Bosom Friends

eat ocean abla

e deep roar

. Charlotte and Aggie Wright and five of the Rokebys were all standing upon the bars, hanging over the top rail and gazing at the metals with su

g up to share in whatever excitement might be on ha

n the rail, and the wheels going over them will flatten them out till they're nearly twice as big. You'd hardly believe what a difference it mak

ng pebbles, a few shells, a mermaid's purse, and the remains of a spider crab. "Stop a moment! No, it's only a button

in the world till to-morrow, when I get my pocket-money. But do

the signal-box, shouting to him to get off the line, for the train was coming. He was barely in time, for in another moment the express came whi

opening the gates to admit a waiting cart from the other side. "I'll take your name next time as you tries

d care of myself, so don't you worry about me." And he rushed impatiently

ie Wright, triumphantly holding up a dinted cop

ch is heads and which is

," said Belle; "it's twice

. Come along. They want to shut the gates again for a luggage train, and we shall h

"It's too hot to walk so far. Isob

s. Even if it is a woolly bear, you'll find plenty more another day.-Here, Arnold, you young monkey, give me my cap."

the path to the churchyard, and get on to the cliffs just ov

glass windows falling in checkered rays of blue and crimson and orange upon the twisted pillars and the carved oak pews. The choir was practising in the chancel, and as they sang, the sun, slanting through the diamond panes of the south transept, made a very halo of glory round the head of the ancient, time-worn monument of St. Alcuin, the Saxon abbot, below. Crosier and mitre had long ago been chipped away by the ruthless hands of Cromwell's soldi

ir softly, the music of their voices mingling strangely with the

wanted again. I suppose he's one of the 'saints in light' now. What a long, long time it is sinc

ispered Belle, pulling at her

he glare of the sunshine once more on the broad flagged path whic

e; "I don't like gravestones-the

d Isobel. "It'll be cooler, for it's

rner, and pulling off her hat to fan her hot face. "I don't like such heat as this; it takes my

round," said Isobel, sitting with her chin in her hands, and gazing ov

d flat expanse of blue, getting a little hazy gray on the horizon, and with a greenish ripple

ad been mown in the churchyard, and filled the air with a fragrant scent of hay; a big bumble-bee buzzed noisily over a bed of wild thyme under the wall, and a swallow was feeding a row of young ones upon the ridged roof of the sexton's cottage. In the great stretch of blue above, the little fleecy clouds formed themselves into snowy

blue part. One could never see them; but perhaps sometimes on a day like this the saints might come back a little way out of the light and nearer to the

munion! fell

uggle; they i

bees, the cries of the sea-gulls, the twittering of the swallows, and all the other glad voices of nature. It looked such a beautiful, joyful, delightful, glorious w

; "you haven't spoken to me for at least five minutes. I

nt. "It's so nice on these steps, one feels as if one were up above everything. It's like being on the roof of t

riously; "I believe you're fond of old churches and musty-fusty monu

kscrews, and many other wonderful and miscellaneous articles, any of which might be bought for the sum of one penny. The main street, narrow and twisting, ran steeply uphill, the high gabled houses crowding each other as if they were trying to peep over one another's shoulders; from the side alleys came the mingled odours of sea-weed and frying fish,

Belle, peeping through the small square panes of th

ripe now, and won't do you no harm. A pen'orth, did you say?" And picking out six of the best pears, she put them into a paper bag and hand

naturally supposing from the size that it was

y the arm as she went out through the door, "do you know what y

flushing. "I didn't notic

istake! Give her a proper penn

d in her poc

e said at last. "I thought I had several. I must have

ly. "We can't take the pears when we haven't

her halfpenny to-mor

t the money and finds out; she'll th

't remember who

ook here; let us take back the bag, and tell her we paid th

Belle. "You go in, wil

arcel, and quickly

give you a penny, and it wasn't a penny at all-only a halfpenny squashed out flat on the railway line; so

man la

ou're an honest little girl to come and tell me. No, I won't

her penknife as they turned away down the street. "So stupid of me to make such a

it to herself, down at the bottom of her heart there was the uncomfortable sus

el crossing she certainly said the halfpenny was all she had until she got her weekly money to-morrow. Perhaps she forgot. Oh d