FOUR PEOPLE AND THE HALL OF SHELLS. 5 



Miss Bremely's hands were filled witli 

 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- 

 lohes, 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 Avho 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 



