"Do you and Jimmy go in bathing?" I asked.
"I guess we do!" cried Jimmy. "We rush into the water first of anybody, and go out real deep, when we have hold of the ropes. Some great big boys are as afraid as anything! But we like to have the waves go over our heads."
"Talking about big boys," said I, looking wonderfully sly, "I made the acquaintance of a big boy in our street, not long ago, who knows a certain little lady very well; and likes her very well, too!"
"Oh, I know!" chimed both the children; "it's Tom Halstead. Isn't it?"
"Yes; he told me something funny about you, too; I did not know you could wash windows before, Neighbor Nelly."
My little neighbor laughed and blushed comically when I said that, and then Jimmy said:
"He's a first rate fellow, I tell you. He sent us a letter the other day, and what do you think? he's coming here!"
"Coming here!" I exclaimed; "my stars! I shall be quite thrown in the shade when such a nice friend makes his appearance. I think I shall have to go home again Monday, and I did mean to stay till Wednesday," and I made up a dismal face, and pretended to be quite heart-broken.
"No, indeed, Neighbor Oldbird! we shall always like you the best!" cried Nelly, catching both my hands in hers. "He is a very nice boy, to be sure, but we like you just as much as if you were our bachelor uncle."
"Then I move to be called Uncle Josiah directly!" I said, laughing; "so, my dear niece and nephew, don't you think it would be a good plan for us to go down on that nice yellow sand there, and look at the waves?"