But they were to find out before so very long. For that same
afternoon, while Alice was still in school, Mrs. Holden and Betty came
over to call on Mrs. Merrill and Mary Jane and then the beach party was
all explained.

"We go over to the lake very often," said Mrs. Holden. "And on the sandy
beach, close by the water, the children build a big fire. Then, when the
coals are good, we toast sandwiches and roast 'weenies' and toast
marshmallows. The children are so anxious to show your girls just how it
is done," she added, "and as the weather promises to be warm and sunny I
think we should have an extra fine time."

So it was settled. And a person would have thought from the excitement and
fun of preparation that the party was to be that same day instead of
twenty-four hours away. For as soon as Alice and the older Holden children
came home from school, they all set to work planning the menu and getting
out baskets and cleaning the wires on which, so the Merrill girls learned,
marshmallows were held over the coals to be toasted.

But when everything that could be done the day before, was finished, there
was still some time for play, so the children went down into the Holden
yard and the boys, Ed and John, showed the girls how to run a track
meet--how to jump and vault and race in proper track style. Alice and Mary
Jane thought the boys wonderfully skilled and the boys, thrilled by such
warm admiration, broke all their previous records and had a beautiful
time.

At four o'clock the next afternoon the two families set out for the beach
party. And it surely was quite a procession that made its way the four or
five blocks to the park. First there was John with the wagon which held
all the heavy things--baskets of food and such. Next came Ed, who started
out walking behind the wagon to see that nothing dropped off. He and John
were to take turns pulling the load. Then the others carried bundles of
kindling and the wires for marshmallows and toasting racks for meat. They
had such a jolly time getting off that everybody felt sure the party was
to be a success.

Mary Jane had been so busy helping get settled and all that, that she
hadn't had time for a real visit on the beach. To be sure she had had
glimpses of the big blue they could see down their own street, but to
really come over and see the lake and play in the sand--this was her first
trip. So she skipped along very happily and thought she could hardly wait
till they