tha Stoddard," so that when she jumped up to
follow Millicent the wooden doll fell to the floor without either Anne
or Millicent heeding it.

Rose smiled as she picked it up. "Fairies are useful little people
sometimes," she said to her mother.

The days went very rapidly. Every morning Anne helped Rose with the
household work, and sewed on the garments Mrs. Freeman basted for her.
Every day, too, she wrote in the book for Aunt Martha. Rose made tiny
sketches on many pages: of a wasp's nest, of Anne riding "Range," of
Aunt Anne Rose; and here and there were little landscapes. Anne had
made up her mind to let Millicent keep the wooden doll, but she
sometimes wished that she had left "Martha Stoddard" safe at home in
Province Town.

Beside the work there were games of bowls on the green back of the
house, and pleasant walks about the town. Rose and Anne had made several
visits to Mistress Mason, and Anne had already purchased a fine pewter
pitcher to take home to Aunt Martha, and was knitting a warm scarf for
Uncle Enos. She had not spent all of her money, and planned to buy a
wonderful blue silk sash, which Mistress Mason had shown the girls on
one of their visits, as a gift for Amanda. She had sent a letter to Aunt
Martha Stoddard by a Province Town fisherman known to the Freemans, and
the time was near when "The Yankee Hero," of which Anne's father was
first mate, was due in Boston.

"Like as not your father's vessel will bring a fine prize into harbor,"
Frederick said one morning as he and Anne were teaching Millicent to
bowl, "unless some English frigate has captured her," he added.

All up and down the coast English vessels were on the alert to seize
American ships; but the American vessels were also on the outlook and
had captured many of the enemy's ships.

"They'll not capture 'The Yankee Hero,'" declared Anne. "She's sailed by
Province Town sailors," and Anne gave her head a little toss, as if to
say that Province Town sailors were the best in the world, as she indeed
thought they were.

Frederick laughed pleasantly. "You think a good deal of that old sand
heap," he replied.

Anne held a ball ready to roll, but at Frederick's remark she dropped
it, and stood looking at him angrily.

"It's your turn!" he reminded her, looking at her in surprise.

"It's not an old sand heap. It's the loveliest place in the world. You
can see twice as much salt water there as you can in Boston," she
declared.

"So yo