topped
just long enough to explain to the surprised Mrs. Danvers and then
scurried upstairs, and with eager fingers tore off their bathing suits
and substituted their ordinary clothes.

"It's good we didn't go in bathing and get our hair all wet," Vi panted,
but Laura put a hand over her mouth.

"Stop talking," she commanded. "You need your breath!"

As a matter of fact, they were pretty much out of the last-named article
when they reached the dock again. But the great thing was that they had
succeeded in getting there before whoever was in that motor boat made a
landing.

"Suppose after all this it isn't the boys?" panted Laura, and Connie gave
her a funny glance.

"Kill-joy," she jeered, paying her back.

Laura was about to retort, but Billie interrupted with a chuckle.

"Stop fighting, girls," she commanded, "and tell me something. Is my hair
on straight?"

"No, it's too much over one eye," replied Connie in the same tone.

Then Vi claimed their attention.

"Look!" she cried. "They are coming around the other side of the dock.
Oh, isn't that a perfectly beautiful boat?"

It was, but the girls were just then too much interested in finding out
who was in the boat to pay very much attention to its beauty. The
graceful craft swung around toward them, the motor was shut off, and the
boat glided easily in to the dock.

The girls were standing a little way back, so as not to appear too
curious, and that was the reason why the boys saw them before they saw
the newcomers.

There was a whoop from the deck of the motor boat, a shout of, "Say,
fellows, look who's here!" and the next moment three sportily clad young
figures leaped out on the dock and made a dash for the girls, leaving the
fourth member of their party protesting vigorously.

The fourth member was none other than Paul Martinson, and, being the
owner and captain of the handsome motor boat, he had no intention of
following the other boys and leaving his craft to wander out to sea.

So he told the boys what he thought of them, which did not do a particle
of good since they did not hear a word he said, and remained in the boat
while he held on to the dock with one hand.

Meanwhile Chet had hugged his sister and Teddy had hugged his sister and
Ferd had declared longingly that he wished he had a sister to hug, it
made him feel lonesome, and there was laughter and noise and confusion
generally.

It was Connie who reminded them of poor Paul grumbling