e last week, and Phyllis, Lillian, Eleanor and I
met in New York and came on here yesterday."

"You don't say so. Ma will be delighted to see her. You know they've
been friends for ages. We hadn't heard from her for some time, though.
Sorry you didn't get here sooner. You could have become better
acquainted with my friends," deplored Elfreda. "They are all going away
to-morrow."

"I'm sorry, too," smiled the pretty girl. "I'm sure we'd love to know
them better." She made a gracious little gesture toward the Sempers,
whose eyes were fixed upon her in open admiration.

"Never mind, you are sure to meet some of us in New York this winter, if
you are going to be there," promised Elfreda.

"Yes, Father is going to take a house in New York. He is anxious to look
up his brother officers in the Navy who are stationed there. We are
through traveling for a time."

"The Briggs' family are going to stay in the neighborhood of the sad sea
waves until the first of October, so I'll see you often. Ma will run
over to see Mrs. Curtis the minute she knows about her being here. Tell
me where the cottage is and I'll try to remember the address. I wish I
had a pencil, but they don't usually hang around with bathing suits and
salt water."

After a few minutes' pleasant conversation the three girls said good-bye
and walked on.

"What charming girls," remarked Arline Thayer.

"Did you ever see a sweeter face than Madge Morton's?" asked Elfreda.

"She is beautiful," agreed Grace; "not only that, but she has such a
vivid personality. One loves her on sight."

"She is from the South, isn't she?" inquired Miriam. "She has a decided
southern accent."

"Yes, she was born and brought up in Virginia. Her father was a naval
officer and was court-martialed when she was a baby for something he
didn't do," related Elfreda. "He left home in disgrace and her mother
died soon afterward. He never came back to claim her, so her aunt and
uncle brought her up. Every one believed her father was dead, and so did
she until she grew up; then a perfectly hateful girl, whose father was a
naval officer, told her the story of her father's disgrace while she was
visiting Mrs. Curtis at Old Point Comfort. You see, Madge and her
friends had a little houseboat that they fixed over from an old canal
boat. They used to spend their vacations on it, and one of the teachers
from the boarding school which Madge attended used to chaperon them.
They called their boat