game of water
polo. After a fierce battle which left everyone exhausted, Penny's
side conquered the opponents. The girls sat down on the edge of the
pool to rest.

"Isn't that Betty Davis over there under the beach umbrella?" Susan
presently inquired, indicating a girl in a black bathing suit who sat
alone.

"Why, it is!" Penny agreed. "Shall we go over and speak to her?"

"After the way she treated us this afternoon?"

"We can't be certain she was in the house when we called."

"I think she was," Susan maintained. "She doesn't care for our
company, that's all."

"She seemed to like us well enough at first. Betty is the sensitive
type, Sue. It may be that she's embarrassed on account of all her
father's trouble. I believe I'll swim over and speak to her at any
rate."

Penny arose from the side of the pool. Without having appeared to
notice the action, Betty Davis hastily left the reclining chair under
the umbrella and disappeared into the dressing room.

"I guess you're too late!" Susan laughed. "She saw you first."

Penny sat down again, a trifle nettled.

"You're right, Sue. She's deliberately avoiding us."

"She's a queer sort anyway," Susan said indifferently. "Let's ignore
her from now on."

Penny gazed thoughtfully toward the dressing room door.

"There must be some reason for the way she's acting, Sue. I have a
notion to corner her in the dressing room so that she'll have to say
something to me."

"You're inviting a snub if you do. Forget her, Penny! Come on, I'll
race you to the end of the pool!"

She plunged in and Penny reluctantly followed. They swam two lengths
and then dived a few times from the high board.

"Oh, let's go home," Penny proposed presently. "I've had enough."

They stood for a few minutes under the cold shower, then entered the
dressing room. To their surprise they observed a group of excited
girls clustered around the matron's desk.

"I tell you it's my ring!" one of the bathers insisted angrily. "This
girl stole it from my locker!"

"It isn't true. The ring is my own. Why, it belonged to my mother."

Penny and Susan pushed their way into the little group. They had
recognized Betty Davis' low pitched voice but were unacquainted with
the girl who was accusing her of the theft.

"Let's get to the bottom of this," the matron said severely, turning to
the first girl. "Did you have your locker fastened securely?"

"No, that's how she got in. I f