“Dick Somes, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!” mimicked Chub. “Don’t you mind him, Harry. He never did have any manners in spite of my careful training. We were beginning to think you weren’t here, Harry.” “I didn’t know when you were coming, silly! Why didn’t you write? I’ve been awfully anxious.” “Write? Oh, but we _did_ write,” said Chub. “Didn’t you get Roy’s letter?” “Of course I didn’t,” replied Harry, suspiciously, glancing around her at the preternaturally sober countenances. “I don’t believe you wrote.” [Illustration: The next moment they were all shaking hands] “How passing strange!” murmured Chub. “Roy, hand the lady her letter. She appears to doubt my word.” Roy laughed, and fished the missive from his pocket. “You didn’t send it!” Harry exclaimed. Chub shook his head. “No, we feared it might alarm you. We thought it better to bring it along with us. You will see that we agreed to be here the twenty-first. It is now the twenty-first. And here we are, right on time. Punctuality is one of our principal virtues. Tell her some of the others, Dick.” “The fact is,” owned Roy, “that I forgot to mail it, Harry. I’m awfully sorry, really.” “Well, it doesn’t matter now that you’re here, does it?” asked Harry, beamingly. “And doesn’t the _Jolly Roger_ look beautiful?” “She is no longer the _Jolly Roger_,” corrected Chub. “We have changed the name to _Slow Poke_. After you’ve been on her awhile you’ll know why. But she does pretty well. I take very good care of her. Of course, if I had a capable, intelligent crew, I might do much better, but--” “Chub, you’re just as silly as ever!” said Harry, severely. “I should think that going to college would make you more sensible.” “It will take more than a year to affect him that way,” said Dick. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you all!” exclaimed Harry, beaming from one to another of the trio. “But we must hurry back because luncheon is on the table and I told mama I’d bring you right up.” The boys gazed at each other and smiled covertly. Chub shook his head regretfully. “It’s very nice of you, Miss Emery, and we appreciate your thoughtfulness, but the fact is that Dick had just announced dinner when you appeared. So I think we had better decline your invitation.” “Now that’s perfectly horrid!” cried Harry in disappointment. “_Please_ come, Chub!” Chub hesitated, frowning tensely. Dick and Roy grinned. At length-- “Very well, if you put it that way,” acceded Chub. “I never could refuse a lady. We will go, even against our inclinations. Dick, clear the viands from the board.” Dick and Roy burst into laughter, while Harry looked perplexedly from them to Chub’s grave countenance. “There aren’t any viands,” blurted Dick. “We haven’t anything but bacon and potatoes.” “Oh!” said Harry. “Chub Eaton, you’re a dreadful fibber! It would just serve you right if I--if I recalled my invitation.”