d his motor
launch.

Phyllis Alden had accompanied Madge to "Forest House," so the two girls
and Eleanor were not far from Richmond. Miss Jenny Ann Jones and Lillian
had come from Baltimore together. But Miss Betsey Taylor took her life
in her own hands and traveled alone. She carried only the expenses of
her railroad trip in her purse. But in a bag, which she wore securely
fastened under her skirt, Miss Betsey had brought a sum of money large
enough to last her during the entire houseboat trip, for when a maiden
lady leaves her home to trust herself to a frisky party of young
people, she should be prepared for any emergency. Miss Betsey also bore
in her bag a number of pieces of old family jewelry, which she wore on
state occasions.

* * * * *

When luncheon time passed and there was still no sign of the "Merry
Maid," Tom Curtis could bear the suspense of waiting no longer.

"Something has happened, or the girls would have been here before this,"
he declared positively. "Bolling, I am going to leave you and Sears to
wait here in the rowboat. I am going to look down the coast."

"All right, old man," agreed the other boys. They did not share Tom's
uneasiness. Indeed, as the "Sea Gull" headed down the coast, the three
men on board her heard Harry Sears shouting an improvised verse:

"Where, oh, where, is the 'Merry Maid'?
What wind or wave has her delayed?
Our hearts are breaking, our launch is quaking,
Fear and despair are us overtaking,
Where, oh, where----"

The rest of this remarkable effusion was lost to their ears as they
glided along.

"It is rather strange that we haven't picked them up yet, isn't it?"

David Brewster said nothing. He was always a silent youth. With Tom's
telescope in his hand he stood eagerly scanning the line of the coast as
the motor launch ran along near the shore.

"Ho, there!" he cried. "What's that? Look over there!"

Tom shut off speed and hurriedly seized the spy-glass.

There, apparently peacefully resting on the bosom of the water, was an
odd craft, gleaming white in the afternoon sun. Tom Curtis at once
recognized the "Merry Maid."

No one on board the houseboat noticed the approach of Tom's motor launch
until he blew the automatic whistle. Then, with one accord, the four
girls rushed to one side of the boat. They made frantic signals, then
all began to talk at the same time.

"What's up? Where's your tug?" dema