n May and Ruth with him. The young folks were taking a
ride previous to stopping at the Grand Central Terminal to meet Gif, who
was to come later.

"You won't find many places larger," answered Dick. He felt very happy
to think that Ruth was beside him, and more so because Ruth and his
sister seemed to become good friends from the very moment they met.

Behind the first auto came a second, containing Spouter, May, Mary, and
Fred. They, too, were enjoying themselves, the youngest Rover doing what
he could to point out the various places of interest to Spouter's fair
cousin.

The Rover boys, aided by Mary and Martha, had laid their plans for the
next five days with care. The young folks were to be taken to Central
and Bronx Parks, to several well-known theaters, and also to the Grand
Opera, and Mrs. Dick Rover had arranged to give a party at her home in
the visitors' honor.

Mary and Martha had been eager to hear about Clearwater Hall, and the
two girl visitors were not slow in singing the praises of that
institution.

"Oh, I think I'd like to go there!" cried Martha. "What do you think,
Mary?"

"I think I'd like to go myself, now that we know somebody there," was
her cousin's reply. Mary had always been a little shy.

During those days of pleasure in New York only one thing occurred to mar
the happiness of the young folks. That was one afternoon when all of
them went over to Central Park for a couple of hours to enjoy the
skating. There, quite unexpectedly, they ran into Nappy Martell. He
favored the Rover boys with a black look, and then lost himself in the
crowd of skaters.

"He certainly has no love for us," was Jack's comment. "If he could
possibly do us an injury, I think he would do it."

But aside from this incident the young folks had nothing to worry them,
and they spent a most agreeable time on the ice. They talked a good
deal of nonsense, and often laughed when there was no apparent cause for
so doing, but that was due entirely to their high spirits. When they
returned to the Rover homes the girls had a glow in their cheeks and a
sparkle in their eyes that made them more beautiful than ever.

"That Ruth Stevenson is certainly a handsome girl," whispered Mrs. Dick
Rover to her husband.

"So she is, Dora," answered Dick. "And if you'll notice, our Jack has
quite an eye for her," he added dryly.

"Oh, Dick! you don't suppose he's smitten with her? Why, he's so young!"

"I'm not saying anything ab