her ears as
the moan of the siren rose wailingly into the night. "It's a wreck!
Billie--oh--oh!"

"A wreck!" cried a voice behind them, and they turned to see Laura in the
doorway with Vi peering fearfully over her shoulder. "Oh, girls, I was
just dreaming----"

"Never mind what you were dreaming," cried Billie, beginning to pull on
her clothes with trembling hands. "If it is a wreck, girls, we may be
able to do something to help. Oh, where is my other stocking? Did any one
see it? Never mind, here it is. Oh, hurry, girls; please, hurry."

Twice more while they were dressing the searchlight flashed round upon
the island, filling their rooms with that weird white light, and the
siren wailed incessantly its wild plea for help.

The girls were just pulling on their waterproof coats when Connie's
mother, white and trembling, appeared in the doorway and stared with
amazement at sight of them.

"I heard you talking, girls," she said, "and knew you were awake. I hoped
you would sleep through it."

"Sleep through _that_?" asked Connie, as the siren rose to a shriek and
then died off into a despairing moan. "Oh, Mother----"

"But what are you going to do, kiddies?" asked Mrs. Danvers, taking a
step toward them. "The life-savers will be coming soon--perhaps they are
at work now--and they will do all that can be done. Why are you putting
on your coats?"

"Oh, please, please don't make us stay at home," begged Billie, turning
an earnest, troubled face to Connie's mother. "We may not be able to do
anything to help, but we shall at least be there if we should be needed."

"Muddie, dear, we couldn't stay here, we just couldn't," added Connie,
and with a little choked cry Mrs. Danvers turned away.

"You darling, darling kiddies," she cried. "Run along then if you must.
Only," she stopped at the doorway to look earnestly back at them, "don't
go any farther than the lighthouse until Dad and I come. We'll be along
right away."

The girls ran down the stairs, and Connie opened the front door with
hands that fumbled nervously at the lock. As the door swung open the wind
sprang at them like a living thing, taking their breath, making them
stagger back into the hall.

"Th--that wind!" cried Laura, clenching her hands angrily. "I'd like to
kill it! Come on, girls."

Laura rushed out into the storm while the other girls followed, pulling
the door shut behind them.

CHAPTER XXIII