l plan came
into her thoughts; something she decided that would make up to Melvina
for her mischievous fun. She resolved quickly that Melvina Lyon should
have the happiest afternoon of her life.

"Melly, come back a little way and slip off your fine skirts. I'll take
off my shoes and stockings and we'll wade out to Flat Rock and back.
Luretta will fix your clothes, won't you, Lu?" she called, and Luretta
nodded.

The stains did not seem to come out of the stockings; they looked gray
and streaked, so Luretta dipped them again, paying little attention to
her companions.

[Illustration: "WE'LL WADE OUT TO FLAT ROCK"]

Melvina followed Anna's suggestion, and her starched skirts and hat were
left well up the beach with Anna's stout shoes and stockings, and the
two girls hurried back hand in hand to the water's edge.

Flat Rock was not far out from the shore, and Anna knew that the pebbly
beach ended in soft mud that would not hurt Melvina's feet, so she led
her boldly out.

"It's fun," declared Melvina, her dark eyes dancing as she smiled at
Anna, quite forgetting all her fears.

"It would be more fun if we had on real old clothes and could splash,"
responded Anna; and almost before she finished speaking Melvina leaned
away from her and with her free hand swept the water toward her,
spraying Anna and herself. In a moment both the girls had forgotten all
about their clothes, and were chasing each other along the water's edge
splashing in good earnest, and laughing and calling each other's names
in wild delight. Farther up the shore Luretta, a draggled stocking in
each hand, looked at them a little enviously, and wondered a little at
the sudden change in Melvina's behavior.

"Now show me the clam's nest!" Melvina demanded, as out of breath and
thoroughly drenched the two girls stood laughing at each other.

"All right," Anna responded promptly. "Come on down to the point," and
followed by Melvina, now apparently careless of the rough beach, she ran
along the shore toward a clam bed in the dark mud.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing to the black flats-mud. "There is the
clam's nest--in that mud. Truly. They are not birds; they are shellfish.
I was only fooling."

"I don't care," answered Melvina. "I shall know now what clams really
are."

"And those birds are gulls, not partridges," continued Anna, pointing to
the flock of gulls near shore, "and come here and I will show you a real
alder," and the two girls climb