baggage, in obedience to Frank's instructions.

While the boys were in the garage talking to the proprietor, the girls
had a chance to look about them.

"Isn't it lovely?" cried Mollie delightedly. "It looks just like the
little colored pictures of towns they have in the magazines sometimes.
The same quaint little frame houses with green shutters and well-kept
lawns in front----"

"And flower beds with borders of white shells," Amy finished for her. "I
know just what you mean, Mollie; I've seen them myself."

"Girls," said Betty, jumping up from the overturned suitcase she was
using for a seat, and speaking impressively, "I have a feeling----" here
she paused for effect. "I have a feeling," she continued, "that we are
going to have a good time."

"Humph," snorted Mollie. "Why don't you tell us something we don't
know?"

"Get off the luggage, you girls!" Will commanded, good-naturedly. "The
man in there says we have just exactly five minutes to catch that joke
steamer for the island, and if he is right, we've got to hustle. Sling
over that bag, Sis, will you?"

"With the greatest of pleasure," said Grace. "But will somebody kindly
tell me how we are going to make that boat in five minutes?"

"By running like the very wind," Frank declared, and, picking up two
suitcases in one hand, he propelled Grace down the street with the
other. "Please hurry," he urged. "Never mind about your hats, girls. It
will soon be so dark nobody will be able to see them."

"Shall we give them a race?" asked Allen of Betty, as they prepared to
follow Roy, who had taken both Mollie and their gay little chaperon in
tow.

"Let's," said Betty with dancing eyes. "Nobody knows us here and I
wouldn't care if they did--better people than you and I have run for
boats before, Allen."

"Oh, I don't know," he said, argumentatively. "Just as good, possibly,
but never better."

"All right, have it your own way," she laughed. "Now do we begin?
One--two--three--come on. We'll beat them even with the head start."

Off they raced, light and graceful and buoyantly alive. It was no task
at all to overtake Roy, who was hampered by gasping little Mrs.
Irving--who, although young, was not--_so_ young. Next came Amy and
Will, running easily, but Allen and Betty passed them as if they had
been standing still.

"Oh, you will, will you?" Will shouted as they went by. "We'll see about
that. What do you say, Amy, more speed?"

"Sure," said game little