The Woodcraft Girls in the City Part 22

"She isn't 'the only pebble on the beach' for that weakness," commented Fred, looking at his elder sister.

"Chump Mark for Fred-he used slang!" cried Elizabeth.

But Zan was busy watching the Guide fill her gla.s.s jar with certain pebbles, and the hint to bestow a Chump Mark was pa.s.sed by.

The jar filled, Miss Miller filled the remaining crevices with salt water, then screwed the lid on the jar.

"Now, look at this-isn't it pretty? Do you think a bottle of these beautifully coloured and veined sea pebbles will elicit an interest if sent to a sick friend or a bed-ridden child in a Home?" asked the Guide, holding the jar at arm's length that all could see the varied hued pebbles which were enhanced by the salt water.

"Aren't they just lovely! But where under the sun did you ever hear of these things, Miss Miller?" cried Jane.

"I wish we had baskets to hold a bushel of these pebbles and we could fill lots of wide-mouthed bottles from Dad's office to present to his little patients at the Children's Hospital," said Zan.

"We might fill the empty boxes we were going to burn up when we cleaned up camp," suggested Hilda.

"Boys, you run up to the camp and bring us the boxes while we collect the prettiest stones we can find," said Zan, leading the way along the beach.

The boys did as ordered and, the tide running out fast by this time, the girls soon found marvelously figured and coloured pebbles left on the sand.

"Now that we are at this collecting work I may as well add the secrets of the sh.e.l.ls. If you place various shapes and kinds of sh.e.l.ls with the pebbles the bottle will look even prettier than if filled with stones alone," suggested Miss Miller.

"Elena, do you see these deep white scallop sh.e.l.ls? They make splendid paint-cups for water-colours. I always use them in preference to china dishes," said the Guide, turning to the artist.

"Girls, let us gather as many as you think we will need this winter for our art-work!" exclaimed Zan, and thereupon, the girls busied themselves with the new diversion.

"Here we are, Miss Miller, what shall we do with the boxes we were sent for?" called Fiji, sliding down the steep incline of the sand-dune.

"Oh-let the boys find the pebbles and fill the boxes for us while we collect the sh.e.l.ls," cried Jane, looking at the Guide for approval.

"Do you boys wish to do that?" asked she.

"Cert. Anything you say. We haven't a thing to do until church is over, you know," laughed Jack.

"Meaning this Sunday enjoyment? Well, it is a heap more fun than I would have believed possible," declared Zan.

"As long as the boys are doing that work I can show you girls some other secrets," said Miss Miller, looking for deep large-sized clam sh.e.l.ls cleansed as only the sea can wash a sh.e.l.l.

"This kind of sh.e.l.l make the nicest kind of ramekins for baked fish, or tarts, and other small side-dishes. They also can be used for bone-dishes or small side-plates when camping.

"Now see these yellow opalescent sh.e.l.ls? Well, they make pretty salt and pepper dishes. Even for a city table, they are unique and artistic. I have often grouped three in some glue on a round wooden disk and decorated the wood with pyrography and then used the small sea-snail sh.e.l.ls to glue under the three centre pieces. It looked too pretty for anything when completed and ready to send to a friend for a gift.

"I also have made pin-cushions of two fitted scallop sh.e.l.ls. The hollow is filled with saw-dust, and a strip of satin or velvet covering the slight aperture made by the opened sh.e.l.ls is glued inside the sh.e.l.ls. A ribbon sewed to the hinge of the sh.e.l.l is used to hang the cushion on the side of the dressing-table mirror."

"Oh dear me, Miss Miller, wait a minute till we get time to take it all in," laughed Elena, eager to note everything the Guide said.

"Girls, let's collect the sh.e.l.ls necessary for the things Miss Miller explains about, and then we can have her teach us how to make the things some day at the Gym," suggested Zan.

"That's a good idea. Now, Miss Miller, what else do you know about sh.e.l.l secrets?" added Jane.

"I have made beautiful portieres of these golden paper sh.e.l.ls. Most of them have a small hole in the end-see there? And some haven't the tiny perforation-these I burn in with a red-hot hatpin so that each sh.e.l.l may be threaded on a strong length of j.a.panese cord. This cord is finer and stronger than any made in this country, and is used for bead-curtains and reed portieres.

"After threading a sh.e.l.l you must tie the cord once in and out the hole to keep the sh.e.l.l from slipping down and crowding the others that are threaded on the same cord.

"I have also trimmed decorative scarfs with this kind of sh.e.l.l fringe, but fancy scarfs are not in vogue now as much as they used to be.

"These two ideas will give you many other ideas where the sh.e.l.ls can be used. I should think Elena could suggest some new ways."

"Oh, oh, _OH!_ Listen to me!" shouted Nita, jumping up and down frantically, as she waved both arms about in her excitement.

"Goodness sakes! I thought Nita stepped on a sea-serpent!" laughed the Guide, turning to hear the great news.

"Won't it be _perfectly grand_ to have a costume covered with these sea-sh.e.l.ls, and fringes of them hanging down from the skirt and sleeves, so they will rattle when I dance? I will invent a sea-dance to go with the costume. What about it, eh?" cried Nita.

"Great! If we only had another day to stop here and collect the sh.e.l.ls,"

returned Jane.

"Miss Miller, I bet anything, Nita could win an honour from Headquarters for an ideal dance and costume like that!" said Zan.

"Girls, you go on and get whatever you want for sh.e.l.l-work and just leave that dress to me. I'll dig and pick all day till it's time to start for home, but I'll have that sh.e.l.l dress or die!" promised Nita, eagerly.

"We may as well help Nita with her work as we can use any left-over sh.e.l.ls for our fancy work. I was only going to add, that work-boxes hinged with a strip of glued muslin on one edge of the lid and decorated with sea-sh.e.l.ls glued on the outside, are very pretty gifts for friends.

"I have also made lovely picture frames, and mirror frames of wood covered with different kinds of sh.e.l.ls. In fact, there are endless ways of using these pretty little trifles cast up for us by the bountiful sea."

"While you talk, Miss Miller, we will collect, as the surf is leaving more and more sh.e.l.ls on the sand as the tide recedes," said Hilda, eagerly picking up everything she saw.

"O-oh! but it makes your back ache terribly! Mine is simply broken in two and I can't stoop another time!" declared Eleanor.

"Oh be a sport, Ella! Don't spoil everything by your whimperings," said Zan, expressing disgust in her voice.

"I just guess if you were as delicate as I am your bones would ache, too!" retorted Eleanor.

"Thank goodness I'm no hypochondriac!" snapped Zan.

Eleanor was not sure what that word meant, so she hesitated to publish her ignorance. She was quite sure, however, that it was Latin for some illness known only to a doctor or his immediate family. The fact that she could not reply made her more peevish, and she turned without another word and walked back to camp.

"Well I never! If she isn't the poorest kind of a Woodcrafter a Tribe ever had the bad luck to have hang on to its wings!" exclaimed Zan, watching the girl saunter away from her companions.

The other girls t.i.ttered but the Guide said: "Oh she's coming on fine, _I_ think!"

"Miss Miller!" gasped several voices.

"You don't believe me, do you? Wait and see!" rejoined the Guide.

"Well, you always did have a gift for seeing 'swans where others only saw geese,'" said Zan, whimsically.

The boys now were heard shouting and the girls turned to see them making signs. They said they were going to the camp and start dinner. The Guide signalled that it would be all right as far as she was concerned, so the girls kept on gathering sh.e.l.ls until the call came for dinner.