"I know," cried Mollie, stopping in her restless promenade to regard Betty. "But how in the world is mother going to raise any such sum of money? Twenty thousand dollars--why, we haven't that much ready cash in the world!" "But he doesn't know that," Grace pointed out. "And as long as he keeps on hoping--" "But how long is he going to keep on hoping?" cried Mollie, turning on her. "He knows mighty well that if mother had that much money she would move heaven and earth to get it together and get the twins back. And the very fact that she hasn't--" "Oh, but that doesn't always follow," Betty broke in eagerly. "There are a great many people who, even if they had the money, would try to bring the rascal to justice before they submitted to blackmail." "But not my mother," Mollie insisted. "But the kidnapper doesn't know that," Grace put in. "And he will probably lie mighty low for a few weeks, knowing that the police are hunting for him." "For the next few weeks, yes," admitted Mollie. "But he isn't going to wait forever, and when he finds out that mother can't raise the money what would be the natural thing for him to do? Get the twins out of the way, of course," she said, answering her own question. "But there is always the chance--yes even the probability--" insisted Betty, "that before very long the police will be able to find the fellow and recover the twins." "Yes," Grace added, "that kind of criminal is never very clever, you know. They are bound to leave something undone that will incriminate them." Mollie groaned and sank into a chair. "And in the meantime," she said, "all I have to do is just to sit here and wait and act as if nothing had happened. Oh, I can't! I've simply got to do something!" "Well, I'm sure I don't know how a girl can do anything that the police can't," sighed Grace, adding wistfully: "Goodness, wouldn't I like a chance to be happy again!" "I guess we all would," said Mollie moodily. They were silent for a long time after that, each one busy with her own unhappy thoughts and no one noticed that the sun had gone under a cloud and that the wind was rising. It was the increasing thunder of the waves on the rocks that finally startled them into a realization of the present. "There's a fearful storm coming up!" cried Grace, springing to her feet. "Look at those banks of clouds." "And I'm getting cold," added Amy, shivering, and then they suddenly realized that they still had on their bathing suits. "I guess we're going crazy--and no wonder," said Grace, as they started indoors to change their things. "Has any one any idea what time it is?" asked Mollie. "I'm sure I haven't." "It must be after twelve, for I'm beginning to feel hungry," Betty answered. "And I'm feeling faint," Amy added. "I shouldn't wonder if a cup of tea would go awfully well."