FOUR PEOPLE AND THE HALL OP SHELLS. 7 



" There may be eyes that read these gospels 

 Other than the eyes of men." 



-- When the child was busy, one day, sorting 

 her shells, Miss Bremely told her of Ossian's 

 lordly cave with its "hall of shells where kings 

 and warriors feasted," and Undine had asked 

 that, because of her love for the sea and be- 

 cause her name was that of a sea maiden, her 

 room might be a hall of shells. Her cousin 

 consented upon the conditions that Undine 

 learn the names and what she could of the 

 haunts and habits of her treasures. So Un- 

 dine's room, opening toward the ocean, became 

 a little hall of shells, and those who loved her 

 brought their treasures into it, until it was 

 growing to look like an ocean cave or a mer- 

 maid's throne room. 



It was here that Miss Bremely and Tom 

 came after their walk upon the strand. Miss 

 Bremely placed her basket of shells upon a 

 table by the bed, while Tom, with more devo- 

 tion than discretion, dumped his dripping treas- 

 ures upon the coverlet before his sister. 



Miss Bremely's smothered " O Tom ! " 

 was unheard as Tom, with hands deep in his 

 bulging pockets, exclaimed : 



" Old Pacific must have been thinking 

 about you, Undine ; our cove was full of 



