to investigate your island a little farther, Edna," said
John. "I've found that there's a hostelry here. I can't bear to tear
myself away in ten minutes."

"To linger on Hawk Island is to be lost," returned Edna. "To change the
song slightly,--

'To see it is to love it,
And love but it forever;
For Nature made it what it is,
And ne'er made sic anither.'"

"Then here goes to lose myself," returned Dunham, "for you can't lose
me. Benny, how are you going to get my boat home?"

"Don't know," drawled Benny; "couldn't swim back agin."

"Well, you could take it over to-morrow and get back somehow, couldn't
you?"

"Miss Edna, she wants to go berryin' to-morrer."

"So do I, then," remarked Dunham.

"You shall," laughed Edna. "We'll send another boy."

"It's a worse problem than the fox and the goose and the corn," said
John. "As Benny says, he can't swim back. I foresee a tragic future for
Thinkright's boat, plying restlessly between Hawk Island and the Tide
Mill, driven by the inexorable fate that hounded the Wandering Jew."

"We'll send two boys and an extra boat," returned Edna. "The island is
rich in both commodities."

She let Dunham go to the little hotel that evening.

"But it will be the last time," she said to Miss Lacey after he had
gone. "Why shouldn't I have a house party while Sylvia is here?"

"A man is a disturbing element on general principles," remarked Miss
Martha, "but I like him, and always did, from the moment he dusted a
chair for me with his handkerchief." She cleared her throat with sudden
embarrassment as she glanced at Sylvia, who was listening with serious
eyes.

That day's errand seemed strange and remote.

"Where have you and Mr. Dunham met before?" asked Edna, turning
suddenly to her guest.

Sylvia was prepared for this question. "In Boston, only once. He met me
there to arrange some business for Uncle Calvin."

"He is quite overcome by the change in your appearance. I'm not going
to tell you the nice things he said about you. I don't approve of
turning curly heads."

Sylvia colored and met Edna's kind eyes with a pleased, eager gaze. How
lovely if the Prince should like her as did her Princess.

CHAPTER XXII

BLUEBERRYING

Benny was still unfurling his sail when his party came down to the
floating dock the next morning.

Dunham was laden with lunch boxes, pails, and sweaters, and Benny
looked somewhat darkly upon him as his laugh rang out