height and seemed to cover several acres
of ground. "Goodness, it seems as if the whole world ought to be able to
get in there. And what's that?" she went on, pointing to another yellow
building with green blinds. "Its twin?"

"Yes. They call it The Breakers," returned Grace, rather enjoying her
new role of guide. "It isn't quite as large as the Royal Poinciana, but
dad says it is just as good."

Before long they reached the hotel and they waited while Walter, Bess,
Rhoda and Mr. and Mrs. Mason came puffing up to them, warm from the heat
of the afternoon sun.

"Come ahead, folks," said Mr. Mason, engineering his flock up the steps
of the hotel to the porch. "Let's get cooled and brushed up a bit, and
then we can come out and see the sights. This is the biggest crowd I
have ever found here," he added, as they entered the darkened, cool
lobby of the hotel with a conscious sigh of relief, "and that is saying
a good deal."

CHAPTER XXIII

A TROPICAL PARADISE

The signing of the hotel register was not an easy task, for there were
many other guests waiting to do the same thing. Mr. Mason finally
managed it, however, and he and his rather large family were whirled up
in a roomy elevator to the fifth floor and were shown to their rooms by
a well-mannered and friendly bellboy.

Bess and Nan were to room together and Grace and Rhoda had a room right
off theirs, connected by a door, so that it was really as if the girls
were all in one room.

"Come down on the porch when you are ready, girls," said Walter, just
before he disappeared into his own room, "and we'll wander around and
see the sights."

Nan and Bess were delighted with their room, for it was large and airy
and commanded a beautiful view of Lake Worth, upon which the Royal
Poinciana Hotel is situated. Grace's and Rhoda's room also faced the
lake.

"Oh, girls, look at all the boats!" squealed Bess, dancing delightedly
up and down before one of the windows. "They are so thick you can hardly
see any water between them."

"The _Bargain Rush_ is down there somewhere," said Grace, as she and Nan
ran across the room to peek over Bess's shoulder. "Dad made an awful
fuss about having it shipped all the way, but Walter said he didn't want
to come if he couldn't have it."

"But, Grace, this is the first word you have said about the _Bargain
Rush_," said Bess reproachfully. "And you know just how unhappy we'd be
if we did not have a boat down here."

"I'