it had been
decided to postpone the start a day, and Larry Dexter had some business
to transact at the newspaper office.

"And we'll go see the girls!" cried Dick.

Mabel Hanford, Grace Knox and Irene Martin, the three young ladies in
whom the boys were more than ordinarily interested, had come on to New
York, after their school closed, and our friends had made a
half-promise to meet them in the metropolis. Now the promise could be
kept. They found the girls at a hotel, where they resided part of the
year, and, sending up their cards, were ushered to their sitting-room.

"And did you really come all the way from Hamilton Corners to New York
in your airship?" asked Mabel of Dick.

"We surely did," he answered. "And we're going to start for San
Francisco tomorrow. We just stopped overnight to see you."

"We appreciate the honor," laughed Irene, with a bow.

"Have you any engagement for tonight?" asked Innis.

"We were going to the theatre," said Grace.

"Isn't there any place we could go to a dance?" inquired Paul.

"Say, he's crazy on these new dances!" exclaimed Dick. "I caught him
doing the 'lame duck' the other night, with the broom for a partner."

"Oh, do you do that?" cried Mabel.

"A little," admitted Paul.

"Will you show us how the steps go?" asked Irene.

"And I know the 'lace glide,' and the 'pivot whirl,'" put in Dick. "You
needn't think you can walk off with all the honors," he said to his
chum, laughingly.

"Oh, let's stay at the hotel and dance tonight," suggested Mabel.
"Mamma will chaperone us. It will be more fun than the theatre."

"We'll have to hire dress suits," said Innis. "We didn't bring them in
the airship."

"No, we'll make it very informal," Grace remarked. "There is a little
private ballroom we can engage."

So it was arranged, and the young people spent an enjoyable evening,
doing some of the newest steps.

"We'll come down to the fort in the morning, and see you start for San
Francisco," promised Mabel, as she said good-night to Dick.

"Will you!" he exclaimed. "That will be fine of you!"

An early morning start was made for the fort, after the airship, which
had been left in Bronx Park all night, had been carefully gone over.
An additional supply of gasolene was taken aboard, some adjustments
made to the machinery, and more food put in the lockers.

"There are the girls!" exclaimed Dick, after they had made a successful
landing at the fort, which they wou