arty loved the water, it was sure to
be a merry little sailing trip down the bay.

Gwen Harcourt had not spoken truthfully when she had said that she
would not wish to go to Cliffmore. Indeed, that very morning she had
used her unpleasant method in an effort to coax her mother to go to
Cliffmore, and for the first time in her little life, it had not
worked.

She had heard from Polly, Rose, and Sprite of the pleasure that they
had enjoyed there, and she had at once decided that no other place
could be as delightful.

"I guess I can go there as well as they can," she had whispered to
herself, and then, running up to the big living room she had first
asked, then coaxed, and there, as a final effort, had screamed for a
half hour. Mrs. Harcourt would, as usual, have quickly agreed at once
to spend the Summer as Gwen wished, but it happened that other plans
already made, rendered it impossible. The silly woman offered
everything that she could think of to pacify Gwen, but Gwen declared
that nothing would make up to her for the refusal to go to Cliffmore.

Then when she found her screaming wholly useless, she dried her eyes,
and rushed out and down the avenue to tell Polly and Rose that she
would not care to go there.

If she had waited a day longer to tell them it would have been as
well, because Mrs. Harcourt, lest the disappointment might be too
hard for Gwen, had, at great inconvenience, changed her plans, and on
the following day she told Gwen that Cliffmore would be their summer
home.

Gwen did not rush out this time to tell the news.

Had she not just said that she would not care to go there?

"I'll say nothing about it, and when they get to Cliffmore, they'll be
s'prised to find me there, but I'll act as if I'd known all along that
I'd be there," thought Gwen.

Mrs. Harcourt and Gwen went the next day, and thus it happened that
when the "Dolphin" sailed up to the pier, the first person that Rose
and Polly saw was Gwen, sitting high on the top of a tall post! It was
a most successful surprise.

"Hello!" she cried, with impish laughter, "I got here 'fore you did!"

"Why so you did," Polly replied. "When did you come?"

"Oh, I've been here some time," she said, laughing again.

"Well, you've not been here a month, Gwen Harcourt!" said Rose. "It
was only three days ago that you were in Avondale, and you said then
that you'd not care to go to Cliffmore!"

"Well, I didn't go," cried Gwen, "I've _come_, and