"Oh, you'll get your authorization all right," Laura declared cheerily. "It's only a matter of form." Laura did not tell something she knew---to the effect that at her request Dr. Bentley had wired Mr. Howgate, urging that the permission be granted to the boys to race as a high school organization. "May we take you young ladies out in the canoe this morning?" Dick inquired. "Only a few of us, or for very short, trips," Laura replied. "The fact is, we girls are to play hostess to you this noon." "Hostess?" asked Dave, looking puzzled. "Yes; we are going to be your hostesses at luncheon," Laura smiled. "But I thought you girls were going to skip luncheon in favor of the picnic meal to-night." "Wait until you boys see the luncheon," laughed Susie Sharp, "and you'll be sure to think we might as well have skipped that meal. It will be light and shadowy, I promise you. Toast, lettuce salad, moonbeam soup, sprites' cake, feather pudding and ghost fruit." "Won't there be some dog biscuit?" asked Danny Grin hopefully. "You shall have a special plate," Susie promised. So the canoe was hauled up on the float and left there, and a general chat followed. At noon, Dr. Bentley joined the young people, talking with them pleasantly, after which he led the way to the hotel. There, in a little private dining room, the boys met Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Meade. The luncheon was soon after served. It was a dainty meal, though far more elaborate than Susie had led the boys to expect. At the end of the meal a waiter, looking duly solemn, presented at Danny Grin's elbow a plate holding three dog biscuits. "Thank you," said Dan Dalzell politely. "But I shall keep them for future use." Very calmly, notwithstanding Dick's slight frown, Dan placed the biscuit in his coat pockets, though some of the girls found it hard indeed not to giggle. After the meal the party adjourned to the lawn under the shade of some fine old elms. A little later a farm wagon, drawn by a pair of horses, stopped near the group. "Now, you must excuse us, boys," announced Laura, rising with a mysterious air. "We girls have a little errand to perform. We shall be back before half-past four o'clock." "Wouldn't it be better to be back a good deal before that time?" urged Dick. "You see, we can't carry more than three passengers at once, and we are to have eleven guests to ferry across the lake." "Why, didn't I tell you?" asked Laura, looking astonished. "My father said it would be an imposition to ask you boys to make four round trips this afternoon, and as many more to-night, so he has engaged one of the hotel launches to take us over, and to call for us this evening. You don't mind, do you, boys? But we would like to have you here at half-past four o'clock to go across the lake with us." "We'll be here," Dick promised promptly. Six high school boys watched the girls drive off in the farm wagon, waving handkerchiefs and parasols back to the boys.