Page:Silver Shoal Light.djvu/92

74 "Crying?" asked Elspeth.

"Trying not to," said her husband. He turned to Joan. "Nautical discipline, Miss Kirkland, is the only kind we use here. And it is very efficacious."

"Poor little chap!" murmured Joan softly.

Jim looked out at the sunset and shook his head.

"We come of a long line of sea-faring men, Garth and I," he said dreamily and somewhat inconsequently.

Dearest Old Boy:

We all went clamming on the flats this morning and had a most joyful time. Of course it's not so much fun for Garth as though he could wade around on the nice sandy bottom, but Jim always perches him on his shoulder and spends half the time galloping and splashing about with him, instead of digging clams. We were all sopping, of course, before we got through, and wished, as usual, that we'd worn bathing-suits.

To our surprise, J. Kirkland paddled around and loved it and got any number of clams. She has suffered a true sea-change; she had been improving a little, to be sure, because she spent half a morning