why and how things like that are necessary. And I don't
think I'm unreasonable, either."

"You're not," said Bessie, suddenly contrite. "But, Dolly dear, I don't
want everyone here to know all about us, and the things that are
happening to us. You won't mind waiting a little for an explanation,
will you?"

"Not when you ask that way," said Dolly, loyally. "But I don't like to
have you act as if it were stupid of me not to be able to guess what it
is. You wouldn't have known yourself, would you, if Jake Hoover hadn't
told you when you two were whispering together?"

"I knew it before that. That's one reason I was able to make Jake tell
me what he did, Dolly. I suppose you don't like my making up with him,
either, do you?"

"Oh, no, I don't like it. But that doesn't make any difference. I
daresay you've got some very good reason."

"I certainly have, Dolly, and you shall know it soon, too. Listen,
there's our train whistling now! We'll start in a minute or two."

"Well, that's good. I hate mysteries. Do you know, Bessie, that if this
train only makes one or two stops, we shall be at Plum Beach very soon
after Miss Eleanor and the other girls get there!"

"I'm glad of it, Dolly. Tell me, there isn't any station at Plum Beach,
is there?"

"No, we'll go to Bay City, and then go back on another train to a little
station called Green Cove, and that's within a mile of the beach. It's
on a branch railroad that runs along the coast from Bay City."

Then the train came along, and they climbed aboard, happy in having
outwitted the enemies of Bessie and Zara. Dolly did not share Bessie's
enthusiasm over the conversion of Jake Hoover, though.

"I don't trust him, Bessie," she said. "He may have really meant to turn
around and be friends with us, but I don't think he can stick to a
promise. I don't know that he means to break them, but he just seems to
be helpless. You think he's afraid of Mr. Holmes and those men, don't
you?"

"Yes, and he as good as admitted it, too, Dolly."

"Well, what I'm afraid of is that he will see them again, and that he'll
do whatever the people he happens to be with tell him."

"I suppose we've got to take that much of a chance, Dolly. We really
haven't much choice. My, how this train does go!"

"Why are you looking at your map and your time-table so carefully,
Bessie?"

"I want to be sure to know when we're getting near Canton, Dolly. When
we do, you must keep your eyes open. You'll see