rk without wages and must manage the craft
for pure love of the folks who sailed in it; that Aunt Betty had said
Dorothy might invite whom she chose to be her guests; and that, first
and foremost, Mrs. Calvert herself must be made perfectly happy and
comfortable.

"Here we are! There she is! That pretty thing all white and gold, with
the white flag flying her own sweet name--Water Lily! Doesn't she look
exactly like one? Wasn't it a pretty notion to paint the tender green
like a real lily 'Pad?' and that cute little row-boat a reddish brown,
like an actual 'Stem?' Aren't you glad you came? Aren't we going to be
gloriously happy? Does it seem it can be true that it's really, truly
ours?" demanded Dorothy, skipping along the pier beside the soberer
Jim.

But his face brightened as he drew nearer the beautiful boat and a
great pride thrilled him that he was to be in practical charge of her.

"Skipper Jim, the Water Lily. Water Lily, let me introduce you to
your Commodore!" cried Dorothy, as they reached the gang-plank and
were about to go aboard. Then her expression changed to one of
astonishment. Somebody--several somebodies, indeed--had presumed to
take possession of the house-boat and were evidently having "afternoon
tea" in the main saloon.

The wharf master came out of his office and hastily joined the
newcomers. He was evidently annoyed and hastened to explain:

"Son and daughter of Mr. Blank with some of their friends. Come down
here while I was off duty and told my helper they had a right to do
that. He didn't look for you to come, to-day, and anyway, he'd hardly
have stopped them. Sorry. Ah! Elsa! Afraid to stay alone back there?"

A girl, about Dorothy's age, had followed the master and now slipped
her hand about his arm. She was very thin and sallow, with eyes that
seemed too large for her face, and walked with a painful limp. There
was an expression of great timidity on her countenance, so that she
shrank half behind her father, though he patted her hand to reassure
her and explained to Dorothy:

"This is my own motherless little girl. She's not very strong and
rather nervous. I brought her down here this afternoon to show her
your boat, but we haven't been aboard. Those people--they had no
right--I regret--"

Dolly, vexatious with the "interlopers," as she considered the party
aboard the Water Lily, gave place to a sudden, keen liking for the
fragile Elsa. She looked as if she had never had a good ti