Part 9 (1/2)

”Wasn't that grand?” exclaimed Mary. ”I simply adore to swim in deep water.”

”Splendid,” said Zebedee. ”If I were not so modest, I should suggest a rising vote of thanks to the person who so ably brought about this disaster.”

”Why modest?” inquired Dee. ”It was certainly not your fault.”

”Oh, yes it was, honey,” and Zebedee looked meaningly at his daughter; and she understood that it would be certainly pleasanter all around if he took the blame. ”I did it on purpose, too. I wanted to see if my pupils would remember what I had told them about floating. I see Page did remember,--or perhaps she is a born floater, just as she is a bubble maker. I don't believe you remembered any of my instructions at all, did you, Annie?”

”Oh, yes, sir, I did. I was just going to try to lie down on the water, although I was terribly scared, when George came to my a.s.sistance.

I--I--was very glad to see him.”

”Thank you, ma'am,” and Sleepy blushed a deeper crimson than the sun had already painted him.

CHAPTER XI.

CAPE HENRY.

We were still rather damp when we disembarked at Cape Henry and it was decided that the best thing to do was to get into our bathing suits immediately and spread out our clothes to dry. Bath houses were engaged and with them a coloured maid who took charge of our wet things.

”Lawd love us! You is sho' wettis.h.!.+ White folks is pow'ful strange, looks lak dey jes' tries to fall in de water. An' now you is goin' in agin'. You must a got so-so clean out yander in de bay.”

”Don't you ever go in bathing?” asked Dum.

”Who, me? No'm, not me! I hets up some water of a Sat'day night efen I ain't too wo'out, an' I takes a good piece er lye soap an' I gibs myse'f a scrubbin' dat I specks to las' me 'til nex' time,” and with a rich chuckle the girl added: ”An' so fer it has.”

”But all of us simply adore the water!” exclaimed Dum. ”Don't you like the feel of it?”

”No'm, it don't feel no way but jes' wet to me. You all what likes it is welcome to it. I reckon it's a good thing n.i.g.g.e.rs is black so de dirt won't show an' dat white folks is fond er water, 'cause any little siled place on 'em looms up mighty important. Yessum, I's goin' ter hab yo'

clothes good an' dry when you feel lak you is done got clean 'nuf to come outn de ocean,” and the grinning darkey carried off our damp things to hang on a line and we joined the masculine members of our party to take a dip in the surf.

The bathing at Willoughby is quiet, with rarely any surf, but at Cape Henry great waves come rolling in, seemingly from the other side of the ocean. There is a long sand bar running parallel with the beach, which at high tide is submerged but at low tide s.h.i.+nes out dry and white like the back of an enormous sea monster. This bar forms a lovely little pool, calm and clear, in strong contrast to the das.h.i.+ng waves outside.

As soon as the tide begins to recede, which it was doing when we emerged from the bath houses, many little children come to play in this pool, being as safe there as they would be in their bath tubs at home. Curious sh.e.l.ls are to be found there and wonderful pebbles, dear to the hearts of children. I sometimes wonder what finally becomes of children's treasures, the things they gather so laboriously and guard so carefully.

They always disappear in spite of the care the tots give them. I used to think when I was a little thing that the brownies stole my treasures and took them to the baby fairies to play with while their mothers were off painting the flowers or mending the b.u.t.terflies' wings. I hoped that the baby fairies enjoyed my precious bits of coloured gla.s.s and the pieces of s.h.i.+ning mica, and wondered if they knew what little girl had owned them, and if, some day, when they would grow up to be full-sized fairies, they would not do something very nice for me because I had let the brownies steal my toys.

Some of the older children had on bathing suits and were playing in the shallow water, while the younger ones in rompers were seated on the beach, digging for dear life in the warm, dry sand, filling their brightly painted pails, patting down the contents and then turning out the most wonderful and appetizing cakes. Meanwhile, their mammies gossiped together, interfering occasionally when some childish vandal knocked over a prize cake or made off with a purloined spade.

”'Ook, Mammy! ain' my ittle take pitty?” said a dumpling of a baby in pink rompers and a pink beach bonnet tied on over a perfect riot of golden curls.

”Yes, honey chile, it sho' is booful. Mammy's doll baby kin make de pootiest cakes on dis here sand pile. Ain't you gonter gib yo' Mammy a bite? Mammy is pow'ful fond er choclid cake.” And the old woman looked at her little charge as though she could eat her up, too, pink rompers and all.

”I'll dive oo a ittle bit, Mammy, but oo mustn't eat much. It might make oo sick an den baby hab to gib oo nas'y med'cine,” and the little one scooped up some of the sand cake in a sh.e.l.l and her old nurse pretended to eat it with a great show of enjoyment. ”Don't oo want some?” and she held out a tempting sh.e.l.l full to Dee. Dee always attracted all children and animals and was attracted by them.

”Delighted, I'm sure!” and she dropped down on the sand beside the darling baby. For a time even the joys of surf bathing had to be postponed while she played with her newly made conquest.

Annie Pore decided to keep in the shallow pool, having had enough of deep water for the day, and Sleepy stayed with her as though she must be protected from even two feet of water, which was the greatest depth of the pool.

I found that I had learned to swim in some mysterious way. I struck boldly out and took the waves as though I had always been surf bathing.

”Bravo!” exclaimed Zebedee, ”how well you are coming on!”