“I have to go,” announced Ellen hastily. “I’ll be out after breakfast. ’Bye.”
She ran up the beach as fast as her short legs could carry her, and Sunny Boy and Daddy saw her scramble up the sand and disappear over the road.
“Now she’s gone,” said Sunny Boy wistfully, “and I wanted to play with her. She’s a nice little girl, and I liked her, and I wanted to see the shells she had in that box.”
“You’ll see her again,” said Mr. Horton. “I hope you’ll soon know plenty of children to play with. Now we’ll take a short walk down this way, and then we must go back and have our own breakfast.”
When they went back to the bungalow, they found the others on the porch looking for them.
“Harriet sounded the gong five minutes ago,” announced Mrs. Horton. “Where were you? Aren’t you hungry? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“We’ve brought real seashore appetites to breakfast,” answered Mr. Horton. “Sunny Boy and I just went on a scouting trip. We’ve found the bathing beach, and made the acquaintance of Ellen. Sunny, have you said good morning to Miss Martinson?”
“Do you know,” said that little lady, smiling warmly at Sunny Boy, “I think it would be ever so nice if Sunny Boy would call me Aunt Betty. I haven’t a single nephew in this wide world—just two nieces. ‘Miss Martinson’ is such a long name to remember.”
So it was settled that Sunny Boy should have another auntie.
After breakfast Mrs. Horton went to unpack the trunks and find the bathing suits. Aunt Bessie and Aunt Betty volunteered to make the beds. Harriet and a big basket took the jitney for town to buy things to eat, and Sunny Boy and Daddy were told to go and amuse themselves till lunch time.