t that," said Mollie, enjoying the sensation she was making. "He was
an awfully wizened old man, and when he heard we were from Pine
Island--well, he told us some mighty queer things."

"Pine Island?" cried Mrs. Irving, the color flaming into her cheeks,
whether from excitement or the warmth of the fire, no one could tell.

"What can be strange about Pine Island?" demanded Betty. "Mollie, I
could shake you; why don't you tell us and have it over with?"

Mollie glanced at Roy. "Shall I?" she asked, just as if she had not been
longing for the last half hour for the time to come when she could
create a sensation by telling.

"You might as well," he answered condescendingly. "As long as we have to
have them around for the rest of the summer, we might as well let them
in on it."

"Well of all the----" Grace was beginning, when Betty nudged her
sharply.

"Don't interrupt, Grace, whatever you do," she whispered. "They take
long enough getting to the point anyway."

Grace saw the wisdom in this, and stopped short.

"Well," began Mollie, speaking slowly and with aggravating distinctness,
"you see, in the old days, this island used to be a rendezvous for all
the wandering gypsies for miles around."

"What?" Frank cried.

"Well, I am only telling you what the old man said," asserted Mollie
defensively and with warmth. "I don't say he may not be mistaken----"

"Oh, that's all right, Mollie," Betty broke in quickly. "We understand
that you are not vouching for the old man's honesty. All we want is his
story. Please go on--I am awfully interested."

"Just think, gypsies on this island!" murmured Amy, shuddering.

"He says," Mollie continued, "in the old days there used to be as many
as two or three hundred of the gypsies gathered around here--on this
part of the island, too." She paused to see the effect of her words.

"But didn't your aunt say anything about that, Mollie?" Grace queried.
"Why, it seems impossible. I don't wonder you felt creepy, especially
if there are many like that old crone we saw in Deepdale," and she
glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the open window.

"Don't you think we had better lock the door?" suggested Amy. "Some of
those men in the gypsy camp looked actually murderous."

Of course the boys laughed at her fears, and Roy remarked casually: "The
old chap told us something else, fellows, that may be of interest later
on."

"What's that?" Will demanded.

"He said that when the