Then Tom insisted that he must do a like study of Mabel, who blushed and stammered that she was not paintable. “Oh, aren’t you? I should say you were.” Tom squinted up his eyes and looked at her, causing greater confusion on her part. “I speak to do Miss Crump, too,” cried Reed; “she’d make a stunning subject, so much character to get.” “There you go,” exclaimed Tom; “I was going to speak for her, but I was going about it more diplomatically. I didn’t mean to blurt out my wishes in that bald way.” “What’s the matter with both of us painting her if she will be so utterly angelic as to sit for us?” said Reed. “Go along with you,” cried Miss Rindy. “The idea of asking a creature like me to sit; I’m no beauty.” “Dear lady,” said Tom, “there is something better than magazine-cover beauty, and that thing you have.” “You’ve said it, boy,” Reed agreed. “Come, Miss Rindy, I may call you that, mayn’t I? You are going to be good and sit for us. We won’t keep you long, and we’ll do anything in the world you ask of us, split wood, run errands, any old thing, won’t we, Tom?” “Very well, since you have eliminated the claim for beauty I’ll promise, and you can begin your tasks by opening that box you brought up.” “That’s easy. Lead us to it,” said Reed. So was begun an intimacy, the results of which were far-reaching. “When we said we didn’t know what might be around the corner, we must have had a subconscious awareness of those two boys,” said Mabel, as the two girls parted for the night. “It’s a lovely world, Ellen.” “It’s a lovely island,” sighed Ellen, “but the summer is flying too fast.” “‘Gather rosebuds while ye may,’” quoted Mabel. “It’s the best summer I ever had, and I mean to make the most of what is left of it.” “Meaning?” “Draw your own conclusions, miss. I’m not referring to ghosts.” CHAPTER XVIII A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE There were not many young people summering on Beatty’s Island. Ellen and Mabel could claim acquaintance with perhaps half a dozen girls of their own age, and not so many boys, youths about to enter college, or, having finished high school, waiting a chance to enter into business. Dolly and Cora Dix lived nearest. They were of the flapperish type, dressed and looked the character, were rather insipid and silly. Farther away lived Claudia and Lucile Bond, who affected knickers, were very sporty, and talked a great deal about “expressing themselves,” used the latest slang, and liked to be considered mannish. The Bonds’ nearest neighbors were the Truesdells. There were three girls in this family, Hettie, Gertrude, and Cassie, the youngest being Cassie. These were nice unaffected girls, and their brother, Alvin, a lad of eighteen, was much like them. Theirs was a hospitable house, always something going on. No amount of trouble was too much when it came to entertaining, and all was done so easily, for every one took a hand in preparations.