"I shall certainly report this impudence to your mother," she said, haughtily, moving away. But Isabelle fired the last shot. "Oh, Max will agree with me. You ought to watch her. She's got some technique herself." After that encounter Althea looked over and through Isabelle, as if she were thin air. It amused the girl immensely, and in her wise head she made a fair judgment of Miss Morton's mind and disposition. She decided that she was entirely unworthy of the god-like Jerry, and she was glad he hesitated. She began to watch him with increased interest. She made romances about him, with herself as heroine. She played scenes in which she outwitted the haughty beauty, and fled with the hero. She began to pity Jerry. He was the unwilling victim of Althea and Mrs. Brendon. How could she, Isabelle Bryce, rescue him from their clutches? In the process of her dreaming she wrecked the yacht, Jerry saved her, and as soon as they reached shore they were married. In one version, Althea, seeing that he loved Isabelle, threw herself overboard and perished. There were many stories, but they always had one ending--Isabelle won and wed the handsome young man. One windy morning when the other "stuffies" (as she called them to herself) were playing bridge inside, Isabelle squatted on deck, her chin on her knees, watching the big breakers, listening to the scream of the petrels, and as usual building air castles about herself and Jerry, when lo! her hero came striding down the deck and all at once he stopped before her. "Hello! Aren't you afraid you'll blow overboard?" he inquired. "No, I'm not. You've waked up, have you?" "Have I been asleep?" "You haven't seen me before," she retorted. "Well, I see you now. Do you know what you look like?" He smiled down at her. "Yes. I look like a ripe olive." "No, you look like a cricket. Are you always so silent? Don't you ever chirp?" "Me, silent? I've given the Wallys the blow of their lives. They think I'm sick, I've been so good on this rotten cruise." "What caused the reform--good company?" "No, I'm getting ready to break it to them, that I may not be taken back at that school. I got into the devil of a row." "Did you? And they expelled you?" "Suspended me, until they decide. That's why I had to come on this jolly party." "You don't like it?" "Of course, I don't like it. How'd I know whether you'd wake up or not?" "Did you want me to wake up?" he asked, curiously. "But, _oui_, aye, _ja_, yes, of course. You don't suppose I want to play with fat old Brendon, do you? Wally is a fearful bore, so there is only you." "Poor little cricket, she wanted a playmate," he teased. "She did. I can't rub my knees together and make a 'crick,' you know, so I had to wait until you came to. I'd have pushed you overboard if it hadn't happened to-day. I'm so full of unused pep, I'm ready to pop!" "Come on. I'm awake. Now what?"