t--please!"

"Never mind, sissy; baby's all right. Bless my soul! who'd want to
carry off a baby? There aint no wild beasts roamin' round, and most of
us's got babies enough o' our own to hum, without borryin of the
neighbors. You'll find him there all safe enough when we get back. Them
shad, ye see, was promised at one o'clock up to the hotel. Cap'n Kent,
ye know, he never breaks his word."

"But you said----?" Mandy began, in a distressed voice, when Bub
interrupted her.

"You'd better keep quiet, Mandy. You would come, 'n' now I hope you'll
get enough of it!"

That was a very long twenty minutes to Mandy, while they drew slowly
nearer and nearer to the steamboat-landing, and the little white and
brown houses of the fishermen, scattered along shore, one by one were
left behind.

"Now, Perry," the "Cap'n" said, as he unshipped his oars, while the
children clambered out of the boat, "just look at that ere watch again.
See if the Cap'n aint as good as his word. Five minutes to one, eh?
Didn't I tell ye? Hello, sissy! Where's that gal goin' to now? What's
your hurry? I'll take ye back in half an hour."

But Mandy was off, running like a young fox along the edge of the
wharf.

"Cap'n," said Bub, "we're much obliged to you, sir, and I guess I'll go
on too. Mandy's awful scared about the baby, and--"

"Lord, what a fuss 'bout a baby!" the "Cap'n" broke in with his loud
voice, "Babies aint so easy got rid of. Wal, may be you'll go rowin'
with the Cap'n again, some day. Tell yer Ma I've got some first-class
lemons, if she wants to make pies for Sunday. Can't get no such lemons
at the store."

But the "Cap'n's" last words were wasted, for Bub was already speeding
off after Mandy.

When he reached the fishing-dock, there she sat, a dismal little heap,
on the ground between the net-poles. She had lost her bonnet; she had
fallen down and rubbed dust in her hair. Now she sat rocking herself to
and fro, and sobbing.

"Oh, Bub! The baby!" was all she could say.

"Look here, Mandy! Stop cryin' a minute, will you?" said Bub. "It's
after one o'clock; may be mother had only half a day at Hillard's, and
come home 'n' found the baby down here; she could see the shawl from
the house."

Mandy jumped up, "Let's go see. Quick!" she cried. But the string of
one shoe was broken, and the shoe slipped at every step. She stooped to
fasten it. "Don't wait, Bub. Go on, please!" Then she felt so tired and
breathless with running and