is appeared,
trouble puckering his pleasant face into worried lines. He had
forgotten all about the finding of the pin in a more personal interest,
for the cares of life had been suddenly thrust upon him. His brother
Parker the day before had sailed away to the Grand Banks for
sword-fishing. He had left his young wife and little baby in Ellis's
charge. Now Leona had fallen ill, "and," said Ellis, "it's up to me to
take care of the baby."

"Is there no one else?" asked Miss Ada, as Ellis told his doleful tale.

"Ora Hart is taking care of Leona," Ellis answered; "but she has as
much as she can do to look after her own children. She's Leona's
cousin and she's awful good to come in at all. You see most
everybody's got folks of their own to see to, and they can't spare much
time, although they're all willin' enough to do what they can. I ain't
much used to babies myself. I got Nellie Brown to look after her while
I come up here. I knew you'd wonder why I didn't bring them clams I
promised, and so I come to tell you why. I hope it won't put you out,
Miss Ada."

"We can have something else just as well," she told him. "We are
rather used to not getting just what we plan for," she went on,
smiling, for be it known one could never tell, at the Point, just how
an order might turn out. If one expected lamb chops like as not "Hen
Roberts hadn't fetched over no lamb," or if mackerel had been ordered
like as not the fish delivered would be cod, and the excuse would be
that some one came along and carried off the entire supply of mackerel
before the last orders were filled; therefore it was no new experience
for Miss Ada to have to alter her bill of fare.

"I'm awful sorry about havin' to stay home just now," said Ellis
disconsolately, "for this is when I expected to get in some time with
the boat. I promised two or three parties to take 'em out, and now
I'll have to get some one else to take my place, but I'll have to let
'em go shares. Park's let me have the _Leona_ whilst he's away, but,
if I could run her myself, I could make twice as much."

The three little girls listened attentively, and presently Polly
twitched her Aunt Ada's sleeve. "Couldn't we take care of the baby?"
she whispered.

Miss Ada looked down at her with a smile, but shook her head.

"Oh, why not?" said Polly in ft louder whisper. "I'd love to."

"So would I," came from Molly on the other side.

Miss Ada beholding the eager faces said: