out fighting its bitter fight
with the elements, till, rising on one last long comber, it swept
magnificently in and grounded on the shore.

The girls were already racing eagerly toward it, and a few minutes later
were welcoming the poor bedraggled survivors back to safety. There were
nine of them in all, four women, one young girl, three men and a little
boy. The child was sobbing and clung to his mother's skirts, terrified.

Betty drew Grace aside.

"Some one will have to take them up to the house, let them dry out, and
give them something to eat," she whispered. "Will you do that, Grace?"

Grace nodded, and Amy, who had overheard the request, begged to go with
her. Mollie and Betty remained behind to watch the rest of the rescue
work.

Luckily the ship was a merchant vessel and carried very few passengers,
so that the life-savers were confident of saving all those on board.
Also the wind was beginning to abate and the sea was becoming less
angry--all of which helped them in their work.

The two girls were standing side by side, eagerly watching the progress
of the second boat, when they were startled by a hail from behind and
turned to find Grace and Amy flying down toward them.

"Mollie!" Amy gasped, trying to catch her breath while her cheeks flamed
with excitement, "we just heard something we thought you ought to know.
You know the woman with the little boy," she hurried on as Mollie was
about to speak, "well, while she was comforting her own child, she
happened to speak of two other children on board--"

"Who cry a great deal," Grace put in eagerly. "They are in charge of a
man who looks like a Spaniard, and they seem to be in mortal terror of
him--"

"Girls," the word burst through dry lips as Mollie took a step toward
them, "what are you telling me? Oh, I can't bear to hope if--" she
grasped Grace's arm and shook it, not realizing how she hurt. "Tell me,"
she cried, "are they boy and girl--"

"Yes," Grace answered trembling. "I don't know, Mollie, dear, of course,
but from her description, those two children sounded an awful lot like
the twins!"

Mollie waited to hear no more, but was off like a whirlwind down the
beach toward the second boat that was just coming in to shore. And while
she ran she was praying with all her fervent young heart.

"Oh, Lord, give me back those babies!" she cried sobbingly. "If you only
will I'll never, never, _never_ ask you for anything again as long as I
live."