“No,” replied his father. “I’m afraid they’re lost for good. They searched all around in the sand, but didn’t find them.”
Several days passed, and each day brought more fun to the Curlytops and Trouble. They spent long, sunny days on the beach or in the water, splashing about in shallow pools left by the tide as it went out.
Every day Mr. or Mrs. Keller walked down to the place where the keys and the wedding ring had been lost in the sand, hoping to find them.
“But I’m afraid we shall never see them again,” sighed Mrs. Keller.
“I only hope Mr. Narr doesn’t ask me about his keys,” said Mr. Keller. “I may be able to get another set from the bank and, if I can, everything will be all right. But if I don’t—” He did not finish what he started to say, but he looked worried.
“We’ll help you hunt for them,” offered Ted.
“It’s very good of you,” answered Mr. Keller, shaking his head. “But I fear it is of little use.”
However, the Curlytops did not give up. Whenever they had nothing else to do—which was not very often, to be sure—they would wander down to the beach near the spot where the ring and the keys had been lost. They could tell the spot now, for Mr. Keller had planted an old post in the sand—a post that had once been part of a ship’s mast.
But though they delved about, the children found nothing more valuable than shells and stones, with now and then a bit of white coral that had been washed up by the waves.
One day, after the Curlytops and Trouble had been bathing in the morning, Ted called to Janet after lunch and said: