. Gipsey had come scampering up to me in delighted
recognition as we left the dining room, barking and wagging his tail,
until I should think both his tail and his bark would have been quite
out of joint.

"Oh, Neighbor Oldbird, I'm so glad you have come," began Nelly, eagerly;
"we have been having such fun, and, now you are here, it will be nicer
than ever."

"Do you and Jimmy go in bathing?" I asked.

"I guess we do!" cried Jimmy. "We rush into the water first of anybody,
and go out real deep, when we have hold of the ropes. Some great big
boys are as afraid as anything! But we like to have the waves go over
our heads."

"Talking about big boys," said I, looking wonderfully sly, "I made the
acquaintance of a big boy in our street, not long ago, who knows a
certain little lady very well; and likes her very well, too!"

"Oh, I know!" chimed both the children; "it's Tom Halstead. Isn't it?"

"Yes; he told me something funny about you, too; I did not know you
could wash windows before, Neighbor Nelly."

My little neighbor laughed and blushed comically when I said that, and
then Jimmy said:

"He's a first rate fellow, I tell you. He sent us a letter the other
day, and what do you think? he's coming here!"

"Coming here!" I exclaimed; "my stars! I shall be quite thrown in the
shade when such a nice friend makes his appearance. I think I shall have
to go home again Monday, and I did mean to stay till Wednesday," and I
made up a dismal face, and pretended to be quite heart-broken.

"No, indeed, Neighbor Oldbird! we shall always like you the best!" cried
Nelly, catching both my hands in hers. "He is a very nice boy, to be
sure, but we like _you_ just as much as if you were our bachelor uncle."

"Then I move to be called Uncle Josiah directly!" I said, laughing;
"so, my dear niece and nephew, don't you think it would be a good plan
for us to go down on that nice yellow sand there, and look at the
waves?"

The children were delighted with this plan, so we all three walked to
the steep wooden steps that lead from the bluff to the beach below, and
were soon on the sands. Gipsey came racing after as usual, and in his
haste to join us, ran so fast down the steps, that he couldn't stop
himself, but had to bring up on the sand past the water mark, looking
comically astonished. To put a finishing touch to his misfortunes, a
great big wave came tumbling in just then, and over poor Gipsey it went!
sousing him head and ears