"Oh, Nat won't care," replied Nan, picking up a pebble and sending it skimming across the water. "She is far too sensible." "Look over your shoulder, Nan, and see your prediction verified;" and surely enough, strolling across the beach, in their direction, came Emily Varian, with Wendell Churchill at her side. "Isn't Em in her element?" said Nan, lowering her voice. Nothing could have been more characteristic than the welcome the three girls gave Mr. Churchill. Into Eleanor Hill's courteous greeting was thrown just enough of personal interest as to be slightly flattering. Helen's "How do you do" was both shy and reserved, and Nan just nodded indifferently, and continued her occupation of skipping stones. "We ought to be going home," announced Helen presently. "I wonder if the girls are not ready yet? Oh, yes! there they come!" as the three girls came down from the bathing house and joined the little group. Suddenly Nan dropped her pebbles and sprang to her feet with an exclamation: "Oh, girls, what fun! My ship has come in at last!" "Why, Nan, are you going out of your mind?" cried Jean. "What ship?" "Look, girls, look! Don't you see that big schooner just rounding the point?" "Yes, but what of it?" "Why, that's the U. S. Coast Survey schooner _Vortex_, and she's going to be stationed here for a long time, and Dick knows all the officers aboard. How is that for a piece of news?" "This must be your secret," laughed Eleanor. "Of course, and didn't I keep it well? Dick told me weeks ago that they were coming." "I say, it is jolly. We will have some fun, won't we?" It was Nathalie who spoke. "It is a perfect god-send," declared Emily Varian, solemnly. "Nan, your secret is a success, and I congratulate you." "I wonder," ruminated Jean, "who the men are, and whether we will really like them." "Time will tell," spoke Helen, a bit indifferently. "Come, girls, we must be going. Here is the carriage." Almost every evening the young people gathered together on the Lawrences' broad veranda, and to-night was no exception to the rule. When the girls strolled out from the dining room, they found Nan and Emily sitting on the steps. "Why, we never heard you at all," said Jean. "You must have come over the lawn like--oh dear, I can't think of a comparison. The night is too warm for one to exert one's brain unnecessarily." Nathalie seated herself on the railing. "Here come Eleanor and Wendell Churchill." "Ah!" laughed Jean teasingly. Her sister looked around at her with heightened color. "Don't be silly, Jean." "Do you know I have hardly seen you to-day, Miss Nathalie," said Churchill, finding a place on the railing at her side. "Where have you kept yourself?" "Everywhere--anywhere. I have not been hard to find." Nathalie's eyes were smiling wickedly into his, and his gave her back a smile. "Now, let me explain," he began. "Oh, don't let me put you to any unnecessary trouble," she interrupted with mock formality.