ht to take her seriously. But you know there
was another fire out Koto way last night, and it spoiled some lovely
trees. Father says every one is so indignant about it, but never a
person is found around to give a clue to the culprit."

"And she insinuated that we made the beach fire," said Cleo indignantly.

"Oh, that's pure nonsense, of course. But did you see how she acted when
we asked her about the Weasle?"

"Yes, she knows about that note, I'm sure," said Cleo. "But then she
thinks she knows a lot of things. She certainly lives over on the
Island, and so she couldn't very well start fires at night?"

"But she rows like an Indian. Here come the girls. Now we will have a
chance to talk it all over."

The arrival of Helen, Mary, Louise, and Julia completed the group, and
presently a summer session of the True Treds was under way.

To the newcomers at Sea Crest the whole situation was explained, and
nothing short of consternation followed its recital.

"Do you mean to say no one knows this girl?" asked Helen.

"No one we can find," replied Louise. "You see the whole town moves away
when the summer folks come, all but the cleaners and the store keepers;
and we didn't like to ask any of them."

"I'm sure Captain Dave must know this girl," declared Grace. "I'm going
down to the station this very afternoon and have a talk with him."

"Saw him go out to Brightwater in a motor boat this morning," Louise
said.

"Well, we simply have got to keep up our troop tactics until we run this
down," declared Cleo. "Think of her saying we tried to drown the boy!"

"And she called him Bentley. That's rather a pretty name. He surely
doesn't belong to her class," said Grace.

"But he too is odd, we must admit," resumed Louise, "and he had the very
same kind of paper we found in the bottle."

"And his boat was covered with it," added Grace.

"But you really don't think he could be malicious enough to start
fires?" asked Julia.

"I don't know," replied Grace. "They always say book-worms are queer,
and surely he is a book-worm, if there ever was one."

"I propose taking a trip to that Looney Island," said Louise directly.

"I'd love to," followed Cleo; "but what about Captain Dave's warning?"

"What did he say?" inquired Mary.

"Why, he told us this Luna Island or Looney Land as the children call
it, was a very good place to keep away from."

"Did he say why?" asked Helen.

"No; just hinted that children always fear