Amy Brooks

“ Max turned a complete somersault and came up on his feet, declaring himself unhurt, but Gwen took an entirely different view of the matter.
She was not hurt, but her temper was decidedly ruffled.
"Well, I declare!" she cried, "I do think everyone is horrid, but I think Max is just a little horrider than the rest!"
"Why, Gwen, he did his best to stop, but the donkey just wouldn't," said Sprite.
"Well, I wouldn't have been spilled if I hadn't been riding with Max, would I?" cried Gwen. "Something always happens when I go anywhere with Max. ”

“ The dream came true! The golden ship has come in!" cried Sprite, dancing about like a little wild thing, while Mrs. Seaford laid her slender hands on the captain's shoulders, her eyes filled with happy tears as she quietly said:
"For your sake, dear, I am so glad."
Jack Windom, hardy sailor, and bluff, kindly friend, was more moved than he cared to admit. ”

“ The great gulls hovered overhead, flapping their wings, and circling about as if trying to determine what sort of little being it was that boasted such long tresses.
Skimming over a bit of shallow water, she chanced to look down and there, on the sandy bottom, was a shell, different in shape from any in her collection.
"I must have it," she cried, and in a second she had drawn the oars into the boat, had slipped into the shallow water, and having pushed the light boat toward the shore, swam along under water until she came to the spot where the shell lay. ”

“ There's only about a dozen people boarding there, and Gwen said it seemed more select than the place where she'd been staying."
"I said: 'You like Polly Sherwood and Rose Atherton,' and she said, 'Yes, I like them, but it's the grown people that we don't care for,'" concluded Sprite.
"It was the grown people that didn't like Gwen, and no wonder," said Rose. ”

“ Gwen made it really thrilling, but after a time, even her mother felt that the tale was becoming rather lurid for a strictly truthful account, and she dragged Gwen away to the hall, and up the stairway, but she made herself absurd.
"Really, Gwen, you should be a bit careful," she said, as gently as if afraid of offending her small girl. "If your wonderful imagination made you think you saw eyes peering at you from behind those tree-trunks, you should remember that common people might not believe you. ”

“ Ordinary people could not understand."
"I don't care if they don't!" Gwen said stoutly. "I shall tell what I want to, and they can believe it or not, just as they choose."
"I surely am the mother of a genius," murmured the silly woman.
A few days later, great excitement prevailed among the children of the Summer colony at Cliffmore, and their elders were sufficiently interested to talk of the news on the piazza, the beach, the little park, at breakfast, at lunch, and at dinner. ”

“ The best thing to do with your smart girl, is to keep her away from hotels, unless you can keep a chain on her to keep her from prowling," growled Mr. Buffington.
"You don't understand children!" declared Mrs. Harcourt, as with Gwen, she went up the stairway to her room, to which the big man responded: "I shouldn't want to if they're all like that!"
[46] Of course the piazza was alive with buzzing voices. ”

“ As the searchers made their way toward the crest of the hill, the dry twigs that lay upon the ground broke under their feet, and the underbrush snapped as they pushed the low branches back. As they approached the rock where Gwen was sitting, she heard their voices, and believing that instead of one tramp, an entire band of tramps was coming toward her, she screamed with fright, and slipping from the rock, cowered on the grass, trying to make herself as small as possible. ”

“ Gwen meant it rightly, but it did not please Max.
"There you go!" he cried. "That's the same as saying 'sissy' again. I guess I can go where I want to. A man can do as he likes without asking."
Again Gwen blundered.
"Oh, but Max, you're not a man. You're just a boy, and I wish you wouldn't talk as if you meant to go 'way off somewhere."
Just a boy! That was aggravating. Max felt sure that in a moment more she would call him a little boy, and that would indeed be too much for any boy to ever overlook. ”

“ In Gwen she thought it bright and smart, and Gwen held the same opinion, but a young sailor, happening along just in time to hear her say something about a Jack Tar, that was not quite pleasing, stopped for an instant, and looked into her bold, blue eyes.
"Do you know what you need, you little Monkey?" he cried. "You need to have someone give you a big ducking, and then you'd learn not to be so smart." ”

“ A smart cart drawn by a gray donkey came tearing down the beach. Max dressed as a farmer, with blue overalls and straw hat, was making a desperate effort to control the donkey, while Gwen in a chintz frock and pink sunbonnet sat close beside him, clinging to her seat in abject fear. ”

“ One morning the queerest thing [39] happened, and as it was just after breakfast, all the guests of the hotel were present to share the great excitement.
While the guests were at breakfast, the maids had put their rooms in order, and as it bid fair to be a hot day, nearly everyone decided to spend the morning on the broad piazza.
Mr. Pendleton, as usual, sat in his favorite corner. He was talking with another man about some distant city that each had often visited. Evidently there was something about which they could not agree, for their voices rose in angry dispute. ”

“ Harcourt, seeing the group, came out upon the [223] piazza, Gwen flew to her, saying that everyone was teasing her.
"It is an outrage!" cried Mrs. Harcourt, her voice shrill with anger.
"I wonder what you can be thinking of? A half dozen grown people tormenting one small girl."
"My dear Mrs. Harcourt, you don't at all understand," said a tall, haughty-looking woman. "Your little daughter knows where the lost boy, Max Deland, is, and, although his mother is nearly wild with anxiety, she will not tell, that we may know where to find him." ”

“ Rose said. "Gwen tells of being disagreeable, as if she felt proud of it."
"Mrs. Harcourt does the same thing," said Primrose Polly. "She's always telling of horrid pranks, and rude things that Gwen says, and she tells them as if she [18] thought Gwen very smart to act so. It isn't odd that Gwen behaves so badly, for she likes to act just perfectly horrid. She says so, and if she thinks her mamma likes it, what is there to make her stop?" ”

“ Princess Polly and Rose Atherton could think of little else.
It was true that Avondale was a charming place in which to live, and there were pleasant schoolmates and merry times when Winter came. There were fine lawns and beautiful flowers everywhere, but Polly and Rose loved the shore, and surely the salt air was delightful, and the beach a lovely place on which to romp. There was Captain Seaford, whose little daughter, Sprite, had spent the winter at [10] Avondale, and a pleasant little playmate and classmate she had been. ”

“ Even little Rose Atherton was pledged to keep the secret.
"We're to have a lovely time at our house," she said to Polly and Sprite, one morning. "We're to have a perfectly lovely time, and you'll be there to enjoy it, but that is all I can tell. Uncle John [132] said I could say that if I wished to but that I musn't tell any more just now."
"Well, we won't mind waiting to hear just what it is," Polly said, "because we know it will be nice, whatever sort of party it is. We always have a nice time at your house." ”

“ It seemed to the boy in his cramped position as if the coal barge would never start.
At twilight, however, he felt the motion, and knew that he was sailing away from Cliffmore, the empty barge to return with another load of coal, but he, Max Deland, to keep straight on in search of a land [229] where a fellow didn't have to mind his mother, but could seek and easily find a fortune, and then return sufficiently independent to have his own way. ”

“ It flattered his vanity.
"Come back, Max! Come back!" she had shouted.
"Max dear, I take it back. You're not a sissy. Max! Oh, Max, I'm sorry!"
Max heard, but he chose to keep right on, and at last he reached the Sherwood house, and pausing for breath near the gate, had overheard the three friends talking about the boy who had run away from his home at Cliffmore.
A few moments later he had chosen to enter, especially because he was feeling rather cross with Gwen, and as Gwen was not at hand to quarrel with, he entered the garden to sneer at what his playmates were saying. ”

“ Sherwood went in to talk with Aunt Judith, and the four playmates ran over to the Grafton's for a game of tennis. And while they were playing, eagerly hoping to win, each trying to outdo the other, little Sprite Seaford sat in the odd little living room of her home, sorting her treasures, and at the same time thinking what a fine time Princess Polly must be having at Aunt Judith's cottage with Rose and her other playmates. ”

“ Poor Gwen! Max was the only playmate with whom she had ever been gentle. She had treated him far better than she had ever treated the girls at Avondale, or the new acquaintances at Cliffmore, and now he was going to run away, and she was not to ever mention it!
[213] She reached home very tired, and also very unhappy.
At lunch she refused to eat, but that was not unusual. She often did that to attract the attention of the other boarders.
As usual Mrs. Harcourt commenced to fuss, and to question her.
"What is it, dear?" she asked.
"Is there nothing that looks tempting?" ”

“ Polly and Rose were walking along the beach on the way to call for Sprite. They had not decided how to spend the morning, but whatever they chose to do, they surely would enjoy themselves, for never were three playmates happier in each other's company. ”

“ He seemed bent [180] upon running the entire length of the beach, and she watched him until he either entered, or ran behind the little shanty that some workmen were using as a tool house.
"I believe Max is as queer in some ways as Gwen is," mused Sprite.
"I wonder what that little book was, and why he had to stop to read it?"
A moment later she laughed, as she said: "There's one thing everyone knows, and that is that when Max and Gwen are together, they're sure to get into mischief. No one ever spends a minute wondering about that, because they know." ”

“ Harcourt rose quickly, and taking Gwen by the hand, left the piazza, and went up to her room.
"Strange that any woman would be so foolish as to credit a yarn like that even if it is her own child that tells it," said the lady who had spoken of the dry frock that Gwen declared had just been plunged into water. ”

“ The children were greatly excited, and each was interested in the costumes that her playmates were intending to wear, as well as that in which she would herself appear.
There had been an odd happening. Captain Atherton had chosen the list of characters to be represented, and Mrs. Sherwood had written a clear description of the costumes to be worn.
All were pleased with the parts assigned them, save Gwen Harcourt and Max Deland.
"I shall not be one of the mermaids," Gwen had boldly declared. "If I can't be the Water Queen, I'll not be a water fairy at all!" ”

“ There were little hunters, and fishermen, but all agreed that the Sea King with his nymphs, his chariot and his fine horses was best of all.
Polly, Rose, and Sprite were just saying that Gwen and Max had kept out of sight in spite of their declaration that they would be in the procession, in costumes of their own choosing, when Polly happened to turn, and look back.
[112] "Oo—oo—oo! Look!" she cried, and Rose and Sprite, and even the stately Sea King turned to learn what had startled her. ”

“ Gwen Harcourt was telling all whom she met at Cliffmore that she was very tired of living at Avondale, and that she did not think she should live there much longer. She said that if she fussed enough about it, her mamma would take her somewhere else. All who knew Gwen felt reasonably sure that she would "fuss."
Rose knew that her home at Avondale would now be perfect. Uncle John would [240] love her as he always had loved her, and of her new aunt she was already very fond. ”

“ Gwen admitted, "but it must be a horrid job to [174] keep them in order. Leave them where they are and come out on the beach."
"Oh, I can't," said Sprite, and she was about to say that she must place her shells and coral in safe positions before going out, but Gwen did not wait to hear what she had intended to say.
Instead, she hurried out, banging the door behind her.
"I'll find someone who'll do as I want to," she declared, and she ran up the beach to find Princess Polly, but Princess Polly and Rose were both at Avondale, and Gwen ran on to the center of the little coast village. ”