Isobel stood watching her as she ran lightly away; then turning, she hurried home as fast as possible along the beach, for she was very excited at this strange meeting, and was anxious to give her mother a full and detailed account of it.
"I didn't ask her her name, mother," she explained. "It was she who asked me mine. You told me I'd better not speak to her; but she spoke to me first, and asked me ever so many questions. Isn't it queer that our names should be just the same, and our ages too? You'll let us be friends now, won't you? I think she's the nicest girl I've ever met in my life, and I can't tell you how much I want to know her."
CHAPTER IV.
THE SEA URCHINS' CLUB.
"'Twas here where the urchins would gather to play,
In the shadows of twilight or sunny midday."
ISOBEL found her namesake waiting for her on the beach next morning.
"I thought you'd be coming out soon," announced Belle, "so I just stopped about till I saw you. We're all starting off to play cricket again on the common down under the cliffs, and I want you to go with us. I've taken such a fancy to you! I told mother I had, and she laughed and said it wouldn't last long; but I know it will. I feel as if you were going to be my bosom friend. You'll come, won't you?"
"Of course I will," replied Isobel, accepting the offered friendship with rapture. "Mother told me to do what I liked this morning."
"Let us be quick, then. The others have run on in front, but we'll soon catch them up."
"Are you going to the same place where you were playing yesterday?" asked Isobel.