“What is the best way to preserve shells, Mrs. Yates?” asked Ruth, eagerly, leaning her chin on her two palms, and bending forward.
“Well, that depends on the size. Your large ones must be packed separately—”
“But we shan’t find very large ones along our coast, shall we?”
“Indeed, you will, especially along the Maine shore. Even the large periwinkles, that are pink and brown mottled, are too large to put in bottles. You will find as I did, that the easiest and simplest way to dispose of shells is to make things out of them during the summer. It passes the time, and is very enjoyable. Have you seen the portìere that hangs between my stateroom and Marbury’s? It is made entirely of shells, strung on silken cords. Marbury collected the shells and I made it one summer when we took a cottage near Greenwich, Conn. There is a dearth of dainty shells along the Long Island Sound shore, but these are very pretty, and are so soft that you can pierce them easily with a needle. I don’t remember their name, but Marbury used to call them in fun, Neptune’s finger-nails.”
The girls wanted to see the portìere at once, and they followed Mrs. Yates along the cabin to her own special quarters, a cool, commodious stateroom that was her very own, as Polly said. Next to it on one side slept Marbury, and on the other was the Senator’s apartment. The portìere of shells was exquisite, the girls agreed. The shells were hardly larger than finger-nails, in fact, and as delicate, and translucent as sea foam. Some were palest pink, and others clear amber, and still others were a faint pearl, or vivid green.
“It makes me think of those funny wind harps that the Chinese use to scare away evil spirits,” said Kate. “Listen how the shells tinkle when the wind sways them to and fro. I’d love to carry one back to Miss Calvert, girls, as our summer gift.”
“We’ll do it,” said Polly at once, “if there are any of these shells at Lost Island. Mrs. Yates, what is this stretched over your walls, please?”
“Just everyday fish net,” answered Mrs. Yates, smiling as Polly and the rest examined the tightly stretched, dark green net that covered the stateroom walls, taut and snug. “It was Marbury’s idea. He told me the boys at the naval academy used it on their walls when they camped out, to hang specimens on, or any odds and ends. I wanted something that would not deface the woodwork, and Marbury put it up for me. It is very handy to slip pictures in, or ornaments of any kind.”
“It would make good window curtains too,” said Kate. “Perhaps we may be able to get some from the fishermen, Polly. It would come in handy somewhere, and if we didn’t do anything else with it we might even use it to catch fish in.”
The next day Marbury showed them his lines and fishing tackle, and gave them general hints on the gentle art of landing cod and mackerel and other fish.