cruise with Allen and the others."

"And do you think you'll come to see us at Ocean View?"

"We certainly will!"

A little later the conference of young people broke up. The boys said
they must make preparations for their motor boat outing, and naturally
Grace, Mollie and Amy were anxious to lay before their folks the
invitation from Betty.

"But I'm sure they'll let you come," the latter said. Later that day she
received telephone messages from her chums, stating that they could go
to the seashore.

"Then get ready as soon as you can!" urged Betty.

"We will," promised Grace. Then as she carried up to her room a box of
chocolates she had purchased--the third that day--she murmured to
herself: "I wonder what that secret of Will's can be about? I do hope he
doesn't get into any more trouble."

CHAPTER IV

OFF FOR OCEAN VIEW

"Are you going to take all those?"

"All those? Why, there aren't so many, Mollie."

"Well, I like your idea of _many_, Betty. Why, you'll need two trunks
for those dresses. Oh, where did you get that pretty linen skirt, and
it's quite full, too; isn't it?"

"Yes, they're coming in that way again," and Betty draped the skirt in
question over her hip, holding it up for Mollie to see. The two girls
were in Betty Nelson's room, and the Little Captain was packing a trunk.

At least that was the official name of the operation. To the
uninitiated, or to "mere man," it looked as though nothing was being
done except to scatter dresses on chairs, on the bed, divan and other
vantage points.

"But I have to lay them all out this way," Betty had explained, when
Mollie, running over in an interval of her own packing, to get ready to
go to Ocean View, had gasped in wonder at the confusion in her friend's
room. "I want to see what I have, so I'll know what to take with me."

"That isn't my way," Mollie laughed. "I simply open a closet door, sweep
everything off the hooks and toss them into a trunk. Then I get Felice
to jump on the lid with me, and--presto! the trick is done, Madame!" and
she laughed and shrugged her shoulders in pretty little French fashion.

"I simply can't do it that way," sighed Betty. "I suppose it does take a
long time to lay each dress out separately, but----"

"It is much more kind to the dresses," agreed Mollie. "That's why you
always look so nice, and why I always appear so--so----"

"Don't you dare say a word about yourself, Mollie Billette!" protested
Bett