Before knocking on the door, the children paused to gaze again at the beautiful cruiser. The name “Adventurer” had been painted on it in gold letters. As the waves lolloped gently against the wharf, the boat rose up and down as if it were breathing.
“Let’s climb down there and look at it,” Vevi proposed. “I’d like to see the inside of the cabin.”
“Oh, no!” Connie protested firmly. “It wouldn’t be polite.”
She rapped on the door. Almost at once it was opened by the same lady the children had seen many times on the beach. She was wearing a housedress this time and looked different.
“We’ve found your purse,” Connie told her quickly. “Or rather, Vevi did.”
“But the money’s gone,” Vevi added.
“Why, that is the pocketbook that was taken from my parked car!” Mrs. Allison exclaimed as she saw the faded cloth.
Vevi and Connie told her how they had chanced to come upon the purse buried in the sand.
“It doesn’t matter about the money,” the lady assured them. “I’m happy though, to recover my keys. Wait here, please.”
Leaving the door open, Mrs. Allison went back into the house. When she returned a moment later, she had another pocketbook in her hand.