desolate without these two little rays of sunshine."

After affectionate leavetakings, Mr. Rose departed and the two girls
went on with Mr. Fayre.

He was not of such a jolly nature as Mr. Rose, nor so inclined to talk
with the children.

He placed them in adjoining chairs in the parlour car, and after
supplying them with picture papers and candies, he seemed to consider
his responsibilities at an end, and taking his own seat, immediately
buried himself in his newspaper.

"Not much like the Adirondacks, is it?" said Dolly, as they whirled
along through the flat landscapes of New Jersey.

"No, of course not; you wouldn't expect it. How soon do we see the
ocean?"

"Very soon, now. We'll get to Surfwood about six, but we'll see the
ocean long before then, there are so many beach stations."

As they neared Surfwood, Mr. Fayre threw aside his papers and looked out
for the girls again. He was a most courteous man and politely assisted
them with their various belongings, treating them more as grown ladies
than as children.

"There they are!" he cried, as the train stopped at the picturesque
little station and they spied a big motor car in which Mrs. Fayre and
Trudy were sitting.

Trudy was looking lovely in her light summer costume and she warmly
welcomed the travellers as they got into the motor.

"How brown you both are," said Mrs. Fayre, kissing the girls; "a nice
healthy tan, and very becoming! Did you hate to leave your camp, Dotty?
and I suppose you, too, Dolly, became a devotee of mountain life."

"We did have lovely times, Mother, and I expect Dot was sorry to give it
up, but I persuaded her."

"You'll have lovely times here, too," promised Trudy, smiling at them;
"I'll see to that."

The car stopped at the entrance to a very large hotel. The broad
verandas were filled with people, gaily dressed, and gathered in
laughing, chatting groups. Between them and the ocean was a broad
boardwalk also filled with people.

"Come along, girls," said Mrs. Fayre, and Dotty and Dolly followed her
across the veranda and into a large entrance hall. It was very
beautiful, with glistening white and gold decorations, a thick
moss-green velvet carpet and tall palms round the walls. Then followed a
bewildering succession of gorgeous rooms, and finally they went up in an
elevator.

"Here we are," and Mrs. Fayre led the two girls into a large and
handsomely furnished suite.

"This is our general sitting room," she went