Cora had not fully determined on her vacation plans when
her mother went away, and now there was necessity for forwarding the
address.

"I'll attend to that the last thing to-night," Cora went on. "I'll send
mother a long letter, and write again as soon as we get settled at the
Cove."

"If we ever _do_ get settled," murmured Walter. "Say, boys, am I any
less--hammy?" and he sniffed at his coat about which still lingered the
smell of gasoline.

"You're of the ham--saltiest--or hammiest!" declared Ed.

"You may break, you may burn the garage if you will
The taste of the gasoline stays with it still."

It was Walter who mis-quoted this couplet.

"Oh, boys, please do be quiet!" begged Cora. "We will never get anything
done if you don't!"

"It strikes me we got considerable done a short time ago, when we put that
fire out," remarked Jack. Cora looked sharply at him.

"I'll be good, Sis--don't shoot--I'm coming down," he exclaimed, and he
"slumped" at Eline's feet and made a fruitless endeavor to hold her slim,
pretty hand.

"Stop!" she commanded with a blush.

"That's my privilege!" called Ed, as he made a quick move, but the visitor
from the Windy City escaped by getting behind Bess, who was in the Roman
chair.

"If you don't----" began Cora determinedly, and then she changed her tone.
"Please----" she pleaded.

"After that--nothing but silence!" came from Walter. "Go easy, boys!"

Silence did reign--or, considering the shower, might one not say "rain"
for a moment? Cora resumed.

"We are to start as early in the morning as possible," she said. "I
figured--or rather Jack and Ed did--that the trip to Sandy Point Cove
would take about three days--perhaps four if--if anything happened like
tire trouble. But we are in no hurry, and we can spend five days on the
road if we like.

"My cousin, Mrs. Fordam, will go along with us as a chaperone, so that
stopping at hotels will be perfectly--proper."

"I thought it was always proper to stop at a hotel--when you had the
price!" ventured Jack.

"You don't understand," declared his sister, giving him a look. "So Cousin
Mary will be on the trip with us. I guess you all know her, except Eline
and Norton. She's jolly and funny."

"Why can't she go right on to the Cove with us, and chaperone there, too?"
Belle wanted to know.

"Because Mamma's aunt--Mrs. Susan Chester--is to look after us there.
You'll like Aunt Susan, I'm sure."

"Are we to call her that