ng in all the Maine coast, spending a week at Bar
Harbor and then a run up as far east as Annapolis Bay and the coast of
Acadia.

He had described all the charms of this trip to Alice and extended to
her the most urgent invitation. He had obtained her brother's promise to
supplement it and also to make one of the party, and he had persuaded
his sister Blanch to aid him with his mother, but he had met
discouragement on all sides. In the first place, Alice wrote it was
doubtful if she could go. It would be a delightful outing, and one she
would enjoy, but it would not be right to leave Aunt Susan alone for so
long, and then as her school did not close until the last of June, she
would have no time to get ready. These were not the sole reasons for her
reluctance, and in fact she made no mention of what was her principal
reason. He did not understand that Alice Page was too proud-spirited to
appear willing to put herself in his way and accept an invitation having
for its ultimate object the giving of an opportunity to him to court
her. Then to accept his family's protectorship and hospitality for that
same end was even more obnoxious. With true feminine discretion she did
not dare confide this reason to her brother, and perhaps it was wise she
did not.

To cap the climax of Frank's discomfiture, when July came his mother
announced that she had decided to go to the mountains for the summer,
and then he saw his nicely laid plans were to be an utter failure.

"It's no use, Bert," he said to his friend one evening, "I wanted your
sister to go to Maine with us, and mother and the girls and a few more
to make a party, but it's no go. I can't induce your sister to join us,
and it's no use if she would, for mother has determined to go to
Bethlehem, and that settles it. I feel like going out and getting full.
If you and I have any outing on the yacht, we must make up a gander
party."

"That suits me just as well as, and in fact better than, the other
plan," replied Albert consolingly. "If we have a lot of ladies along we
must dance attendance upon them, and if not we can fish, smoke, play
cards, sing, or go to sleep when we feel like it. I tell you, Frank," he
continued, evidently desiring to cheer up that young man, "girls are all
right as companions at home or at balls and theatres, but on a yacht
they are in the way. Not only are they liable to seasickness, but at
every bit of rough water they will get scared and make no end