"Oh, her Uncle John would tell her," said Sprite.
"He _didn"t_" declared Rose, then; "_did_ you, Uncle John?" she cried.
"I certainly did not tell Rose," he said, "and after another half hour has pa.s.sed, you three little friends must commence to look about you, and see if you see anything that looks at all familiar."
"Tell us when the half hour is up," said Polly, "and we"ll begin looking."
They were soon running along country roads, where men were busy in the fields, and where early fall wild flowers bordered the roads.
Then in a brief s.p.a.ce, they began to miss the wild flowers, and to notice bold bits of ledge, the roads became more sandy, and as they swung around a bend, they caught a glimpse of the sea.
"Cliffmore! Oh, it"s Cliffmore!" cried Sprite her hands tightly clasped, and her eyes bright as stars.
"_Isn"t_ it Cliffmore, Mr. Atherton?" she asked, her little hand patting his shoulder nervously, as she waited his reply.
He stopped the car, and turned to gaze up into the lovely, eager face.
Sprite, standing, her long golden hair blowing back from her face, looked for all the world like a sea fairy. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked out across the sea that she loved so well.
Then she turned to find his kind brown eyes looking up at her, as if he were about to speak.
"Dear little girl, I have indeed brought you to Cliffmore. I was obliged to come here on a little business trip to look after some of my property, and I took you for sweet company, and because I thought we"d give two very dear people who live at the "Syren"s Cave," a great surprise."
"Oh, I hope father isn"t out on the water," cried Sprite. "Mother will be there, but I want to see them both!"
"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 s.p.u.n.k 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.
"I can"t keep my mind on my work," he said. "I tie a knot, and then look up to see if John Atherton is in sight. I never acted like that before. I"m always glad to see him, but for some strange reason, I can"t wait patiently for him to arrive."
"I"m doing the same thing," his wife said. "I can"t keep my mind on this mending. I take three st.i.tches and then look out of the window.
Isn"t it strange?"
The honking of a horn made them hasten to the door.
They saw the big car, they dimly saw Captain Atherton, Polly, and Rose, but with startling clearness they saw the one thing on earth that they held most dear,--little Sprite.
She sprang from the car and ran to them, and what a greeting she received!
Captain Seaford declared that it was the sunlight that made his eyes water, but gentle Mrs. Seaford made no excuse for her tear-wet lashes.
When the first excitement was over, they were invited to come in and rest in the quaint living-room of the Seafords" home.
"I thought when I read your letter, Captain Seaford, that you and your wife were missing little Sprite even more than you had dreamed possible.
I have watched Sprite closely, and sometimes I have thought that she was homesick. If we make the trip once a fortnight, we shall all be happier."
"Including yourself, John Atherton," said Captain Seaford, "for I know you as well as you know yourself. You are never quite content, unless planning pleasure for others. Oh, I know it, and it"s no use to deny what I say."
"As Captain Atherton is a truthful man, he"s not likely to deny it,"
said Mrs. Seaford, "and now if you will all enjoy a sh.o.r.e dinner, I"ll ask you to be my guests."
"I know of nothing more tempting," Captain Atherton said, and then, because he believed that Mrs. Seaford would enjoy an hour when she could have Sprite quite by herself, he took Rose and Princess Polly over to "The Cliffs," where they might amuse themselves, while he inspected the work that was being done.
The time pa.s.sed swiftly, and when Polly and Rose had seen all the places about the house where they had played during the summer, and Uncle John had satisfied himself that repairs that were being made wholly pleased him, they found that it was about the time that Mrs.
Seaford had set for their return.
"Come, ladies," he said, and they ran down the driveway, laughing and talking, and soon in the big car, were spinning down the beach.
As they drew near to the "Syren"s Cave," Captain Seaford at the door, sounded a long, sweet note on the horn. Polly and Rose waved their handkerchiefs, and Sprite ran out to greet them.
It was a sunny day, with a fresh, cool breeze blowing from the East, and when they were seated around the table, the big tureen filled with hot chowder seemed just what their keen appet.i.tes craved.
Boiled fish, garnished with cress followed the chowder, and simple pudding, served with cream, furnished the dessert.
It surely was not an elaborate dinner, but to the guests it seemed the finest treat that they had ever enjoyed.
The long ride in the fresh breeze had made them eager for the noon meal, and the sea food, daintily cooked, was a feast.
They lingered at the table, and Mrs. Seaford, and the three little friends listened, and laughed at the merry stories that the two sea captains told.
They were all in the big car when Captain Atherton said:
"Oh, now I think of it; there"s a package, and a basket in this car that I meant to leave here, if you"ll kindly store them for me."
Captain Seaford, never guessing what the parcel, or big basket contained, answered heartily:
"Of course I"ll store them for you, dear friend, as long as you like,"
and he hastened to take them, carrying them into the house.
"Good-byes" had been said, when John Atherton turned to say:
"Oh, will you please open the parcel, and the basket. They"re too tightly wrapped, I think."