ed about her. They
ardently wished that Madge would fly into a temper again just to show she
possessed her old spirit. But she was very gentle and quiet and liked to
spend a good deal of the time alone.

Miss Jenny Ann consulted with Lillian, Phil and Eleanor. They decided to
write to David Brewster to ask him to come to spend a few days with them
on the houseboat. Madge was fond of David and the young man had done such
fine things for himself in the past year that her friends hoped a sight
of him would stir her out of her depression.

David was visiting Mrs. Randolph--"Miss Betsey"--in Hartford. He replied
that he would try to come to Cape May in another week or ten days, but
please not to mention the fact to Madge until he was more sure of
coming.

One bright summer afternoon Madge returned alone from a long motor ride
with Mrs. Curtis and Tom. She found the houseboat entirely deserted and
remembered that the girls and Miss Jenny Ann had had an engagement to go
sailing. She curled up on the big steamer chair and gave herself over to
dreams.

A small boat, pulled by a pair of strong arms, came along close to the
deck of the "Merry Maid." Madge looked up to see Captain Jules's faithful
face beaming at her.

"All alone?" he called out cheerfully. "Come for a row with me. I'll get
you back before tea."

Madge wanted to refuse, but she hardly knew how, so she slipped into the
prow of the skiff and sat there idly facing him.

Captain Jules frowned at the girl's pale face, which looked even paler
under the loose twists of her soft auburn hair. Madge looked older and
more womanly than she had the day the captain first saw her. There was a
deeper meaning to the upper curves of her full, red lips and a gentler
sweep to the downward droop of her heavy, black lashes. She was
fulfilling the promise of the great beauty that was to be hers. It was
easy to see that she had the charm that would make her life full of
interest.

Still Captain Jules frowned as though the picture of Madge and her future
did not please him.

"How much longer are you going to stay at Cape May, Miss Morton?" he
inquired.

Madge smiled at him. "I don't know anything about 'Miss Morton's' plans,
but Madge expects to be here for about two weeks more."

Recently the captain had been calling the houseboat girls by their first
names, as he was with them so constantly in their trouble. But he had now
decided that he must return to the formality of th