FOUR PEOPLE AND THE HALL OF SHELLS. 5 
Miss Bremely’s hands were filled with 
treasures from the beach and her cheeks flushed 
to the delicate tint of sea shells, while the kelp 
she had wound about her hat, trailing down, 
had caught in the loose wefts of her hair and 
fell in tangles of color over the gray folds of 
her gown. But far better than the charm of a 
mermaid was the gentle grace of a loving spirit 
which brought sunshine into the room and joy 
to the child face that lay among the pillows. 
Following Miss Bremely came Tom. Tom 
was preciously human, There was no hint of 
mermen about him. His trousers were rolled 
to the knees and gave evidence of having been 
touched by the waves. He carried his hat 
piled with limpets, spirals, and shining aba- 
lones, while his many bulging pockets sug- 
gested scores of hidden treasures. 
Undine, the child among the pillows, was 
Tom’s little sister,—though Undine was not her 
name at all. She was christened Gertrude. 
It had been her mother’s name, and seemed to 
_ belong to the little girl whose cheerful spirit 
and gentle grace made her so like the sweet 
mother who had been borne away over the 
mystical seas by the same bark that brought 
the little girl to earth. Her father’s niece, 
Miss Bremely, was as mother and companion 
