get away. While
she was gone the girls consulted with Miss Elting as to what was
necessary to be done to the boat. They were full of enthusiasm despite
the discouraging condition in which they had found the "Red Rover," for
the possibilities of making it a delightful home, were plain to all of
them.

Jane McCarthy came racing back with her car, three quarters of an hour
later. Two men were in the car with her who wore overalls and small
round caps.

"Here are the painters who are going to make the outside of the boat
look pretty," cried the girl. "Now, men, get to work and do your best!
If you do a good job you get your money. If you don't, you get a ducking
in the pond! Here, girls, help me unload this stuff."

There were cans of paint, a mop, two brooms, tin and wooden pails, scrub
brushes, soap and a miscellaneous assortment of useful articles.

"Now, girls, let's get to work," cried Jane. "This is our busy day.
There'll be another man down here with some windows, soon. We've got to
have some hot water. Harriet, can you heat it?"

For answer Harriet hurried along the beach, picking up such dry sticks
as she could find. She soon had a fire started in the stove.

"We must stand by the fire with pails of water. I haven't much
confidence in that stovepipe," she exclaimed laughingly. "However, we
have plenty of water near, in case of need."

Tommy had gotten a broom and a dustpan and was already raising a cloud
of dust by her efforts at sweeping.

"For goodness' sake, sprinkle the floor before you sweep," begged
Margery chokingly. Hazel dipped up a pail of water from the lake and
sprinkled it through her fingers over the floor of the boat. All the
others save Harriet had fled, driven out by the choking dust. The
sweeping was now attended with more comfort. Dustpan after dustpan full
of dirt was gathered up and tossed into the lake. Tommy surveyed her
work with a frowning face.

"It lookth worthe than it did before," she declared. "Thee the greathe
thpotth. What fine houthekeeping."

"Men are lazy housekeepers," laughed Miss Elting. "I shall have to write
to Bert and tell him what we think of his housekeeping."

As soon as the water was heated, Jane produced some full length gingham
aprons, which she tossed to her companions. Arrayed in these, the girls
took up scrub brushes and soap and got to work on the inside of the
cabin. Their skirts were pinned up, their sleeves rolled back to the
shoulders and they l