Page:Silver Shoal Light.djvu/167

Rh believe they could! Let’s wave to the little girl, Joan."

So they waved their hands to the barefooted child who stood at the door of the lighthouse. A woman in a calico dress ran out to the steps and looked after the Pettasantuck, shading her eyes.

"Oh," said Joan, "I’d much, much rather live in ours. It’s the most wonderful place in the world."

The "ours" was quite unconscious.

The boat arrived a few minutes later at Salt Rock Landing, a doleful place, with no scenery more interesting than a baggage-shed and a heap of coal. Here a shuttle-train waited to carry the passengers from the steamer to Tewksville Junction, where the train on the main tracks went through. This train was on a different line from the one by which Joan had arrived; it stopped at a new assortment of small stations. Somewhat to Joan’s surprise, she found herself much interested in the frequent halts which had so annoyed her before. This was because she and Garth guessed, between each station, how long it would be before the train reached the next one. Joan