of
some money," replied Chet. "And that man is gone, so who is to know the
truth?"

The stretch of placid Lake Luna between the boat landing of Central High
and the easterly end of Cavern Island was dotted with craft of various
kinds and sizes, several afternoons later, when the twins slipped away
from Aunt Dora and--with a word to their father in a whisper as to their
goal--ran down to the dock and got their canoe into the lake.

Aunt Dora was suffering from what she called a "grumbly head"--which
meant that she had a mild attack of neuralgia.

"But mercy, sirs!" Mrs. Betsey said, in a tone of exasperation rather
strange for that dear old lady, "she has a 'grumbly' tongue all the
time. I don't know what I shall do about keeping Mary if she stays much
longer, girls."

"For the good of the family I may have to admit my identity and go home
with her," groaned Dora.

"No, you sha'n't!" cried her twin. "You shall not be sacrificed. If Mary
goes, we'll divide the work between us, and hire a laundress once a week
to relieve Mrs. Betsey."

"My! what a bright girl you are, Dory," laughed Dora. "You've got it all
fixed, haven't you? But what about after-hour athletics? No canoeing,
and other fun. We'd have all our time out of school taken up with the
housework."

"I don't care, Dora!" said Dorothy, firmly. "You could never live with
Auntie. Why, she'd nag you to death."

"Dear old thing!" sighed Dora. "I wish she could see herself as others
see her. How do you suppose papa came to have such a sister?"

"He has all the mildness of his generation of Lockwoods, and Aunt Dora
has all the militancy."

"Oh, see there!" exclaimed her sister. "Hester Grimes and Lily Pendleton
out in Hessie's canoe."

"That's a fine canoe," said Dorothy. "It's better than ours."

"But I believe we can beat them just the same."

"I shouldn't wonder if Hessie and Lily were intending to try for the
honor of representing Central High in the girls' canoeing contest next
month."

"I bet you!" returned her sister. "But Mrs. Case and the girls will have
something to say about that."

"Mrs. Case has our records; but I heard that she will time us all again
before the Big Day."

"We must do our very best, then," Dora declared, earnestly.

"True as you live!" her twin agreed.

They launched their canoe, stepped in lightly, knelt on the cushions,
and dipped their paddles in the water. The craft shot away from the
landing amid the approving r