The Wreck

THE WRECK.

ILLUSTRATED.

NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD, & CO. PUBLISHERS.

COPYRIGHT, BY DODD, MEAD & COMPANY, 1880.

THE WRECK.

Ollie had been swinging for nearly an hour in the grove behind the old farm-house, when she heard her mother's voice calling, "Ollie, Ollie! where are you, child?" Ollie stopped swinging and listened. "That is mamma," she said; "I must run quickly and see what she wants." So, jumping down and leaving the swing to "die away" by itself, she skipped along the path which led up to the back door. Her mother was standing on the step, holding a basket in her hand. When she saw Ollie she said, "Ah, here you are; I have been looking for you all over the house."

"I have been swinging, and only just heard you calling," answered Ollie. "Do you want me?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Rogers; "I want some more sugar. I thought we had plenty, but these new cookies that Mrs. Coe told me about do take a great deal more than my old ones. So, go as quickly as you can, my dear, for I am dreadfully bothered for the want of it."

"Yes," said Ollie, taking the basket; "I will not be a minute. Couldn't Willie go with me? See, he is looking through the window. I am sure a little walk would do him good."

"No, not yet," said Mrs. Rogers. "The doctor says he must not leave the house before next week. Now run along."

Ollie threw a kiss toward the window and started down the path. She was just going to open the gate when she heard a "rat-tat-tat" behind her.

"Willie wants something, I am sure," she said, turning back again; "I wonder what it is! He is pointing under that bush, but I do not see anything. Ah, here you are, you rogue! it is you who are wanted;" and she pulled out a great big black rabbit, Willie's especial pet. "It is just as well that I have to go to the house again, for I forgot my sun-umbrella, and I am sure the day is very hot."

The sun-umbrella to which Ollie alluded was one of her birthday presents, and she was always glad when the sun was hot enough to make it useful. The rabbit being laid in Willie's lap, Ollie started off once more, running as fast as she could to make up for lost time. In a few minutes she reached the village. The sugar was soon bought and tucked away in the basket.

Ollie ran along, and was just hesitating whether she should climb the fence and run through Squire Thompson's lot, or go around by the road, when she saw, just before her, Lucy Coit, walking along with her school-books in her bag.

"There is Lucy," said Ollie; "I wonder what she is doing with her bag of books at this time of day. I will run up and ask her."

Ollie soon overtook her schoolmate, and putting her arm around her waist they walked on together.

"I could not imagine what you were carrying your school-books for," said Ollie. "You can't have been kept after school, for you always know your lessons so well."

"No," said Lucy, "I wasn't kept after, but I stayed myself. I couldn't get a sum in fractions right, and Miss Palmer said if I would wait till every one had gone she would show me about it. Now I know it, and I am going down to the beach. Don't you want to go too?"

"Oh, yes," said Ollie; "but I must take this sugar to mamma first. Let's climb over these bars and cut across this field. It is a great deal shorter than by the road."

There were some geese in the field, which evidently did not like to have their privacy intruded upon, for they set up a terrible quacking as the children passed them. Ollie and Lucy, however, quacked back again, and the geese soon left them and continued to nibble away at the grass.

Ollie soon reached her home, and leaving her basket on the table she ran up-stairs to find her mother, for she wanted permission to go to the beach.

"Yes," said Mrs. Rogers, "you may go; but it looks a little showery, and I don't want you to get wet. Watch the clouds, and if you see a storm coming, hurry home, so as to get in before the rain."

Ollie promised to do as she was told and kissing her mother good-by she ran down-stairs. She found Lucy standing 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.

"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.

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 saw who it was, they ran and sat down, one on each side of her.

Miss Palmer looked up, and upon seeing who it was that had interrupted her she closed her book, and said she was just wishing she had some one to talk to.

"Do you notice how still it is?" she said, "and how close and hot the air is? I fear we are going to have a terrible storm. We must watch the clouds, and run a race with them. If we get home first, all will be well, but if the clouds do, alas for our clothes!"

Just as she spoke they heard a low muttering of thunder, and then suddenly a blast of cold wind rushed by them. The big black clouds rolled rapidly up, and in a moment the whole scene before them was changed. The ocean began to have a lowering, angry look, and a schooner which had been lying lazily in the water gave a bound forward like a live creature, and sped on its way. Miss Palmer sprang to her feet, saying, "Now, children, the time for the race has come. The rain is determined to get there first, but so are we; see who will win the race."

So all three started on at a quick pace. One big drop fell on Lucy's hand, and they hurried on. The race was barely theirs, for just as they stepped in at the door a blinding flash of lightning came, and a crash of thunder almost at the same instant, which made them glad enough that they were safely housed.

Although the thunder and lightning ceased after a while, and even the rain poured itself out, the wind continued to blow furiously. Lucy waited till she dared wait no longer, and then said that she must go home, for she knew her mother was already anxious about her.

"Oh, you can't go, Lucy," said Ollie; "see how that great tree bends; why, you couldn't keep on your feet for one minute."