Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/370

350 why they have n’t come; for Amy always does what she says she will do.” There were a few others in the water,  but, as it happened, no one whom the cousins knew very  well. Suddenly, after they had been in a minute or two, a girl on the shore waved her hands, and continued waving  until Brenda realized that she was beckoning to her.

“I wonder who it can be?” Then, as she swam shoreward, “Why, it’s Frances! I wonder what has brought her down here.”

In a few moments Brenda rejoined Julia, and told her that Frances was visiting the Whittingtons at their cottage  on the cliffs just beyond Rockley.

“She’s coming out in her bathing-suit presently. She says that she has been taking lessons, and that she can do  all kinds of remarkable things in the way of swimming and  diving.”

Presently Frances joined Brenda and Julia. She nodded at Julia, and approached Brenda with more enthusiasm.

“I’m glad that you are going in to-day, Brenda. None of the Whittingtons care for bathing, and so I came down to  the beach alone. If there had been time, I should have sent some one up to your house to inquire. But I did n’t think of it until the last minute, and then Mrs. Whittington  said it was too hot to send one of the maids so far. Some people have such ridiculous ideas about their servants, and  the man had gone over to Marblehead. But she thought that I’d find you here.”

By this time the two girls were some distance out in the water, and Frances continued her conversation with Brenda