"I looked out for that," was the cheery reply, "and I wrote to tell
Captain Seaford that I should call upon him to-day. I did not say that
I should bring some callers with me."

"Oh, what fun!" cried Polly.

"_Won't_ they be surprised?" said Rose.

Uncle John turned from the road, and out onto the beach.

The tide was low, and they bowled along over the hard white sand,
little Sprite sitting with her hands tightly clasped, and her eyes
riveted upon the distant speck that she knew to be her home, while
Rose on one side, and Polly on the other, closely watched her pretty,
eager face.

Captain Seaford, sitting just outside the door, was endeavoring to
mend a net, but constant watching for the coming of Captain Atherton
made the task of mending progress slowly.

"I must spunk up a little," he said, "for I want to use this net," but
in spite of his resolve, he was soon watching, as before, for the
coming of his friend.

At last he arose from the low stool on which he had been sitting,
throwing the net down in a heap on the sand.

Mrs. Seaford, seated indoors, was busy, her needle flying in and out,
darning one of the captain's socks.