o, she remembered that the sum of three hundred dollars
had a limit, large as it seemed; and while she sat silent in her place
she was inwardly computing whether it would possibly furnish board for
all these people for six long weeks.

Then she proceeded to "count noses," and suddenly perceived that after
Mr. Stinson's departure there would be left the "unlucky number" of
thirteen souls aboard the Water Lily.

This time the engineer was at table and Jim had taken his place on the
tender; but after this, he had assured everybody that the engine did
not need such constant attention and could be left to itself during
meal-time at least.

However, nobody tarried long at table that night. There was to follow
the first arrangement of the "staterooms," as the canvas-partitioned
spaces for each one of the party were called.

"Cute little cubby-holes," Mabel named them, and promptly selected her
own between her mother's and Aurora's. Dorothy was next to Aurora and
Elsa between her and Mrs. Calvert's bigger room.

Politely giving Elsa her choice, Dorothy couldn't help a keen
disappointment that it separated herself from Aunt Betty. Then she
reflected that she had offered this choice as far back as on the day
of their first meeting; and that she would herself serve as shield
between Aurora's haughtiness and Elsa's timidity.

Those two guests didn't hit it off at all well. Elsa shivered and
shrank before Aurora's boisterous high spirits and the look of
contempt the elder girl bestowed upon her plain attire.

Poor little Elsa had done her best to honor the occasion. She had
forced herself to go with her loving father to a department store and
had suffered real distress in being fitted at the hands of a kindly,
but too outspoken, saleswoman.

The suit selected had been of an ugly blue which brought out all the
sallowness of the poor child's complexion. It had been padded on one
shoulder, "'cause she's crooked in them shoulders," and had been
shortened on one side, "to suit the way she limps." A hat of the same
vicious blue had been purchased, and this trimmed with red roses, "to
sort of set her up like."

Thus attired, Mr. Carruthers had looked with pride upon his motherless
darling, and felt himself amply justified in the expense he had
incurred. The girl's own better taste had rebelled and she would
rather have worn the old gray frock that was at least modest and
unobtrusive; but she saw the pride and tenderness in her f