s now stood watching him with flushed faces and tearful
eyes, murmuring many a fervent prayer for his success, or saying aloud
with clasped hands, "The brave boy, the splendid little fellow! It is
her only chance!"

It _was_ her only chance. Long before poor Lilian, for all her headlong
drive, was back with a sailor she had met just outside the village,
Alice would have sunk to rise no more. She had been caught by the
current and carried out far beyond her depth, and when Harry, panting,
labouring, but swimming valiantly still, got near enough to catch the
long plait of hair, and so draw her gently after him to shore, she had
all but lost consciousness. Better so, perhaps, for had she struggled or
clung to him, both would have been lost.

As it was, there were plenty of hands to carry them to land, once they
were within a safe distance; but Harry was the hero, Harry, alone and
unaided, had saved a human life, for of all the score or so of watchers
on the beach, not one knew how to swim.

Was not this worthy to be called his "Reward?" even if the thanks of the
two pretty sisters and their parents had been less fervent and
heartfelt.

Harry and Dora go often to Seacliff now, even without the rest of the
family; for there is a house near there where they are always most
welcome visitors, and where the only fear is that if Harry were not a
very sensible boy, the attentions of Alice and Lilian _might_ spoil him.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: BROTHERS AND MUSHROOMS]

Mamma was very fond of mushrooms. I don't mean to say that she was a
greedy person or fond of eating, but if she _had_ a weakness, it was for
mushrooms. When she was a little girl, she had lived in a country place
where they grew in abundance, and she had often told the children how
delightful it was to go mushroom gathering, how pretty the creamy-white
heads looked, sometimes almost hidden in the grass, like eggs in a mossy
nest, and what shrieks of fun and eagerness used to be heard when some
specially fine one was suddenly caught sight of.

[Illustration]

But Mamma's _own_ children, Lancey and Dick--Mamma was not very rich in
children, she had only these two little sturdy boys, Lancey was nine and
Dick was seven--had never had the good fortune to live in a mushroom
country. All they knew of mushrooms was when they sometimes happened to
catch sight of them in the kitchen, when cook had bought a little basket
of them, paying very dear for i