tanding by the fence, looking over
into Mr. Beech's yard. Mr. Beech lived next to Ollie's papa, and he had
one little girl. Every one called her "Chubby," because she was so plump
and round.

[Illustration: Chubby]

"Lucy," called Ollie, "what are you doing?"

"Come here a minute," said Lucy.

Ollie went to the fence, and there she saw Chubby holding a basket full
of delicious ripe strawberries. "Why, Chubby," said Ollie, "what are you
going to do with those lovely berries? How good they look, don't they,
Lucy?"

"Oh," said Chubby, "I must be very careful, for they do roll about so
that I can hardly carry them. You may each have one, but I cannot spare
more, because they are for my tea-party."

So Chubby passed the basket very carefully to the children, while each
one helped herself, and then she started to walk carefully over the
grass toward a seat under a big tree.

"And what is your party?" asked Lucy. "It must be a very nice one, I
think, if you have such things as those to eat."

"Oh, there it is," said Chubby; and looking in the direction of her
finger the children saw a table covered with a white cloth, and a pretty
blue tea-set upon it.

[Illustration: The tea-party]

They had evidently been very hungry when they began the feast, for not a
crumb remained upon one of the plates, and three little girls were
sitting there, waiting patiently for a fresh supply of good things.
Ollie and Lucy watched Chubby till she set her plate of berries safely
upon the table, and then, turning around, they remembered that they
had only a short time to stay at the beach, and that consequently they
had better not lose any more time in loitering by the way.

It was only a quarter of a mile from Ollie's house to the water, and it
did not take long to get over the ground which lay between. Ollie was
never tired of the ocean, and it was a rare thing for her to let a day
pass without spending some time on the shore.

Some one was there before them, and at first the children could not
imagine whom it could be; but as they drew nearer they saw that it was
Miss Palmer, their teacher. She had thrown off her hat, and was reading
so earnestly that she neither saw nor heard the children till they were
close upon her.

Miss Palmer was very much beloved by all of her scholars, and they
thought nothing a greater treat than to sit by her side and listen while
she told them stories or talked to them. So when our two little friends