make yourself charming for the prince," said Betty,
pinning a rose at exactly the right angle in her soft white waist. "You
don't have to be a _sleeping_ beauty to find him, you know," she added
sagely.

"You seem to know a lot about it," said Grace, regarding her friend
soberly. "I shouldn't wonder if you had found him, Betty."

Betty turned sharply to see if she were joking, then the soft color
flooded her face. "Nonsense!" she said, but her tone was not convincing.

"Yes, you have," said Grace, not to be put off. "I can tell by the way
you look at him, and the way he looks at you and oh--and--a hundred
little things." She waved her hand vaguely.

"Oh, Gracy, don't be foolish," said Betty, recovering her usual
composure. "If you don't look out _I'll_ begin to get personal. You
needn't think you are the only one that has eyes."

"Oh, well," said, Grace, flushing in her turn. "If you are going to
begin that---- Oh, Betty, just smell the bacon! Please hand me that
shoe, quick!"

"Oh!" cried Betty, and drew back as a small stone flung by some one
below hurtled through the open window and fell to the floor at her feet.
"Look! It has something tied to it," she cried, and, stooping, picked it
up.

"Bring it here," called Grace excitedly. "Oh, this is romantic! Betty,
let me see it, quick!"

"Wait a minute, I haven't seen it myself yet," said Betty, as she
unfolded the tiny slip of paper attached to the stone. "Well, of all
the----"

Grace looked over her shoulder and this is what the two girls read:

"When are you coming out? The water's fine."

With one accord they rushed to the window through which the message had
come and leaned far out. But look as they might in every direction,
there was no sight nor sound of human beings. The grounds about the
house and even the woods seemed deserted.

The girls drew back in, looked at each other in perplexity, then their
gaze instinctively traveled to the note still held in Betty's hand.

"Well," Grace announced, "it seems that we have here a key to some
mystery----"

"Mystery nothing!" Betty interrupted disrespectfully. "We know who wrote
this--there is no mistaking Roy's scrawl. The senders have
decamped--that's all."

"Speak of princes----" said Grace, as they went out arm in arm.

"And they are sure to turn up," Betty finished merrily.

Mollie's breakfast was good. And the young folks ate with the healthy
appetites of youth. Mrs. Irving left the tab