Part 21 (1/2)

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 away all by himself in his boat, and the boys ran penitently over to him while the girls danced after them joyfully.

”Oh, what a splendid boat!”

”Isn't she a beauty!”

”What good times you must have in her.”

It was really an unusually handsome craft, and it was little wonder that Paul regarded it with pride. He invited the girls on board, and they went into raptures enough over it to satisfy even him.

It was a good fifty feet in length and had a cabin in which one could stand up if one were not very tall. There were bunks running along both sides of the cabin that looked like leather-cus.h.i.+oned divans in the daytime and could be turned into the most comfortable of beds at night.

There was a galley ”for'ard,” too, where the boys cooked their rather sketchy meals, and into this the girls poked eagerly curious heads.

”Oh, it's all just the completest thing I've ever seen!” cried Billie, clapping her hands in delight while Paul looked at her happily. ”Those cunning curtains at the window and--everything!”

”My mother did that,” Paul admitted sheepishly, as he followed the girls out on the deck. ”And I didn't like to take them down.”

”Well, I should say you wouldn't take them down!” said Connie indignantly. ”The idea! Don't you dream of it! Why, they are just what make the cabin!”

”But isn't this some deck! Did your mother do this too, Paul?” asked Laura, her eyes traveling admiringly from the pretty wicker lounging chairs to the gayly striped awning and brilliant deck rail that shown like gold in the dazzling sun. ”Why, Paul, I never knew a motor boat could be so pretty and comfy.”

”Say, but you ought to see her go!” put in Chet eagerly. ”She's as fast a little boat as she is pretty. Oh, she's great!”

”Yes, it almost makes me wish I had done some studying at school,” said Ferd Stowing, rubbing his head ruefully. ”Maybe if I had my dad would have given me an aeroplane or something.”

After they had fastened the boat securely to the dock so that there was no danger of its floating off they turned reluctantly away from the dock and started off toward the Danvers' cottage.

Then the girls tried to tell the boys all that had happened since they had last met and the boys tried to do the same, the result being hopeless confusion and perfect happiness.

”Say, make believe that beach doesn't look good!” exclaimed Teddy to Billie, for they had fallen a little behind the rest. ”And the good old ocean--say, what a day for a swim!”

”That's just what we were going to do when we saw you coming,” Billie confided, thinking how exceedingly handsome he looked in his white trousers and dark coat. Then she told him of the wild scramble they had had to get dressed, and she looked so pretty in the telling of it that he did not hear much of what she was saying to him for looking at her.

”But what made you so sure it was us?” asked Teddy ungrammatically.

Billie chuckled and gave a little skip of pure happiness.

”Laura said she felt it in her bones,” she said.

CHAPTER XX

OUT OF THE FOG