is guise new and unexpected charms. "Good
morning, Mayre," said a sweet voice.

Trot gave a start and looked around her in wonder. Just beside her
in the water were little eddies--circles within circles--such as are
caused when anything sinks below the surface. "Did--did you hear
that, Cap'n Bill?" she whispered solemnly.

Cap'n Bill did not answer. He was staring with eyes that fairly
bulged out at a place behind Trot's back, and he shook a little, as
if trembling from cold. Trot turned half around, and then she
stared, too. Rising from the blue water was a fair face around which
floated a mass of long, blonde hair. It was a sweet, girlish face
with eyes of the same deep blue as the water and red lips whose
dainty smile disposed two rows of pearly teeth. The cheeks were
plump and rosy, the brows gracefully penciled, while the chin was
rounded and had a pretty dimple in it.

"The most beauti-ful-est in all the world," murmured Cap'n Bill in a
voice of horror, "an' no one has ever lived to--to tell the tale!"

There was a peal of merry laughter at this, laughter that rippled
and echoed throughout the cavern. Just at Trot's side appeared a new
face even fairer than the other, with a wealth of brown hair
wreathing the lovely features. And the eyes smiled kindly into those
of the child. "Are you a--a mermaid?" asked Trot curiously. She was
not a bit afraid. They seemed both gentle and friendly.

"Yes, dear," was the soft answer.

"We are all mermaids!" chimed a laughing chorus, and here and there,
all about the boat, appeared pretty faces lying just upon the
surface of the water.

"Are you part fishes?" asked Trot, greatly pleased by this wonderful
sight.

"No, we are all mermaid," replied the one with the brown hair. "The
fishes are partly like us, because they live in the sea and must
move about. And you are partly like us, Mayre dear, but have awkward
stiff legs so you may walk on the land. But the mermaids lived
before fishes and before mankind, so both have borrowed something
from us."

"Then you must be fairies if you've lived always," remarked Trot,
nodding wisely.

"We are, dear. We are the water fairies," answered the one with the
blonde hair, coming nearer and rising till her slender white throat
showed plainly.

"We--we're goners, Trot!" sighed Cap'n Bill with a white, woebegone
face.

"I guess not, Cap'n," she answered calmly. "These pretty mermaids
aren't going to hurt us, I'm sure."

"No in