boat came in sight.

"But we have you back again," declared Grace.

"Yes, and you can make up your minds I'm not going to be so foolish
again," spoke her brother. "This has been a lesson to me--one I won't
forget in a hurry."

"Well, now you can stay with us and have a good time," said his sister.
"I guess you need it."

"I sure do," said Will, fervently.

On hearing Will's story Mr. Hammond and Mr. Stonington went to the
authorities again, to proceed against the unscrupulous men who had so
mistreated him.

But they had left that part of the State, and could not be traced. One
reason, Will thought, why they held him a prisoner, was because they had
violated the law in regard to the treatment of the working-prisoners,
and did not want to be reported. And the reason The Loon's description
of Will gave no clue to the girls was because of Grace's brother's
temporary lameness, and his change due to poor living and ragged
clothes.

Then came happy days. Mr. and Mrs. Ford, rejoicing over the news of
their son being found, sent word for him to stay with the girls, and
they would join him in Florida. As for the girls--Mollie, Amy and Betty
shared with Grace the fun of showing Will about the lovely place where
they had spent the winter.

The Loon found a comfortable home with one of Mr. Hammond's workers, and
made himself very useful about the orange grove. He could not do enough
for the girls, or for Will and Tom, the latter two becoming fast chums,
as they had been companions in misery.

"And to think that soon we will have to leave this lovely place," said
Grace one day, when they had come back from a long trip on the river in
the _Gem_. "It is perfect here."

"It is," agreed Mollie, "but do you know I am rather lonesome for the
sight of a snowball, or an icicle."

"Mollie Billette!" cried Amy.

"Well, I am! Too much loveliness palls on one after a bit. Of course
it's lovely here, Amy, but we are Northern girls, and one winter in the
South can't change us."

"Well, we have certainly had some strange adventures here," remarked
Betty, as she swung her boat up to the dock.

"And with all the orange blossoms, none of us has worn any yet,"
remarked Grace, laughing.

"Oh, I don't know," said Mollie, with a mischievous look at Betty. "I
think some of us have a chance. I saw Tom Osborne out in the moonlight
with you last night, Grace."

"You did not!"

"Yes, I did, and he----"

"Have a chocolate!" capitulated