y were to get up early the next morning.

"Lottie Weaver will meet us at the station," said Cora, referring to
another of the party, who had not assisted at the packing.

"That's good. If we had had her trunk over here, with all our things,
we'd never have gotten the baggage off," said Bess, with a sigh.

"And now, after it's all over," said Cora to her mother that night, "I
think I would not again have all the packing done in one place. I
thought it would save time for the girls to bring their things here,
especially as the Robinsons are so upset with building that addition
to the parlor. But it was a lot of work!"

"Oh, well," said Mrs. Kimball, "you meant it for the best, my dear.
I'm sure you will have a pleasant Summer."

They met at the station the next morning--the girls and boys. Lottie
Weaver was there, in the glory of a new maroon sweater, and Ed Foster
was also on time.

The express for Crystal Bay was late, and as Cora and her motor girl
chums marched up and down the platform, nervously waiting, Cora saw a
girl coming from the waiting room.

"Why, Freda Lewis!" she exclaimed, hurrying up and putting her arms
about her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to
Bar Harbor for the Summer."

"So we were! Oh, Cora! I'm so glad to see you. I had to change cars
here--I got on the wrong train, it seems. I've been traveling all
night."

"You look it, my dear! Oh, if I had only known you were here----"

"I haven't been waiting long. I'm to take the Shore Express."

"That's our train. But, Freda, you don't look at all well--not a bit
as you did at school," for Freda was a chum Cora had made much of a
year or so before, but had not seen of late.

"I'm not well, Cora," said Freda, earnestly.

"What is the trouble?"

"Anxiety, mostly. Oh, Cora, we've had such a dreadful time, mother and
I!"

Her voice trembled pitifully.

"Freda, dear, what is the matter?" asked Cora in sympathetic tones,
for she saw tears in the other's eyes.

"Oh, it's money matters. You know we own--or at least we thought we
did--a large tract of land at Crystal Bay."

"Crystal Bay!" exclaimed Cora, in surprise.

"Yes. It was Grandfather Lewis's homestead. Well, most of our income
has come from that since father's death, and now--Oh, I don't know all
the details, but some land speculators--land sharks, mother calls
them--are disputing our title.

"Mother has just worried herself sick over it, and I'm afraid s