sign some make-believe name to it,
so I can hold my head up with Polly. She will never let me rest if she
thinks she got a line, and I didn't!"

"Oh, that is easy to do. As long as we know it will never come out, and
that I wrote a line to you, it will be a good joke."

"All right!" laughed Eleanor, delightedly. "Now write:----" She stopped
suddenly, then thought for a moment before she said: "Why not copy the
exact words sent to Polly, but sign another name?"

"I'll write one, as much like the original as possible without actually
duplicating that information," chuckled the officer.

Then he took up a slip of paper and wrote: "Miss Eleanor Maynard. We will
join you this evening, on steamer. Yacht will arrive about eight." He
looked up laughingly and asked: "Now what name shall we sign to this?"

"Oh--let me see! Sign 'Paul.' I know he is in New York, now, so I am not
taking chances of making a mistake," laughed Eleanor.

The name "Paul" was added to the message and the paper placed in an
envelope. This was addressed to Eleanor Maynard and her stateroom number
written down upon it. Then it was handed to the gratified girl.

The young man was thanked with unwarranted warmth, and the two girls
hastened away.

CHAPTER II

A DISAPPOINTING EVENING

Eleanor and Dorothy did not join their friends at once, after leaving the
wireless room. Eleanor explained wisely: "We must promenade along the
deck and let them see us reading and talking over the message, you know,
to make them believe we just got it from the boy."

So this little act was carried out, and when the two girls felt sure that
Polly and her companions had noticed them reading the wireless message,
Eleanor whispered: "Now we can stroll over and join them. Leave it to
me."

Just before she joined her friends, Eleanor thrust the paper into her
sweater pocket, and seemed not to remember it. But Nancy spoke of it,
immediately.

"I see you received a _billet-doux_, too. Is there any reason why I
should not say to you exactly what you said to Polly, when she got hers?"
laughed the young lady.

"Oh, not at all! I am not so bashful about my affair," retorted Eleanor,
taking the paper from her pocket and handing it to Nancy. "You may read
it aloud, if you choose."

So Nancy read, and the fact that the words conveyed the same information
as Polly's had done, but the sender had signed himself "Paul," made Polly
feel relieved. Then she said:

"It is e