That's just what I said. Did you have a good
time? Whartons' is real good about their la'nch, ain't they? Now
there's Roops hardly ever takes anybody out but their own folks. I
call that mean. Come on in and get your supper. Them berries is so
fresh I guess they'll keep till tomorrow, and you'll want the others to
have some. I cal'late you've eat your fill of 'em anyway."

Glad that Luella's flow of talk did not demand answers, Mary followed
her into the house and when the young woman drew up her chair sociably
to eat supper with her, Mary did not feel any resentment, so happy was
she that no explanations were expected.

_CHAPTER VI_

_Discoveries_

But the end was not yet for Mary. To be sure her strawberries were
much appreciated, and every one was good enough to say she had been
missed, and that it was too bad she had decided to stay at home.
"Though after all you weren't lonely," said Molly, "and I'm glad you
went over to the Whartons'; they are such nice, friendly people."

"I think they are, too," said Polly. "Luella told us they took you to
Green Island on their launch."

"I am delighted that you had that pleasure," said Aunt Ada.

"And I am pleased that you were so industrious as to pick all those
berries," Uncle Dick put in his word.

Poor Mary felt very uncomfortable. "I am a wretchedly deceitful girl,"
she told herself. "Why can't I tell them the truth? But, oh, dear, it
is harder to now than it was at first." So she summoned voice to say
only, "Yes, I did have a real nice time. Green Island is almost as
pretty as the Point, isn't it?"

"We don't think it is near so pretty," said Molly, loyally.

"But it is lovely," admitted Miss Ada. "I wish you could have seen
Rocky Point, Mary; that is the wildest spot imaginable. Perhaps after
a while you will get over your fear of being seasick and can go with us
on another trip there."

"Oh, it is such a fine place to have supper," put in Polly. "We had a
dear little fireplace, and it was so still you could imagine you were
hundreds of miles away from a house, and there was nothing to disturb
us----"

"Except ants and grasshoppers and mosquitoes," interrupted Uncle Dick.

"I'm sure there were very few of them," protested Molly. "Anyhow it
was just fine, Mary, and you must be sure to go next time. We had the
loveliest sail home through the sunset."

"Through the sunset," said Uncle Dick scornfully. "One would suppose
we were in