ell," Nan drew a deep breath, "I am
scared. But, just the same, I'm not so scared as all that--and I'm going
to prove it to them, so there!"

Walter gazed at her in open admiration for a moment.

"Nan, you're a brick!" he cried.

CHAPTER XXVI

WORTH A FORTUNE

Mr. Mason, by inquiry, had found out that the district known as Sunny
Slopes was about sixty miles from Palm Beach, and the next morning they
set off by motor for the place, Mrs. Mason having declared to her
husband the night before that "it was of no use to put the thing off any
longer. The girl's nerves were all on edge over that queer widow's
mysterious papers. He may not have noticed it, but she had been watching
Nan very closely."

So it came about that a big machine, carrying Mr. and Mrs. Mason, Nan
and Bess and Rhoda, and enough luggage to last them at a hotel for a few
days, and a torpedo-shaped little car bearing Walter and Grace set out
bright and early to make the trip to Sunny Slopes.

Walter had taken it for granted that Nan would ride with him, and had
seemed inclined to sulk when she decidedly refused. For Nan had taken
herself very severely to task when she had reached her room the night
before. She had broken her rule never to go anywhere with Walter unless
the girls were along, and she would never, never do it again. She was
particularly hard on herself to-day--and on poor Walter--because of the
fact that she had enjoyed that dreamlike sail over the moonlight waters
of Lake Worth more than she had ever enjoyed anything before.

So Walter, coming behind the big machine with Grace, sulked, and Grace
scolded because, in his preoccupation, he nearly ran her and himself
into a ditch.

Their route lay over the lake to West Palm Beach and then along a
beautiful highway lined on either side with gorgeous palms.

"I don't wonder the place is called Palm Beach," remarked Rhoda. "I
never dreamed of seeing so many fine palm trees before."

They had made careful inquiries concerning the route, and once the
houses and bungalows were left behind they "hit it up" to a very
respectable rate of speed. The roads, for the most part, were very good,
and the only spots covered where they had to be careful were where there
had been washouts.

"It is certainly a pretty landscape," remarked Grace, as they sped past
one settlement after another. "I don't wonder that you said you'd like
to make sketches, Nan."

"But I haven't made any yet," was N