the--well, I won't mention them, but you know what I
mean," and she smiled at her chums. Indeed Betty was beginning to think
she had been just a little indiscreet in speaking aloud of the precious
stones.

"We'll just have a good outing, as we used to," she went on.

"Like the time when we found the five-hundred-dollar bill," suggested
Amy.

"Or when the girl fell out of the tree," added Mollie.

"Gracious! Those _were_ tragic times enough!" broke in Grace.

"But we enjoyed them--after they were over," added Betty. "And I think
we shall enjoy finding--well, finding what we did find, after Allen
straightens it out for us."

"Oh, is he going to straighten it out for us?" asked Mollie.

"Well, isn't he working hard on it?" Betty wanted to know.

"I thought Will was going to get us clues," Mollie went on. "Or your
father?"

"Oh, of course they may find the owners, but they are waiting for
something to be published in the papers."

"Well, is Allen doing any more?" Amy asked. "If he is he hasn't said
anything to us about it, though of course you'd be the first one to
hear of it, Betty," she said, innocently enough.

"I?" cried the Little Captain, with upraised eyebrows. "Why I, pray?"

"Oh, because you and Allen are----"

"That's enough!" laughed Mollie. "Spare her blushes, child!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Amy, in confusion.

"You needn't worry about me," said Betty, quickly. "What I meant was
that Allen is working on a plan to solve the mystery."

"Has he told you all about it?" Grace wanted to know.

"Not all. We agreed that it would be better to say nothing to any one
else about it until he was ready to act."

"Oh, of course," admitted Mollie. "The fewer the outsiders are who know
about the--well, let's call them 'apples,' and then no one will suspect.
The fewer who know about the 'apples' so much the better. But I do hope
we each get one--'apple'--out of it," and she laughed.

"We ought to," returned Betty. She looked back toward the sand dunes,
possibly for a sight of the old fishwife, but no one was in view.

The girls wandered on. The day was bright and beautiful, giving little
hint of the tragic occurrence that was in the air. It was as if the
outdoor girls were on one of the walking tours which they had
instituted. The sand, however, was not conducive to rapid progress, and
they were content to stroll idly.

They were now past the place where the diamonds had been found, though
they were all anxiou