ening dress. They greeted the girls
enthusiastically.

"It's awfully nice of you to come on such short notice," said one to Cora.

"Oh, we were only too glad to" she answered.

CHAPTER XII

AT THE COVE

"Well, what do you know about that?"

"It--well, so long as there are none of 'em here I'll say it--it's the
limit!"

"They got back at us all right!"

"And to think we never suspected."

"What will we do with these theatre tickets?"

Four young men, in freshened attire after their auto ride, stood
disconsolately in the hotel parlor. Jack was fingering a note that a bell
boy had brought him. Walter, Ed and Norton, with the assistance of
Jack, had given voice to the expressions with which we have begun this
chapter. The note read:

"Dear Jack:

"We don't seem to care about the theatre this evening. I met Harry Dunn,
and his two cousins--also another young man--Ralph Borden--and they
asked us to go to a little private dance. Mrs. Fordam is with us. We
met Harry at Lake Como last year, you remember. He is that tall, dark,
distinguished-looking fellow. So we thought we'd prefer the dance to the
theatre, especially as Belle and Bess have seen the play. Sorry to have
to waste so many good tickets, but perhaps you boys will have time to
paint another honeymoon sign.

"Cora."

It was this note which had been handed to Jack as he and his companions
had been waiting in the parlor for the girls, that had caused all the
trouble.

"So, that's their game!" exclaimed Cora's brother, as he crumpled the
paper up in his hand. "They've played a trick on us all right!"

"To get back at us for that sign on the auto, and the rice," added Ed.

"I wonder if they really did go off to a dance?" asked Walter.

"Oh, yes, I know this Dunn chap--not half-bad," put in Jack. "Sis and I
did meet him last year. His folks have a country place somewhere round
here. But how did he meet the girls and get them to come?"

"I have it!" cried Norton.

"Pass it over!" commanded Walter.

"You know that time my car developed a kink," he continued, "and you
stopped yours, Jack?"

"Sure," assented Cora's brother.

"Well, the girls went on, you know, and when we caught up to them I saw
a couple of autos speeding down the road, as though they had been acting
as escorts. I guess those fellows must have met the girls on the road,
proposed the dance, and the girls accepted."

"That's it!" declared Jack. And so it proved, as they fo