is voice. "But I see you are scouts. They teach you
emergency stunts in your organization, I suppose."

"Yes," replied Julia covered with confusion and anxious to escape; and
escape she did directly the good-looking Neal stepped aside, and bowed
the girls graciously into the corridor.

"I almost choked myself," admitted Louise.

"I will do so yet," declared Helen.

CHAPTER XII

ON THE SANDS

"AS a quiet evening it was a cyclone," said Julia to her congratulating
companions. "I really was not sure whether I should shake both the heels
at once, or in rapid succession, but when I saw that safety pin--oh,
girls!" and she pretended to slink down into the supporting arms offered
her.

"Whether premeditated or a mere accident you did nobly," declared
Margaret, "and I shouldn't wonder if handsome young Neal wouldn't want
to join our troop. Isn't he stunning looking?"

"But he is the friend of marine Richard--he who is coming in on the
millionaire's yacht," put in Grace. "Therefore Julia, you and I shall
divide the honors. Joking aside girls, what is our program for the
morrow?"

"Bathing, of course--high tide at ten-thirty," announced Julia.

"After that we will pay a call at Captain Dave's Life Saving Station,"
said Cleo. "In fact we can run over there from the beach. We have
simply got to find out all he knows about Luna Island."

They were on their way home from the Colonade, and as it was still
early, the streets were populated with summer visitors just leaving the
pavilions, the boardwalks, picture theaters, or hotels. Each scout
leaving the group left one less to the usual "last tag" game, which
again became of interest to the young girls, not yet too dignified to
enjoy such pleasure romps.

Next morning at the beach a number of new arrivals were added to the
list of their companions, as each day now brought its own quota of
visitors to the popular summer resort, and it was surely "the more the
merrier."

"Good swimming in the cove," announced Cleo, "at least we call it the
cove, but it's really a little lake, made smooth by the banked up sand
bar. Come on everybody, up to Third Avenue."

Surf boards added to the sport, and while every morning was a holiday at
the beach, to-day seemed something of legal type; such a wonderfully
merry time the colonists were enjoying. All the scouts were swimmers;
Grace as usual was daring to the point of risk, Cleo quickly followed
every prank she initiated, and