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Away went the two little girls, Melvina's long braids dancing about, and her starched skirts blown back as she raced along; and, greatly to Anna's surprise, Melvina passed her and was first at the shop. "I beat! I beat!" exclaimed Melvina, her dark eyes shining and her face flushed with the unwonted exercise.
The river ran to Machias, and, had it not been that she was sure her father and sister would be worried and sadly troubled by her disappearance, Anna would have thought it a fine adventure to go sailing down the stream with her captured rabbit. Even as it was, she had a gleeful thought of Luretta's surprise and of Melvina's admiration when she should tell them the story.
"My father is the best father in all the world, and my mother is the best mother, and my sister is the best sister," she announced to the little group as she said good-night. But the shadow of Mrs. Lyon's disapproval was not forgotten; Anna wondered to herself if there was not some way by which she could win the approval of Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, and so be allowed to become Melvina's friend. "Mrs.
Foster, "but Melvina's father will expect her to wait here for him; so, Luretta, you and Anna may stay with her until he comes. Here is a clean log where you can sit comfortably, and do not go far from this spot." The little girls promised, and Mrs. Foster started for home.
"It will not take long," urged Anna, clasping Melvina's arm, while Luretta promptly grasped the other, and half led, half pushed the surprised and uncertain Melvina along the rough slope. Anna talked rapidly as they hurried along. "You ought really to see a clam's nest," she urged, between her bursts of laughter; "why, Melly, even Luretta and I know about clams."
"But Melvina's things are all bought in stores in big towns, and your presents are all from the woods, just as if you were a little Indian girl," objected Luretta, who greatly admired the ruffled gowns of Melvina's dolls, such as no other little girl in the settlement possessed.
And at this thought Anna forgot all about shoes and stockings, all Melvina's fine garments, and even Melvina herself, and ran as fast as her feet could carry her toward Luretta's home. At the blacksmith shop she stopped to take breath, and to see if Luretta might not, by some happy chance, be there; but the shop was silent. Mr.
"Indeed!" ejaculated Caroline, with an emphasis that would have attracted Melvina's attention, had her thoughts and feelings not been at the moment too much engaged. "Yes, I have. He's so calm and cold, and rigidly polite to me whenever we meet, that I am chilled with the frigid temperature of the atmosphere that surrounds him.
"You are a rough child," she sobbed, "and I wish I had not stopped to speak with you. And my knitting-bag with my half-finished stocking is lost!" At the sight of Melvina's tears both Anna and Luretta forgot all about showing her a "clam's nest," and became seriously frightened. After all, Melly was the minister's daughter, and the Reverend Mr.
"Let us hasten; the tide is coming in now, and Luretta will have taken our things up from the beach," said Anna, taking Melvina's hand and hurrying her along over the ledges. "I am glad indeed, Melvina, that we are better acquainted, and we will often wade together." But Melvina shook her head dolefully. "My mother does not like me to play out-of-doors," she said.
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