114 The Runaway Watch.

first visit to the seashore. The hands knocked
off work, and rushing to the small glass window,
looked forth at the astounding scene. Then back
they scurried and said to the master of the works:

“Our mistress is having a fine time in this
sand. We, too, demand a holiday. We have
kept steadily at work all these years, and please,
please let us is0:%

The master himself was very much excited at
what he had seen from the watch window, and to
tell the truth, was just as eager as they to investigate
for himself, so he gave his consent, and out rattled
the hands, the small cog-wheels, big wheels, main-
spring, and everything that is in a watch, till the
case was quite, quite empty.

Then being careful to keep out of Lucy’s sight,
these strange little things, went rolling, rattling,
clattering down the beach. The cog-wheels got
clogged with sand once in a while, and one of
the hands had to go and put him right again.
The main-spring was broken, in one of his
mad rushes, but that did not give anyone the
slightest uneasiness, for he was in the habit of