.
"Oh, her Uncle John would tell her," said Sprite.
"He _didn't_" declared Rose, then; "_did_ you, Uncle John?" she cried.
"I certainly did not tell Rose," he said, "and after another half hour
has passed, you three little friends must commence to look about you,
and see if you see anything that looks at all familiar."
"Tell us when the half hour is up," said Polly, "and we'll begin
looking."
They were soon running along country roads, where men were busy in the
fields, and where early fall wild flowers bordered the roads.
Then in a brief space, they began to miss the wild flowers, and to
notice bold bits of ledge, the roads became more sandy, and as they
swung around a bend, they caught a glimpse of the sea.
"Cliffmore! Oh, it's Cliffmore!" cried Sprite her hands tightly clasped,
and her eyes bright as stars.
"_Isn't_ it Cliffmore, Mr. Atherton?" she asked, her little hand patting
his shoulder nervously, as she waited his reply.
He stopped the car, and turned to gaze up into the lovely, eager face.
Sprite, standing, her long golden hair blowing back from her face,
looked for all the world like a sea fairy. Shading her eyes with her
hand, she looked out across the sea that she loved so well.
Then she turned to find his kind brown eyes looking up at her, as if
he were about to speak.
"Dear little girl, I have indeed brought you to Cliffmore. I was obliged
to come here on a little business trip to look after some of my
property, and I took you for sweet company, and because I thought we'd
give two very dear people who live at the 'Syren's Cave,' a great
surprise."
"Oh, I hope father isn't out on the water," cried Sprite. "Mother will
be there, but I want to see them both!"
"I looked out for that," was the cheery reply, "and I wrote to tell
Captain Seaford that I should call upon him to-day. I did not say that
I should bring some callers with me."
"Oh, what fun!" cried Polly.
"_Won't_ they be surprised?" said Rose.
Uncle John turned from the road, and out onto the beach.
The tide was low, and they bowled along over the hard white sand,
little Sprite sitting with her hands tightly clasped, and her eyes
riveted upon the distant speck that she knew to be her home, while
Rose on one side, and Polly on the other, closely watched her pretty,
eager face.
Captain Seaford, sitting just outside the door, was endeavoring to
mend a net, but constant watching for the coming of Captain Atherton
made the task of mending progress slowly.
"I must spunk up a little," he said, "for I want to use this net," but
in spite of his resolve, he was soon watching, as before, for the
coming of his friend.
At last he arose from the low stool on which he had been sitting,
throwing the net down in a heap on the sand.
Mrs. Seaford, seated indoors, was busy, her needle flying in and out,
darning one of the captain's socks.
"I can't keep my mind on my work," he said. "I tie a knot, and then
look up to see if John Atherton is in sight. I never acted like that
before. I'm always glad to see him, but for some strange reason, I
can't wait patiently for him to arrive."
"I'm doing the same thing," his wife said. "I can't keep my mind on
this mending. I take three stitches and then look out of the window.
Isn't it strange?"
The honking of a horn made them hasten to the door.
They saw the big car, they dimly saw Captain Atherton, Polly, and Rose,
but with startling clearness they saw the one thing on earth that they
held most dear,--little Sprite.
She sprang from the car and ran to them, and what a greeting she
received!
Captain Seaford declared that it was the sunlight that made his eyes
water, but gentle Mrs. Seaford made no excuse for her tear-wet lashes.
When the first excitement was over, they were invited to come in and
rest in the quaint living-room of the Seafords' home.
"I thought when I read your letter, Captain Seaford, that you and your
wife were missing little Sprite even more than you had dreamed possible.
I have watched Sprite closely, and sometimes I have thought that she
was homesick. If we make the trip once a fortnight, we shall all be
happier."
"Including yourself, John Atherton," said Captain Seaford, "for I know
you as well as you know yourself. You are never quite content, unless
planning pleasure for others. Oh, I know it, and it's no use to deny
what I say."
"As Captain Atherton is a truthful man, he's not likely to deny it,"
said Mrs. Seaford, "and now if you will all enjoy a shore dinner, I'll
ask you to be my guests."
"I know of nothing more tempting," Captain Atherton said, and then,
because he believed that Mrs. Seaford would enjoy an hour when she
could have Sprite quite by herself, he took Rose and Princess Polly
over to "The Cliffs," where they might amuse themselves, while he
inspected the work that was being done.
The time passed swiftly, and when Polly and Rose had seen all the
places about the house where they had played during the summer, and
Uncle John had satisfied himself that repairs that were being made
wholly pleased him, they found that it was about the time that Mrs.
Seaford had set for their return.
"Come, ladies," he said, and they ran down the driveway, laughing and
talking, and soon in the big car, were spinning down the beach.
As they drew near to the "Syren's Cave," Captain Seaford at the door,
sounded a long, sweet note on the horn. Polly and Rose waved their
handkerchiefs, and Sprite ran out to greet them.
It was a sunny day, with a fresh, cool breeze blowing from the East,
and when they were seated around the table, the big tureen filled with
hot chowder seemed just what their keen appetites craved.
Boiled fish, garnished with cress followed the chowder, and simple
pudding, served with cream, furnished the dessert.
It surely was not an elaborate dinner, but to the guests it seemed the
finest treat that they had ever enjoyed.
The long ride in the fresh breeze had made them eager for the noon
meal, and the sea food, daintily cooked, was a feast.
They lingered at the table, and Mrs. Seaford, and the three little
friends listened, and laughed at the merry stories that the two sea
captains told.
They were all in the big car when Captain Atherton said:
"Oh, now I think of it; there's a package, and a basket in this car
that I meant to leave here, if you'll kindly store them for me."
Captain Seaford, never guessing what the parcel, or big basket
contained, answered heartily:
"Of course I'll store them for you, dear friend, as long as you like,"
and he hastened to take them, carrying them into the house.
"Good-byes" had been said, when John Atherton turned to say:
"Oh, will you please open the parcel, and the basket. They're too
tightly wrapped, I think."
"Ah, I know now that 'tis for myself you wish me to store the heavy
parcel, and the loaded basket. The heart within thy brave breast is
bigger, and warmer than that of any man I ever knew."
It was as Captain Seaford had said.
When, with his wife beside him, he opened the basket, he found it
filled with luscious fruit, beneath which lay a huge parcel of sugar.
In the big bundle that the sturdy captain had found it a task to tug
to the house, was another large bag of sugar, a bag of flour, a parcel
containing beans, a giant squash, and tea and coffee.
"Could he possibly know that at just this time, these gifts are
especially welcome?" Mrs. Seaford asked.
"I can't imagine how he could find that out, but surely they could not
have come at a better time," was the earnest reply.
He turned to hide the tears that had sprung to his honest eyes, when,
for the first time, he saw a large firkin, set just inside the door,
and, as if to keep it company, a large sack leaned against it. The
firkin, as the captain had called it, proved to be a huge tub of fine
butter, and the sack was filled with potatoes.
A card was pinned to the sack.
"These few articles I leave instead of my card.
John."
"Ah, John Atherton, faithful friend, may every blessing be thine,"
said Mrs. Seaford, with trembling lips, to which Captain Seaford,
gently breathed, "Amen."
On the inside of the cover of the butter tub was tacked this note:
"A load of coal for winter comfort will arrive this afternoon. I
_couldn't_ bring it in the auto.
John."
"And see him make a joke by saying that he couldn't bring it in the
auto!" said Captain Seaford, "and thus try to make light of his
generosity. He doesn't blind us to his great goodness, though. He's
one man of a thousand!"
In the auto the three playmates were gaily talking, singing snatches
of blithe little songs, as they sped along the beach, on the way to
Avondale.
"I've loved to be with you before this trip," said Sprite, "but
sometimes I've longed to see home, but now that I'm to go there every
fortnight I'll be gay, and happy all the time. Oh, Mr. Atherton, I
thank you for promising that!"
"And in return, little Sprite, I'll ask a favor," he said. "Call me
'Uncle John,' just as Rose does, and Polly does the same."
"Oh, I will, I _will_!" she cried. "I've always wanted to."
"You will feel more at home with an uncle so near," he said, gently.
* * * * * * * *
Already the boys and girls of Avondale were talking of the opening of
school. Of all the eager ones, Sprite Seaford was the most excited.
Her mother's careful training had fitted her for a class among girls
of her own age, but she did not know that.
She hoped that she might be in the class with Princess Polly, and Rose,
but wherever her place in school might be, she was eager for the "first
day" to arrive.
One morning Polly and Sprite were on the piazza, before breakfast, and
after pacing up and down for a while, they went down the steps, and
around behind the house to search for Sir Mortimer.
"He's sometimes in under the bushes taking a nap," said Polly, and
they crouched to look under the shrubbery. An ear-piercing screech
made them spring to their feet, and there, flying down the road, was
Gyp, tearing along as if in fright, but what could so have startled
wild, careless Gyp?
He did not stop running, nor did he slacken his pace, but looking
straight ahead, as if not daring to look back, to learn if he were
followed, he raced down the street, fear plainly showing in every
movement of his thin wiry legs.
"What _could_ have frightened him?" Polly asked. Sprite could not
guess.
Now, slowly going over his beat a patrolman passed, walking along as
if haste were a thing unheard of.
"_That's_ what made him run!" cried Princess Polly.
"What? The policeman!" cried Sprite. "Why he isn't chasing him."
"Of course he isn't," Polly replied, "but Gyp is so afraid of any one
of the policemen in this town, that he runs screaming just like that
the minute he sees one."
Together they watched, until Gyp was out of sight.
"They say folks here in Avondale are going to _make_ Gyp go to school,"
said Polly, "but I shouldn't think they could do it, and if they
_could_, just think how he'd act!"
"I can't think," said Sprite, her eyes dancing, "but I know I'll like
to watch him the first day."
"We couldn't watch him if we wanted to because he wouldn't be in our
room," Polly said.
"Well, then he'll be above us, because he's bigger than we are," said
Sprite. Polly laughed as she said;
"Oh, no he won't. He's _never_ been to school but a few months, as big
as he is. He'll be in some class below us."
"Why, then he'll be with _little_ children," said Sprite, "and won't
he look funny when he's such a big boy?"
"Well, that's where he'll have to be, _if_ they can make him go!"