the woman of the house, who readily agreed to the girl's
proposition to assist in fooling the boys. The woman further agreed to
provide them with such supplies as they needed. For such as they took
with them the girls paid then and there. Harriet chuckled all the way
back to the island. She believed that she had planned in such a way as
thoroughly to mystify George Baker and his friends, and at the same time
convince the latter that the Meadow-Brook Girls were not in trouble.

Reaching the island they found their companions eagerly awaiting them.
To Miss Elting, Harriet confided her plan. Then, after a happy evening,
the houseboat party went to bed, looking forward with keen expectation
to what awaited them on the morrow, when Harriet's new plan was to be
tried.

CHAPTER X

THEIR SUSPICIONS AROUSED

That night there was a shower. The rain, beating down on the foliage and
the end of the houseboat that protruded from the cave, served to freshen
the air and brought out the fragrance of green leaves and flowers. When
the sun came out next morning every leaf and petal was glistening, birds
were singing overhead and the girls uttered exclamations of delight as
they ran out in their bathing suits and jumped into the water for their
morning baths.

For several moments they splashed about in the shallow water, then,
scrambling aboard their houseboat, enjoyed brisk rub downs, after which
their appetites were sufficiently sharpened to cause them to hurry the
breakfast with all possible speed. They ate under the light of the lamp
that hung from the cabin ceiling. Had the foliage not been so wet they
would have permitted the "Red Rover" to drift out from under the rocks,
but it was decided that the trees were too wet for this, so they ate in
the darkened cave.

Immediately after breakfast they put on their old khaki skirts, that
they had worn part of the time on their long tramp across country the
previous season, and started out on their deferred exploring trip about
the island. Exclamations of delight were frequent. The island was full
of rocky nooks and dells; there were numerous wild flowers, while in the
great trees that overhung the shore of the island an occasional squirrel
whisked back and forth.

"It really is the Island of Delight!" cried Crazy Jane. "How I wish my
dear old dad were here! Wouldn't he want to buy this island? I'm going
to ask him to come here some day, but I'm afraid he'll say he hasn't the