out fer ye. It may be
some of the water folks goes inland for the summer. If they does,
they'd like as not rent you their boat."

"Then I will come down here to-morrow at nine o'clock to find out,"
arranged Madge. "Please be sure to be here."

"What did I tell you!" exulted Madge as they left the little park a few
minutes later and made their way to the street car. "I am going to
draw a plan to-night to show how easy it will be to turn one of these
old canal boats into our beautiful 'Ship of Dreams.' By this time next
week we'll know something about the 'vicissitudes' of a sailor's life
or my name is not Madge Morton."

CHAPTER IV

THE FAIRY'S WAND

"You are a direct gift of Providence, Jack Bolling," declared Madge the
next morning, shaking hands with her cousin, in the parlor of Miss
Rice's boarding house. "How did you happen to turn up here?"

"Well, I unexpectedly had a day off from college," explained Jack. "So
I just telephoned to Miss Tolliver to ask whether I might come to see
you, like the well-behaved cousin I am. She replied that you were in
town and that I might come to see you. So here I am! What luck have
you had?"

"None at all at the old places you recommended," Madge returned
scornfully and in a most ungrateful fashion.

"Oh, I knew a girl couldn't find the right sort of boat without a
fellow to help her," Jack teased, knowing Madge's aversion to the idea
that a girl couldn't do anything she liked, unless with the help of a
boy.

"Just you come along with us, Jack, and we will show you what we have
found," invited Madge. "I think the girls are ready. We are. Here
come Eleanor and Lillian. Miss Lillian Seldon, I wish to present my
cousin, Mr. Jack Bolling. Where is Phil?"

While Lillian, looking unusually lovely in her gown of pale lavender
organdie, with a cream-colored hat covered with violets, was shaking
hands with Jack, Phyllis Alden came down the hall with a slight frown
on her face.

Hadn't she and Madge vowed within themselves and to each other never to
ask a man's help in anything they planned to do? And here was Madge
introducing her cousin into their plan the very first chance she had.
But in this Phil was mistaken.

Madge had made no explanations to Jack, and her cousin asked her no
questions as the party started on their walk. When they came to the
line of canal boats that the girls had seen the afternoon before a halt
was made.

"There is our houseb