s 'fraid!"

Here grandma Read pressed Dotty close to her heart, as if she wished to
make sure the child was really alive.

"'He gave his angels charge concerning thee,'" murmured she. "Tell me,
child, how thee ever got to the shore."

"O, the captain took us in a sail-boat! He called us crazy chickens, but
said he didn't scold. I was the first one that saw the sail; and then
Solly rowed us to it, and it took us in, just as wet as ever was. Johnny
lost that paddle. So we got home; and, O, how my head aches!"

"What a strange, strange child to tell a story!" said grandma Read,
shaking her head. "But I've seen thee before. I understand thy odd ways.
Thee is deeply ashamed of such wicked conduct--that I am very sure. Thee
must be aware, Alice, that it is only by the Lord's mercy thee is safe
on dry land, instead of being drowned in the depths of the sea."

Dotty shuddered, and curled her crimson face more closely against the
white kerchief.

"But I will not chide thee now. Thy mother will do what is right and
proper when she comes home. But now thee must have a bowl of ginger tea,
and go straight to bed."

Dotty made no objection. Indeed she was glad to find herself tucked
warmly under blankets and coverlets, for she was still chilly, and her
head grew worse continually. It was also a great relief to her that she
had told the whole story. She knew her father would be sorely
displeased; but he had never punished her in his life, and it was not
likely he would do it now, while her head ached so dreadfully.

She wasn't going to tell anybody how sorry she was; but she had made up
her mind to this--that she would never _look_ at salt water again as
long as she lived.

CHAPTER VIII.

MAMMA AND "LITTLE ME."

"O, dear!" thought Dotty, as she lay through the long afternoon, wakeful
and feverish, "I should think there was a drum inside o' my head, and
somebody was pounding on it,--tummy, tum, tum."

Grandma had said it was best to leave her alone, in the hope that she
might fall asleep. But the sleep would not come, though dreams did, one
after another, like pictures in a panorama.

When she shut her eyes, she could see a little red boat rocking on the
water like a cradle; then a great wave would dash against it, and turn
it over, with all its passengers. The screaming sea-gulls seemed to be
looking far down into the water in search of the sinking children; but
the children could not look up to see the gulls,