"The tears always come if I think anything has disappointed you, or Ma," Sprite said, softly. "That's why I tried so hard to win the prize last Spring, when all the other pupils were working for it, too. I didn't care half so much about getting it for myself, as for you."
He drew her yet closer.
"Dear little Sprite," he said.
"And now I'm going to hope that the vessel will come sailing in with a big load of luck on board. I'll tell you one thing; I saw the moon over my right shoulder last night, and all the sailors say that's lucky."
Captain Seaford laughed at this bit of superstition offered to him as a crumb of comfort.
She laughed with him, and stooping, picked up a small star fish.
"I'll toss this up three times. If it comes down on the sand, twice out of three times right side up, it will be the same as saying that the vessel is safe, and will return all right."
Three times she tossed it up, only a few inches from the sand lest it break.
"Once! Right side up!" she cried, a rippling laugh following her words.
"Twice! Wrong side up! Oh, Pa, which will it be next time?"