in his hand, which
looked like a five-pound box of candy. Instead of returning to the room
where Mrs. Curtis and her guests were, he strolled nervously about the
grounds of the hotel. It was dark under the tree where he had asked
Phil and Madge to meet him. About ten minutes before he could look for
them he went cautiously toward this tree and waited with his back close
against it.

A figure, coming up behind him suddenly, startled him. The man had time
only to lean over and say, "Two hundred thousand dollars!" when a sound
of voices was heard at the southern end of the hotel veranda.

Phyllis also had found it difficult to have a private word with Madge,
but toward the close of the evening she did have time to whisper the
account of her appointment.

When Miss Jenny Ann suggested that it was time to leave for their
houseboat, Madge and Phyllis went hurriedly, ahead of the others, into
Mrs. Curtis's dressing room. They slipped into their evening coats,
and, taking their pink and blue chiffon scarfs in their hands, they
reached the hotel veranda before any one missed them.

There were few people staying in the big summer hotel, for it was late
in the season. The night was cool and the big front porch was almost
deserted. The two girls felt like conspirators. They were perfectly
willing to keep Lieutenant Lawton's box for him. But why was he so
mysterious?

At the southern end of the long veranda they plainly espied the figure
of a man walking slowly up and down in the darkness. It was too dark to
distinguish Lieutenant Lawton's uniform. The girls called faintly to
the man under the trees. He did not hear them, nor move in their
direction.

"Come on, Madge," whispered Phyllis impatiently. "If we are going to
help Lieutenant Lawton by taking care of his box for him, we may as
well go out on the lawn to receive it. Miss Jenny Ann will be after us
in a minute, if we don't hurry. I believe she thinks I am getting into
mischief. She told me yesterday that she thought we were all behaving
in much too grown-up a fashion."

They were talking as they walked toward the solitary figure they had
seen standing under the tree. "Lieutenant!" Phyllis called softly. The
young officer did not reply. The girls drew nearer. The man was not
Lieutenant Lawton!

Alfred Thornton was grinning maliciously. "Were you looking for
Lieutenant Lawton?" he inquired. "He was here a few minutes ago. He has
gone back to his home. I can look him