race?” called out the young man at the engine, who by the way was the same person who had called Nancy and Billie “cats” that very morning in the bathing pavilion.

“All right,” answered Edward. “We’ll start now if your friend will give the signal, and race to the little house on the shore.”

There were two other people in the boat, one a boy who sat in the stern. He wore smoked glasses and his hat was pulled well down over his face. The other was a girl.

“Why, it’s the same girl who was walking this morning with the terrible old English lady,” whispered Nancy. “Her name is Georgiana Paxton.”

But no one replied, for the boy with the smoked glasses had called out: “One—two—three—off you go,” and the two boats had shot out over the water.

It was glorious fun skimming along the lake in the pretty little craft. Shores flew past and sail boats and canoes were left far behind. The other boat kept well ahead of them for awhile. Over the noise of its chugging engine they could hear the scornful laugh of the young man who was running it.

“What an impolite person,” observed Miss Campbell. “There is nothing ridiculous about any of us, I hope.”

“He’s laughing because he thinks he’s going to beat us,” said Edward over his shoulder. “But wait and see what happens when we beat him. We are almost at the goal now.”

Gradually the Firefly began to get up speed, and chug and work as the other boat would, it could not keep abreast of the graceful swift-moving craft which shot ahead and presently slowed up just opposite the knock-kneed, rickety little boat-house on the shore.

The girls were standing up, and Miss Campbell was waving her handkerchief in her enjoyment and excitement.

“It was thrilling,” she cried. “I have never actually been in a race before, and how beautiful to be the winner. If I had known there was going to be a race I should have offered a prize for us to win, ourselves. The young man should never have laughed. It is unlucky to laugh before a race is decided.”

At that moment the other boat came up.

“The race was not a fair one,” exclaimed the young man, whose name we will presently find is Clarence Paxton. He was frowning and biting his lips angrily.

“What was wrong about it, I’d like to know?” demanded Edward.

“You had the start of at least half a minute.”

Edward’s blue eyes took on a steely look.

“You are mistaken,” he said quietly.

“I tell you I am not mistaken,” began the other, when Miss Campbell interfered.

“Edward,” she said, in her gentlest and most charming manner, “this would be a good place to land and have our tea. Perhaps these young people will join us.”

The girl in the other boat turned toward her gratefully.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, “we should love to.”

“That will be very nice,” answered Miss Campbell. “An excellent way to celebrate a well-fought battle,” she added, blinking her blue eyes a little mischievously.

“It will be impossible, Georgiana,” said Clarence, “I have an engagement at the hotel at five o’clock.”

“An engagement!” she exclaimed. “Why you don’t know anyone to make an engagement with.”

“Is it any of your business one way or the other?” he replied angrily.

“If this young man is anxious to get back,” put in Miss Campbell, “don’t detain him, please. We shall be delighted to take you home later in our boat, if you care to come ashore, and your friend, too.”

Georgiana flushed with pleasure. She was a pale thin girl with a rather plain face and sad dark eyes.

“I should love to come,” she said, looking wistfully at the Motor Maids. “I have no friends here.”

“Will you come, too?” asked Miss Campbell hospitably of the boy who wore glasses.

“Do come, Edward,” cried Georgiana, and the other Edward started at hearing his name called out.

The boy took off his slouch hat diffidently.

“Are you sure there will be room in the boat?” he asked.

“Plenty,” said the other Edward.

“I believe I will come,” he said with a shy eagerness that the girls noticed at once.

“Take your friends ashore,” commanded Miss Campbell sternly to Clarence, “and then you need not trouble about them further. They will be our guests.”

Clarence obeyed sheepishly, and as the two boats pointed toward the beach, Miss Campbell remarked:

“The only way to avoid a quarrel with that singular young man was to ask them all to tea. But I’m sure if it gives them any pleasure it is well worth the trouble.”

Presently they found themselves on a smooth beach, just back of which in a little hollow was a lovely grove of palm trees.

“What a perfect place for a picnic,” cried Elinor. “Do the fairies dance here by moonlight, I wonder?”

“Isn’t it sweet?” cried Mary, clasping her hands rapturously.

The prow of the other boat then grounded on the beach and the boy and girl jumped out so eagerly, that it was plain to be seen they were glad to get rid of the ill-natured Clarence.

“I can’t tell you how much pleasure this will give us,” said Georgiana to Miss Campbell, a slight tremble in her voice.

“It gives me a great deal of pleasure, too, I’m sure,” replied the other cordially. “Your name is——”

“Georgiana Paxton, and this is my brother, Edward Paxton.”

Miss Campbell introduced them to her charges, and nobody took any more notice of Clarence, who busied himself with his engine and occasionally cast a surly glance at the others.

Edward and Elinor had carried the tea basket and a package of sandwiches into the little hollow, and the rest now followed.

“What a beautiful spot, what an ideal place,” they cried, as they grouped themselves about the little dell, while Elinor opened her tea basket and laid out the dainty crockery and the kettle.

There was a spring bubbling in the dell, and the ground all about was carpeted with a thick bed of moss. The yellow jasmine grew in abundance there and violets were thickly strewn in the shady corners.

“What an enchanting place——” Miss Campbell was saying, when suddenly Edward, the chauffeur, said “Sh-h-h,” and pointed to the upper branches of an immense old pine at the edge of the grove.