e young men who had been
members of it were to return to their homes to get ready for the
opening of college. The picnic at the camp was to be their swan song.
The camp was composed of fourteen young men and two professors from
Columbia University. Professor Gordon looked after the athletics and
Professor Gamage the general management of the camp. The men lived in
three small, portable houses, which were set up along the shores of
Oyster Sound, a little stretch of quiet water between the mainland and
a small island.

Tom Curtis and Alfred Thornton, insisting that they be allowed to act
as masters of ceremony for the day's amusements, had arranged a regular
programme for their guests.

Madge requested Tom Curtis to let their boat race take place first. She
and Phyllis were nervous and wished to have the race over in order that
they might be free to enjoy the day's pleasures. But, for once in their
acquaintance, Tom was obdurate and would not agree either to Madge's
entreaties or to her commands. He had arranged his programme and would
make no changes in it, he declared stubbornly.

The guests were to arrive at the camp and eat their luncheon; an hour
later the young men were to give an exhibition of wrestling and racing.
As a last feature of the day the famous race was to take place between
the boys and girls. The race was supposed to be rowed "just for fun,"
but Mrs. Curtis had secretly provided two silver cups. One was to be
presented to the victors, the other was to be awarded to whichever of
the two pairs of girls outrowed the other.

Madge and Phyllis had no particularly pretty suits to wear in the
coming race. The sailor suits they had worn on their first houseboat
excursion were now quite shabby, but neither of them felt that they
could afford to buy new ones. Two days before the boat race Miss Jenny
Ann came to the rescue. She made two beautiful new blouses of white
flannel with wide collars and cuffs of pale blue. Upon the right sleeve
of each blouse Eleanor embroidered in a shade of blue that exactly
matched their collars and cuffs the mysterious letters, M.M.M., which
stood for "Mates of the Merry Maid." These blouses worn with their dark
blue serge skirts made very attractive rowing costumes.

The time appointed for the boat race was at noon on Saturday. The boys
had worked manfully and the grounds looked as though they had been
arranged for a Fourth of July picnic.

When the houseboat party arrived th